Some people may have been looking forward to an extra hour of sleep after Daylight Savings Time recently ended, but for millions of people, the shorter days and longer nights are another reminder of the arrival of winter (the blues). Video above: Massachusetts doctor on Seasonal Affective Disorder Seasonal Affective Disorder, or SAD, is a type of depression that occurs in late fall and winter and is associated with a lack of sunlight. Shorter days and longer nights during fall and winter can disrupt our body’s 24-hour clock. called circadian rhythm. This clock regulates multiple bodily processes and is affected by the day-night cycle, circadian rhythm expert Joseph Takahashi, professor and chairman of the neuroscience department at Texas Southwestern University Medical Center, said by email. Disrupted circadian responses can affect brain regions involved in mood, along with causing fatigue and low energy due to sleep deprivation. Taking care of your health is key to coping with seasonal affective disorder. Here’s what experts say you can do to manage seasonal affective disorder. Remember to talk to your doctor before starting any new treatment. Try bright light therapy Light therapy is the main treatment for seasonal affective disorder. This includes exposure to a light box with at least 10,000 lux for at least 30 minutes. (A lux is a unit of measurement for light intensity.) A clear sunny day is 50,000 to 100,000 lux, said Dr. Jason Tucciarone, an instructor of psychiatry at Stanford University School of Medicine. Although you can buy a light box with lower intensity, you will have to spend more time sitting in front of it. There are two ways the light box helps with seasonal affective disorder. First, mimicking the outside light corrects the internal clock thrown off course by the shorter days of winter. Another way is to increase levels of serotonin, a brain chemical involved in balancing mood. You can use the light box at any time, but using it in the morning can give you more energy for the rest of the day. Look away from it and do something where you’re sitting in front of the light, whether it’s eating breakfast, reading the news, or anything else that will occupy you for 30 minutes, Tucciarone said. Be sure to stay 2 to 3 feet away from it and don’t look directly into the box because 10,000 lux can hurt your eyes. Invest in a dawn simulator. These types of alarm clocks mimic natural sunlight. When it’s time to wake up, the intensity of the light gradually increases. Some research suggests that dawn simulators may be equally effective in reducing depressive symptoms. They can be a good addition to your light therapy, Tucciarone said, because you can be exposed to light as soon as you wake up without straining your eyes. Prioritize sleep at night, Thomas Kilkenny, a sleep specialist at Northwell Health in New York City, emphasized the importance of getting enough sleep. The lack of sunlight due to shorter winter days can disrupt our internal clocks that tell us when it’s time to be awake and when to wind down. A disturbed sleep schedule can cause insomnia and excessive daytime sleepiness. Get ready for bed an hour before you plan to go, Kilkenny recommended. Dim the lights, use the bathroom, and avoid arguments or emotional situations where you will get upset. Additionally, avoid using electronics while you begin to relax, as they can make it harder to fall asleep. Phones and computers have bright light, which can trick your mind into thinking about daylight, Tucciarone said. Finally, he advised having a consistent sleep schedule, which means going to bed at roughly the same time each night and waking up at the same time each morning. Go for a walk outside Exercise acts as a mood booster by releasing chemicals such as serotonin and endorphins to help you feel good and cope better with stress. Even low-impact activity, such as a 10- to 15-minute brisk walk, can improve symptoms of depression. Going outside for a short walk can be even more beneficial, Kilkenny said, because you’re exposing yourself to bright light at the same time. If you’re going to exercise, Kilkenny recommends doing it in the morning, not in the evening. Exercising a few hours before bed will actually raise your body temperature, which is a bad idea, he said. Socialize with other people Feeling the need to hibernate during the winter? Social isolation is common among people with seasonal affective disorder, and isolation can contribute to depressive symptoms. Recently, the US Surgeon General reported that social exclusion is as bad for your health as smoking 15 cigarettes a day. Socialization is really important in treating the disorder in general, Tucciarone said. Isolation is not good for the mood. You may not be ready for a party or a dinner date, but even small amounts of socializing can make a difference. One suggestion from Tucciarone is to have a buddy with you when you go for outdoor walks. Seek medical help Cognitive behavioral therapy allows people with seasonal affective disorder to develop awareness of what they are experiencing, identify negative thoughts and devise strategies to replace them with more positive ones, said Lucian Manu, a psychiatrist at Stony Brook Medicine in New York. Cognitive behavioral therapy may be more effective than light therapy in preventing remissions. One study found that six weeks of cognitive behavioral therapy helped reduce depressive symptoms and reduced the chance of developing seasonal affective disorder the following winter. Antidepressants are another option Manu recommends for people with severe seasonal affective disorder. Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, for example, work to increase serotonin levels, which can help improve mood. A popular prescription is bupropion, which Manu said helps manage increased sleep (along with appetite and weight) for people with seasonal affective disorder. Jocelyn Solis-Moreira is a freelance health and science journalist based in New York.
