Do you have the blues in the winter months? If so, you may have Seasonal Affective Disorder or SAD. SAD is a mood disorder associated with depression and is related to seasonal variations of light. Some people refer to SAD as the "Winter Blues."
Seasonal Affective Disorder has been linked to the hormone Melatonin. Melatonin is a hormone that induces sleep and regulates our sleep-wake cycles. As night approaches, Melatonin is produced to help us fall asleep. As the sun comes up, the Melatonin is decreased so we wake up.
As the days get shorter during the winter months, the Pineal Glands in our brains produce more Melatonin. For people affected with SAD, their biological clocks are out-of-step with their daily schedules. The most difficult months of the year -- at least in the Northen Hemispere -- are January and Febuary, which have some of the shortest daylight hours of the year. People most affected by SAD are women, younger people, and those who live in northern latitudes.
The symptoms of SAD are:
- regularly occurring symptoms of depression (excessive eating and sleeping, weight gain) during the fall or winter months.
- full remission from depression occur in the spring and summer months.
- seasonal episodes substantially outnumber nonseasonal depression episodes.
- a craving for sugary and/or starchy foods.
symptoms have occurred in the past two years, with no nonseasonal depression episodes.
One way that has shown promise in combatting SAD is phototherapy or 'light therapy.'
With light therapy, SAD sufferers sit in front of a light box with an output of 10,000 lux. "Lux”, is a measurement of illumination. Most of our homes have 200 to 300 lux, and a well-lit office may have 500 lux. A sunny day produces 50,000 to 100,000 lux. The key for light therapy to work is that the light must shine into the user's eyes for a certain amount of time each day. Usually, an exposure of 15 to 45 minutes per day is effective. What the light exposure does is to enhance serotonin, the hormone our brains produce when we are happy and feel good. This helps to alleviate some of the sysmptoms of SAD.
For people who have trouble waking up in the morning, they may wish to use a dawn simulator. This device is a device with a timer attached to a bedside lamp with a full spectrum light. About 45 minutes before you wish to wake up, the dawn simulator gradually fills your room with light. This makes your pineal gland in your brain quit producing melatonin and start producing serotonin, causing you to wake up. Many times, you don't even need a regular alarm clock when using a dawn simulator. This is a fantastic device for people who work swing shifts or must arise to go to work when it is dark outside.
Most people respond to light therapy in two weeks, but some people take up to a month. As always, if you believe you have a seasonal pattern, or you feel you may be suffering from depresson, contact your physician to find the best remedy for you.
Popularity: 3% [?]
