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Research suggests that just one weekend without artificial light advances the body’s clock by 2.5 hours, syncing wakefulness with dawn’s first light
Air pollution and sedentary routines contribute to metabolic slowdowns, with a WHO report linking city stress to a 15% rise in insulin resistance among adults. (Image: Canva/Representational)
In Delhi, a city where the night sky is a perpetual haze of lights and the air hums with ceaseless honks and traffic, sleep often feels like a negotiation rather than a surrender. For many who live in metro cities, the toll of relentless screen time, polluted air, and packed schedules manifests in broken rest, sluggish energy, and a persistent fog of stress. Yet, as emerging research highlight, a simple shift to higher altitudes with crisp air and scenic views of nature can reset the body’s rhythms in many ways.
My recent retreat to the pine-scented slopes of Kasauli, a modest hill station in Himachal Pradesh, revealed how such escapes are not mere respites but biological resets, drawing on nature’s subtle alchemy to mend and fix what city life wears out.
Disrupted sleep plagues over 70% of urban Indians, according to a 2025 survey by the Indian Sleep Disorders Association, with artificial light and noise delaying melatonin production by up to two hours nightly. But can a weekend getaway really fix your sleep cycle?
Can a Weekend Getaway Reset Your Sleep Cycle?
Immersing in natural darkness, as in a hill station’s evenings, can simply realign the circadian rhythm. A 2017 study in Current Biology, still relevant in 2026 wellness trends, showed that just one weekend without artificial light advances the body’s clock by 2.5 hours, syncing wakefulness with dawn’s first light. Neuroscientist Allison Brager notes that sunrise acts as a natural stimulant, rivaling caffeine in alertness without the crash.
In Kasauli, where homes blend into the hillside, the effect was immediate. Evenings dissolved into deep slumber, undisturbed by the usual urban interruptions, leading to mornings of unusual clarity for me. Nestled at an eco-friendly retreat at Kasauli Ggaon by Echor star-gazing, a rarity in Delhi’s smog-choked skies, became a ritual for me, the Milky Way’s sprawl inducing a meditative calm that extended my rather insomniac sleep’s restorative reach.
The transition from city to hillside began even before check-in. The winding drive towards Kasauli gradually replaced honking traffic with rustling pine canopies and quiet village trails. Arrival felt intentionally unhurried, with pathways rather than grand lobbies guiding guests towards their cottages. The absence of hurried reception formalities subtly set the tone, signalling that this was a place designed less for spectacle and more for slowing down.
As a 2025 study in Forests and Global Change affirms, forest environments enhance sleep quality by reducing stress hormones, with effects lingering post-trip.
How Does Mountain Air Revive Your Metabolism?
Air pollution and sedentary routines contribute to metabolic slowdowns, with a 2025 report from the World Health Organization (WHO) linking city stress to a 15% rise in insulin resistance among adults. Hill stations counter this through cooler temperatures and oxygen-rich air, which stimulate brown fat activation, a process that burns calories to generate heat, boosting metabolic rate by up to 20% in short exposures.
Trekking amplifies this, a moderate hike elevates energy expenditure, improving glucose metabolism and lipid profiles, reducing diabetes risk as outlined in a 2025 integrative review on outdoor activities. During the Kasauli trip, I agreed to a trek to Manki Point, which for my physically inactive body was the most painful decision but as the trek became difficult it also showed me a path through deodar forests, with the air echoing a sort of music deep within the valley that drowned out all my mental chatter.
Beyond independent exploration, these experiences felt less like scheduled activities and more like invitations to re-engage with surroundings that urban living often distances us from.
Meals appeared to follow a locally rooted philosophy, with menus leaning towards seasonal produce and traditional Himachali influences rather than elaborate multi-cuisine spreads. Dining felt communal and relaxed, echoing the slower pace of hill life. The emphasis on freshly prepared, minimally processed ingredients aligned naturally with the retreat’s wellness undertone, where nourishment was treated as part of restoration rather than indulgence alone.
Even the cold, which typically triggers my sinus flare-ups, felt invigorating, the pure air easing my breathing and subtly enhancing metabolic efficiency, aligning with a 2019 research findings that state even 120 minutes in nature optimizes gut health and hormonal balance.
Why Might a Hill Escape Clear Your Skin?
Chronic stress accelerates skin aging, with elevated cortisol levels exacerbating acne and dullness in 60% of professionals, per a 2025 dermatology analysis from the Indian Journal of Dermatology. Nature’s remedy lies in reduced pollution and microbial diversity i.e. exposure to forest soils and plants enriches the skin microbiome, promoting barrier strength and reducing inflammation. Another 2025 study on nature-based activities notes a 15-20% drop in cortisol after brief outdoor sessions, indirectly benefiting skin by curbing stress-induced breakouts.
In Kasauli’s mist-laden mornings, the retreat’s open-air terraces with cottages leaned into simplicity rather than overt luxury. Wooden doors, stone textures and earthy interiors created a lived-in warmth that encouraged rest without distraction. Windows opened directly to forested slopes, allowing daylight and mountain air to regulate the body’s internal clock almost effortlessly. The design felt intentionally analogue, gently nudging guests away from screen dependence and towards natural sensory rhythms, reinforcing the retreat’s restorative purpose.
Combined with fresh, unprocessed foods and hydration from mountain water, the environment fostered a glow on my face that is absent in Delhi’s haze. Multiple research highlights, outdoor sleeping in such settings avoids blue light’s melatonin disruption, allowing overnight cellular repair that manifests in clearer, more resilient skin.
Hill retreats, with their emphasis on clean air and minimal cosmetics, amplify how cooler climates and natural landscape promote holistic rejuvenation.
Can Nature Be The Antidote to Stress?
With anxiety rates climbing 25% since the pandemic, per a 2025 Leiden University study, even 15 minutes in green spaces slashes depression risks, while 45-plus minutes amplifies vitality. Hill stations excel here, their serene isolation and sensory immersion rustling leaves, distant echoes, trigger parasympathetic responses, dropping cortisol by 21%.
Activities like hiking release endorphins, fostering resilience against burnout. In an era of constant connectivity, these retreats remind us that true decompression demands disconnection—from noise, not nature.
As wellness travel surges in 2026, with trends predict a rise in circadian-optimizing retreats, and my trip Kasauli’s understated charm proves that healing need not be extravagant. It’s in the air, the trails, and the silence elements that, backed by science, quietly realign the self with the world’s natural pulse
February 15, 2026, 06:00 IST
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