Okay folks. The dark nights are drawing in and my light lamp (a fabulous portable little number called the LiteBook that a kindly PR sent me and saw me through last winter) has made its acquaintance with my new desk this morning.
If you suffer from the ‘winter blues’ you’ll know what I’m talking about. Apparently, as many as one in ten people start to experience the effects of daylight deprivation from as early September or October. And I’m one of them.
And what else do we know? That a craving for carbohydrates is a very common symptom of Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), of course, and that it’s very easy to opt for the chippy on more than one night a week. Because chips, fish and mushy peas are the comfiest of all comfort food. I dare you to challenge me.
For those on unfamiliar territory, SAD is a condition occurring when the brain is not receiving enough daylight for a continued period, so the shorter days of autumn and winter obviously trigger this in people who are prone.
Daylight has the effect of causing the brain to stop producing a substance known as melatonin (which causes us to sleep), thereby allowing us to wake up properly. Dull winter days mean that not enough light gets through to the brain to fully reduce the melatonin production, so we find it difficult to rouse.
Though it’s generally more difficult to get out of bed on colder, darker mornings for everyone, the dreary effects will persist for SAD sufferers and the symptoms of the condition range from the mild to the very severe. They may include:
Sleep problems (especially oversleeping and difficulty waking)
Feelings of depression, anxiety and misery
Lethargy
Irritability
Loss of libido
Physical symptoms (such as lowered immunity)
And, of course, OVEREATING! Nope, we can’t escape. In summer we do it because we’re happy, attending weddings and barbeques and generally having a wonderful time, and in winter we do it because we are sad. Great.
SAD sufferers will experience these symptoms increasingly as the nights get darker and longer, and apart from the urge to stuff your face with food (which happens all year round), they won’t be present in the summer months without an identifiable reason. However, it’s always advisable to see a doctor if SAD appears to be the source of these feelings, to rule out anything else.
The best treatment, according to experts, is – you guessed it - to increase the amount of light entering the eyes to reach the brain. For mild forms of SAD, this might be achieved simply by ensuring to get out at lunch time and make the most of the natural daylight wherever possible.
Ensuring a healthy, balanced diet and plenty of exercise (especially outdoors) also helps. Use uplifting essential oils around the house or in the bath to boost your mood. Some of the ones I find particularly helpful include Bergamot and Geranium.
For more debilitating forms of SAD, artificial light treatment might be the answer i.e. by sitting close to special lamps that can be bought which offer differing degrees of brightness (‘lux’). A light therapy lamp must be at least 2500lux for it to be effective, but the stronger it is, the shorter the treatment time. I do love my LiteBook as I can take it on trips with me so highly recommended.
Want some more info? The Seasonal Affective Disorder Association is a registered charity that provides advice.
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