{"id":58,"date":"2018-01-05T09:21:21","date_gmt":"2018-01-05T09:21:21","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/besthealth.guide\/?p=58"},"modified":"2021-10-06T06:40:29","modified_gmt":"2021-10-06T06:40:29","slug":"12-ideas-to-overcome-seasonal-affective-disorder","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/besthealth.guide\/12-ideas-to-overcome-seasonal-affective-disorder\/","title":{"rendered":"12 Ideas to Overcome Seasonal Affective Disorder"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"Seasonal affective disorder is a condition that causes people to feel overly tired, emotionally drained, and even potentially depressed during the darker winter months. The reason for this is usually put down to a lack of sunlight. As the body isn\u2019t getting the sunlight that it normally would in the morning, this can result in your natural body-clock falling out of sync. You\u2019re now missing the \u2018external zeitgeber\u2019 (external cue) that the body uses to set its circadian rhythms and as such, your body wants to sleep longer when you\u2019re forcing yourself out of bed.<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, reduced activity, fresh air, and sunlight exposure follow due to the individual being forced indoors by dark, wet, cold, and windy weather! This in turn can cause lethargy, cabin fever, and a shift in hormones, all of which contribute to the symptoms associated with SAD.<\/p>\n

While the term is still somewhat vague and the precise causes aren\u2019t fully understood, it is generally agreed that a combination of these factors impact on people in different ways and cause them to feel generally \u2018low\u2019 during winter months. To overcome the problem, here are some things you can try.<\/p>\n

1. Daylight Lamp<\/h3>\n

Essentially, a daylight lamp is a lamp that emits a light that is close to the wavelength that is produced by the sun. This is therefore able to essentially \u2018trick\u2019 the brain into thinking it\u2019s witnessing a sunrise and that in turn triggers neurochemicals<\/a> just the same way as the sun would.<\/p>\n

Daylight lamps come in all shapes and sizes and you can get them for your desk, for lamps around your various rooms, and more.<\/p>\n

\"\"2. Daylight Alarm<\/h3>\n

What\u2019s even better is that these lamps are normally combined with an alarm clock. This means you can then set it to gradually get brighter in the morning and to thereby gently rouse you out of sleep just as a real-life sunrise would.<\/p>\n

Now, instead of being \u2018startled awake\u2019 by a noisy alarm and flooding your body with stress, you\u2019re instead being gently nudged into wakefulness by the sun \u2013 just as your body was designed to be.<\/p>\n

Better yet, your brain will produce cortisol<\/a> as the sun \u2018rises\u2019 which is the hormone that works counter to melatonin to signal that it\u2019s time for you to wake up.<\/p>\n

\"\"3. Smartwatch<\/h3>\n

SAD<\/a> is made significantly worse by the way that most of us wake ourselves in the mornings: with noisy alarm that startles us out of deep sleep into pitch dark. This is one of the reasons that a daylight lamp alarm can make a such difference.<\/p>\n

Another solution is to wear a health-tracking smartwatch that can assess your sleep stage and nudge you awake with vibration only at the point where you are in lighter sleep. This will be less of a jarring shock to the system and can help you to start your day feeling better.<\/p>\n

\"\"4. Get More Fresh Air<\/h3>\n

While you might be mentally tired at the end of the day, if you aren’t also physically tired then it can be harder to doze off \u2013 which contributes to low energy the next day. Many of us spend all day working in an office, then come home only to sit in front of a television. We’re constantly mentally stimulated while being cooped up in small, stuffy environments – it’s hardly any wonder we often struggle to sleep.<\/p>\n

Instead, then, try spending some more time outside and exercising so that when you come to hit the hay your body will instantly melt into the bed around you and your brain<\/a> will be completely ready to switch off. This way you\u2019ll also increase your sun exposure, your fresh air, and more \u2013 all of which will combat the effects of SAD.<\/p>\n

\"\"4. Have a Quiet Hour<\/h3>\n

If you find that your mind is racing after you’ve tucked yourself in, then it may be that you’re simply too active and excitable when you should be sleeping<\/a>. To try and combat this, give yourself 30 minutes to an hour to just relax and unwind before bed.<\/p>\n

Read a book to slow down your thoughts, listen to some quiet music, and avoid anything like action films or phone calls. Likewise, try to avoid eating as this will also make it harder to sleep.<\/p>\n

