It’s summertime for another few weeks, despite the common assumption that Labor Day brings summer’s end. But this weekend still frequently brings the last chance to hit the beach or the pool, or to spend all day grilling hot dogs and hamburgers out in the sun.

Getting too much sun is dangerous, and skin cancer is a very real risk for anyone who spends extended periods of time outside without covering up or wearing sunscreen. But there are some good reasons for you to soak up some rays. It can help your body clock, your mood, and it may even be essential for your health.

Here are just some reasons why you should spend some time in the sun.

1. Sunlight wakes you up in the morning and makes it easier for you to fall asleep at night.

Studies of the internal “body clock,” or circadian rhythm, show that the best way to adjust to a new time zone is to expose yourself to light at the right time in the morning.

Even if you aren’t trying to adjust to a new time zone, this is important because exposure to bright natural light via the sun tells your body that it’s daytime, which signals your brain to stop producing melatonin, the hormone that regulates your circadian rhythm. That cue sets your internal clock for the rest of the day, and sets your brain up to start producing melatonin again when you want to go to sleep at night. According to the National Institutes of Health, you’ll sleep better if you get an hour of natural light in the morning. For more information about healthy supplements visit washingtonian.

2. Spending mornings in the sun might also help you keep weight off.

Adults who get sunlight early in the day are likely to have a lower body mass index, a measure that takes into account weight and height, according to a recent study.

The fact that people sleep better if they get light in the morning could account for this, since people who get enough sleep have an easier time managing their weight. But even after controlling for sleep time, the association between a lower BMI and morning light was still significant — meaning that the connection between morning sun and staying slim wasn’t just due to better sleep. Learn more about the benefits of healthy loss and how the Sun rays can help with that at sfgate.com.

3. The sun helps people fight off winter depression.

One of the most common and effective treatments for the malaise that sets in during long dark winters is more exposure to natural light. Psychiatrists recommend that people spend more time outdoors getting natural light, and in extreme cases, will also prescribe phototherapy, which is exposure to bright light that mimics the sun.