Keeping the Dark Days Bright

The days are getting shorter. Fall has arrived in all its resplendent beauty. While the changing colors are lovely, insufficient daylight may find you down in the dumps and more tired than usual.

The world-renowned Mayo Clinic estimates that ten to twenty percent (and maybe more) of the population suffers from some sort of seasonal depression brought on by shorter days. Some estimates indicate there are millions of North Americans who suffer from a more extreme version of “winter blues” called seasonal affective disorder (SAD). Women aged twenty to forty are four times more likely to suffer from this disorder than men and it is believed this is because there is some correlation between estrogen and progesterone and SAD.

SAD is more common in northern locations such as Canada and the Northern United States. An American study about the disorder found that only about 1.4 percent of people in Florida experienced symptoms.

There are numerous symptoms of SAD, but the main ones usually appear in the winter and include: a change in appetite, particularly for sweet or starchy foods, weight gain, change in sleep patterns, a tendency to oversleep, avoidance of social situations, decreased ability to concentrate, irritability, and, of course, decreased energy.

1 of 3

Disclaimer: The views expressed above are solely those of the author and may not reflect those of
Care2, Inc., its employees or advertisers.

Erika S.

4:18AM PDT on Apr 9, 2012

Thank you for the info

send a green star

Angela N.

7:36PM PDT on Mar 24, 2012

thanks :)

LMj S.

3:05PM PDT on Mar 11, 2012

great info, thank you for sharing!

Holly L.

7:09PM PST on Mar 1, 2012

Great info..thanks much!

Kath R.

3:24AM PST on Feb 15, 2012

I look forward to winter for just those reasons. I get to sleep more soundly, I get to bake and eat starchy foods ;-) Shoveling can be a bit annoying but it never depresses me.

Bonnie M.

8:40AM PST on Jan 24, 2012

SAD is finally getting more attention. As one gets older, this can be a big health issue. Thank you for posting this.

Rebecca N.

12:02PM PST on Jan 23, 2012

I tend to be a little down during the winter myself. I think I may try to take a short walk during the days to see if that helps me out a bit. Thanks for the info.

Lydia W.

6:43AM PST on Jan 23, 2012

Certainly hits home , I have a loved one suffer through the winter blues or blahs !
Thanks so much .

Emma S.

6:36AM PST on Jan 23, 2012

I do wonder whether we're meant to hibernate! I also wonder whether the time of year you were born affects things - I was born in spring and it's my favourite time of year. I've heard that not only do we have global warming, but we have global 'dimming' too. In Cornwall we've had a lot of very dark summers where it's felt like the sky was somewhere about shoulder level - you go into autumn and winter feeling like you haven't stocked up on enough sunshine to see you through the dark days.

Sam M.

6:11AM PST on Jan 23, 2012

Thanks for that. I find it harder to get up in the early morning when it's still dark outside. When the days are longer and it's light very early I jump out of bed raring to go; not so in Winter. Perhaps we should migrate, like the birds.