Better sleep means you wake feeling more refreshed!<\/p>\n

\"\"5. Avoid Screens<\/h3>\n

Just as you want to get natural, bright, cortisol<\/a> producing light first thing in the morning, you also want to avoid bright lights at night that will only further confuse your body clock and get you out of sorts.<\/p>\n

One of the worst culprits for this are screens on our phones, TVs, and computers. Try avoiding these for an hour or so before bed or at least use a redshift app or program to alter the wavelength.
\n6 Make Your Room Perfect<\/p>\n

Of course, light and noise in your room can also make your sleep more disturbed. Even a light as seemingly small as the LED on an alarm can make a big difference and cause you to sleep more lightly. Make sure that every last light source is accounted for, and try to improve the sound insulation too if you’re near a road\/another source of the noise.<\/p>\n

\"\"7. Cut Your Hair Shorter<\/h3>\n

Okay, so this one is a little more experimental but it\u2019s worth a shot!<\/p>\n

How does light help us to wake up? One theory is that it stimulates parts of the brain by entering through the skull<\/a>. This is why birds always wake up at the crack of dawn: they have very thin skulls.<\/p>\n

So in theory, cutting your hair shorter might make you more sensitive to even small amounts of light coming in through the window and help you keep your body regulated.<\/p>\n

\"\"8. Change Your Hours<\/h3>\n

To get better sleep, it is important to try and sleep<\/a> at more regular times. This way, your body will adapt and you\u2019ll begin feeling tired at the end of the day and more awake in the morning.<\/p>\n

But as well as being consistent, it\u2019s also a good idea to listen to your body. Some people are naturally more inclined to wake later and others prefer earlier starts. If you feel constantly tired, try shifting your sleep and wake times back or forward an hour and see if that helps! Consider asking your employers about flexi-time too.<\/p>\n

\"\"9. Use Vitamin D<\/h3>\n

One of the ways that sunlight helps us to feel more awake and energetic is by stimulating the release of vitamin D.<\/a> Vitamin D is actually not a vitamin in the conventional sense but is better described as a prohormone that regulates the release of other hormones in our system. Because sunlight is what stimulates our body to produce vitamin D, it is necessary in order to keep everything ticking over normally.<\/p>\n

This contributes to our sleep-wake cycle, so try taking a vitamin D supplement first thing in the morning when you are missing that sunlight exposure.<\/p>\n

\"\"10. Exercise<\/h3>\n

As mentioned, getting more exercise<\/a> will help you to tire yourself out during the day more so that you sleep more heavily when you do go to bed.<\/p>\n

At the same time though, exercise also produces endorphins which will help to boost your mood and counteract any depressive effects that might come from the lack of sunlight.<\/p>\n

\"\"11. Serotonin<\/h3>\n

Serotonin<\/a> is a feel-good hormone that is released at various times during the day: such as just after we have eaten carbohydrates. Serotonin is an inhibitory neurotransmitter also, meaning that it reduces activity in the brain and helps us to start winding down. In fact, serotonin is eventually converted into melatonin \u2013 the sleep hormone.<\/p>\n

So in the short term, serotonin will make you feel better and by the end of the day, it may help you get better sleep.<\/p>\n

Try to increase this substance then, whether that\u2019s through the use of a supplement (such as 5HTP \u2013 consult with a doctor) or whether it\u2019s through other means like better meal-timing.<\/p>\n

\"\"12. Nitric Oxide<\/h3>\n

When you wake first thing in the morning, sunlight triggers the release of cortisol in the brain to help wake you up and increase your metabolism. At the same time though, nitric oxide<\/a> will be released to increase activity throughout your neural network. Supplementing with a little garlic extract may help this process to wake you up more effectively in the mornings.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Seasonal affective disorder is a condition that causes people to feel overly tired, emotionally drained, and even potentially depressed during the darker winter months. The reason for this is usually put down to a lack of sunlight. As the body isn\u2019t getting the sunlight that it normally would in the morning, this can result in […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":66,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"\n12 Ideas to Overcome Seasonal Affective Disorder<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"noindex, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"12 Ideas to Overcome Seasonal Affective Disorder\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Seasonal affective disorder is a condition that causes people to feel overly tired, emotionally drained, and even potentially depressed during the darker winter months. 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