Beating the Winter Blues with Full-Spectrum Lights
At one time or another, we've all suffered from a bout of the "winter blues." However, to some people winter can be a time of utter depression and sorrow. Seasonal Affective Disorder, or SAD, affects many people who live in northern climates. SAD is a condition in which a person could suffer a debilitating depression during the months of November through March, with January and February being the most difficult.
SAD affects different people in different ways. Some of the most common symptoms include: low energy, increased sleeping habits, craving sweets and starches, withdrawal, irritability, sadness and depression, and for women, increased premenstrual symptoms.
Nobody knows what exactly causes SAD to occur in some people and not in others. Some researchers feel that light deprivation, a result of shortened daylight hours during the winter months is the main factor. Not only lack of sunlight, but also the fact that human beings, on average, spend more time indoors under fluorescent lights and in temperature controlled environments than they did, say, fifty years ago.
When your eyes take in bright light, a signal is sent to the brain via the optic nerves. This light affects the production of a hormone known as melatonin, which may affect our physical and emotional states. Full-spectrum light bulbs may help trigger melatonin levels.
Those who suffer from SAD may try these simple suggestions:
- Keep your house bright. Keep the shades up and curtains open, so as to take advantage of the light there is.
- Try, if you work in an office, to position yourself near a window.
- Take a vacation somewhere warm and sunny if this is possible during the winter months.
- Try to exercise outdoors. Ice skating and skiing are two favored winter activities. Even a simple walk around the block can help.
- Buy a light box, or use full-spectrum light bulbs in lamps. Light boxes have been shown to be successful in helping SAD sufferers. This is a simple process in which a person is exposed to a "measured" dose of light at a set distance.