Mid-Winter Blues or SAD?

• Feb. 13, 2012
• Topic: Mental Health, Wellness

Seasonal affective disorder, or SAD, affects up to 20% of the population in the United States; staggeringly, 80% are women. Cases of SAD increase when clocks change and the days grow shorter. With less exposure to sunlight, melatonin production increases and causes you to feel sleepy. 

Symptoms include decreased productivity at work, difficulty concentrating, disinterest in socializing, sleepiness or fatigue, weight gain and carbohydrate cravings, increased alcohol consumption, and decreased sex drive. 

The National Institute of Mental Health notes that SAD affects young women, in particular. “Women who are at home in the winter months, often young mothers with small children, or those who tend to be isolated are more apt to develop SAD, which is a form of depression,” notes psychologist Susan Rosenberg, PsyD. 

SAD can appear without a family history of depression or a biochemical imbalance. It’s different from regular depression because it’s aligned with the seasons. The delayed melatonin release causes the body to be awake when it is supposed to be drowsy; therefore, someone suffering from SAD is often tired in the morning because they are not getting enough sleep at night. 

Often, doctors prescribe antidepressants, which work well to alleviate many of the symptoms. However, Dr. Rosenberg offers these alternatives to help alleviate the effects of SAD: 

1. Eat complex carbohydrates like oatmeal, whole grain bread and whole wheat pasta.
2. Exercise outside during the day when the sun is brightest.
3. Ask your doctor to check your vitamin D level; if it’s deficient, take a supplement to raise it to a healthy level.
4. Incorporate omega-3 fatty acids into your daily diet from foods such as flax seeds, walnuts, sardines, salmon and tofu.
5. Try photo (light) therapy. Purchase a light box that emits UVB ultraviolet rays (available online and in pharmacies) and use it on for 20 minutes each morning to help improve your mood, energy and concentration.
6. Try using a dawn simulator alarm clock that wakes you with light by simulating a gradual sunrise.
7. Avoid caffeine and alcohol, which can disrupt your sleep.
8. Keep a regular sleep-wake schedule even if you’re not tired, and try to get a minimum of seven hours of sleep.
9. If possible, take a mid-winter vacation to a sunny destination.