Far too many people suffer from Seasonal Affective Disorder, or SAD, which is a depression brought on during the winter months as a result of the greatly-limited exposure to sunlight. The days are shorter, the nights are longer, and a lot of both humans and animals find themselves feeling listless, lethargic, and depressed once Daylight Savings Time is over. So, what can be done about this disorder which is said to affect “greatly” “up to 20% of Americans?”
Changing Seasons, Change the Bulbs, and Don’t Be SAD
SAD is more than an inconvenience; it can affect your day to day life and cause problems at home and work due to less motivation and decreased energy. It doesn’t only affect mental processing, though; “typical symptoms of SAD include oversleeping, overeating (especially sweets)… stomach and joint pain, and lowered immune system function.” Clearly, it is a serious issue which needs to be address and remedied, particularly given that it comes around every year and the changing of the seasons is unavoidable.
“Studies show that light deprivation alters brain chemistry, triggering over-production of melatonin, which causes fatigue.” Luckily, there are a number of lighting options to begin remedying the symptoms of SAD, given technologies and types of bulbs that have been developed in recent years as more research on this subject has come to light. Photo/Bright Light Therapy has been suggested as one solution; it isn’t particularly expensive and can be administered in many locations, since it is only a period of exposure to certain levels of light.
There have also been inventions within the lighting industry that have been able to allow people “to enjoy the therapeutic benefits of sunlight when it is difficult or impossible to find it outdoors.” This is crucial in the darker months of the year when SAD is at a high and natural light availability is at a low. Some of these bulbs are called “full spectrum lights” because of the temperature of the colors and the lux levels. This is different than the light boxes utilized in light therapy, but both offer a variety of health benefits and are able to lessen the disorder’s effects during periods of low light.
Natural light is… well, naturally good for us and is therefore the best option for healthy lighting, but the developments in the industry that can mimic the colors and intensity are a good second choice. Sometimes, the first isn’t available, and that’s when anyone struggling with the SAD and the symptoms of the season should look into bulbs and fixtures that are able to replicate the sun’s rays. For more information on options that can make your winter experience brighter, get in touch with Tim Kyle Electric.
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Winter Blues?
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