Some people may have been looking forward to an extra hour of sleep after daylight saving time recently ended, but for millions of people, the shorter days and longer nights are another reminder of the arrival of winter (blue).
Video above: Massachusetts doctor on seasonal affective disorder
Seasonal affective disorder, or SAD, is a type of depression that occurs in late fall and winter and is associated with a lack of sunlight.
Shorter days and longer nights during fall and winter can disrupt our body’s 24-hour clock, called the circadian rhythm. This clock regulates multiple bodily processes and is affected by the day-night cycle, circadian rhythm expert Joseph Takahashi, professor and chairman of the neuroscience department at Texas Southwestern University Medical Center, said by email. Disrupted circadian responses can affect brain regions involved in mood, along with causing fatigue and low energy due to sleep deprivation.
Taking care of your health is key to coping with seasonal affective disorder. Here’s what experts say you can do to manage seasonal affective disorder. Remember to talk to your doctor before starting any new treatment.
Try bright light therapy
Light therapy is the main treatment for seasonal affective disorder. This includes exposure to a light box with at least 10,000 lux for at least 30 minutes. (A lux is a unit of measurement for light intensity.)
A clear sunny day is 50,000 to 100,000 lux, said Dr. Jason Tucciarone, an instructor of psychiatry at Stanford University School of Medicine. Although you can buy a light box with lower intensity, you will have to spend more time sitting in front of it.
There are two ways the light box helps with seasonal affective disorder. First, mimicking the outside light corrects the internal clock thrown off course by the shorter days of winter. Another way is to increase levels of serotonin, a brain chemical involved in balancing mood.
You can use the light box at any time, but using it in the morning can give you more energy for the rest of the day. Look away from it and do something where you’re sitting in front of the light, whether it’s eating breakfast, reading the news, or anything else that will occupy you for 30 minutes, Tucciarone said. Be sure to stay 2 to 3 feet away from it and don’t look directly into the box because 10,000 lux can hurt your eyes.
Invest in a dawn simulator
These types of alarm clocks mimic natural sunlight. When it’s time to wake up, the light gradually increases in intensity.
Some research suggests that dawn simulators may be just as effective in reducing symptoms of depression. They can be a good addition to your light box therapy, Tucciarone said, because you can be exposed to light the moment you wake up without straining your eyes.
Prioritize sleep at night
Thomas Kilkenny, a sleep specialist at Northwell Health in New York, emphasized the importance of getting enough sleep. The lack of sunlight due to shorter winter days can disrupt our internal clocks that tell us when it’s time to be awake and when to wind down. A disturbed sleep schedule can cause insomnia and excessive daytime sleepiness.
Get ready for bed an hour before you plan to go, Kilkenny recommended. Dim the lights, use the bathroom, and avoid arguments or emotional situations where you will get upset. Additionally, avoid using electronics while you begin to relax, as they can make it harder to fall asleep.
Phones and computers have bright lights, which can trick your mind into thinking of daylight, Tucciarone said.
Finally, he advised having a stable sleep schedule, which involves going to bed at the same time every night and waking up at the same time every morning.
Go outside for a walk
Exercise acts as a mood enhancer by releasing chemicals such as serotonin and endorphins to make you feel good and cope better with stress. Even low-impact activity, such as a brisk 10- to 15-minute walk, can improve symptoms of depression.
Going outside for a short walk can be even more beneficial, Kilkenny said, because you’re exposing yourself to bright light at the same time.
If you’re going to exercise, Kilkenny recommends doing it in the morning, not in the evening. Exercising a few hours before bed will actually raise your body temperature, which is a bad idea, he said.
Hang out with other people
Feeling the need to hibernate during the winter? Social isolation is common among people with seasonal affective disorder, and isolation can contribute to depressive symptoms. Recently, the US Surgeon General reported that social exclusion is as bad for your health as smoking 15 cigarettes a day.
Socialization is really important in treating the disorder in general, Tucciarone said. Isolation is not good for the mood. You may not be ready for a party or a dinner date, but even small amounts of socializing can make a difference. One suggestion from Tucciarone is to have a buddy with you when you’re walking outdoors.
Get medical help
Cognitive behavioral therapy encourages people with seasonal affective disorder to develop awareness of what they’re experiencing, identify negative thoughts and come up with strategies to replace them with more positive ones, said Lucian Manu, a psychiatrist at Stony Brook Medicine in New York.
Cognitive behavioral therapy may be more effective than light therapy in preventing remissions. One study found that six weeks of cognitive behavioral therapy helped reduce depressive symptoms and reduced the chance of developing seasonal affective disorder the following winter.
Antidepressants are another option Manu recommends for people with severe seasonal affective disorder. Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, for example, work to increase serotonin levels, which can help improve mood. A popular prescription is bupropion, which Manu said helps manage increased sleep (along with appetite and weight) for people with seasonal affective disorder.
Jocelyn Solis-Moreira is a freelance health and science journalist based in New York.
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