Our bodies have an innate ability to tell the time – it evolved so that we were inclined to rest when it was safe, and were keener on travelling or hunting and gathering when food was plentiful. The sun and our body’s ability to perceive its light kept our internal clocks ticking along consistently.  

But today, many of us spend most of our days indoors, and much of our nights in artificial light. We’ve confused our internal clocks, and that can wreak havoc on our bodies and minds.  

Dr Jacob Crouse is on a mission to improve the lives of people living with depressive and bipolar disorders – and it turns out light may be one of the keys to fulfilling that mission. Jake explains why people affected by bipolar disorder tend to have more disrupted ‘circadian rhythms,’ and what his research reveals about everybody’s need for the right light at the right time.  

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The Solutionists is podcast from the University of Sydney, produced by Deadset Studios. Keep up to date with The Solutionists by following @sydney_uni on Facebook and Instagram, and @sydney.edu.au on Bluesky. 

This episode was produced by Liam Riordan with sound design by Jeremy Wilmot. Supervising producer is Sarah Dabro. Executive editors are Kellie Riordan, Jen Peterson-Ward, and Mark Scott. Strategist is Ann Chesterman. 

This podcast was recorded on the land of the Gadigal people of the Eora nation. For thousands of years, across innumerable generations, knowledge has been taught, shared and exchanged here. We pay respect to elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.