Shorter days, colder temperatures, wetter weather – it’s what we expect of winter, and many of us actually welcome the seasonal change as a time to wind down and relax. Staying home beside a heat source, looking up crafts projects, good movies, and books, and cooking up hearty meals, are all an enjoyable part of helping the coldest season fly by. However, this isn’t the case for everyone. For around 10% of Kiwis, the darker days of winter usher in a seasonal form of depression called Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD for short).
Far from being a simple case of ‘the blues’ lasting a day or two, SAD can be distressing, challenging, or even debilitating, depending on how seriously it strikes. In severe cases, it can completely disrupt life, and if a sufferer doesn’t seek medical attention, it can prevent them from carrying out their normal daily functions. In essence, the only real difference from regular depression, is SAD usually begins with the onset of autumn, and tapers off with the arrival of spring (there are, however, cases where SAD can arrive with the onset of the warmer months).
A complex equation
Mood disorders are the result of a complex set of factors, but one thing we do know is some of those factors are more likely to come into play in winter, than at other times of the year.
Sleep (whether too little or too much), for example, impacts the chemical balance within the brain, and sleep patterns are often disrupted with the arrival of winter, and fewer daylight hours. With the onset of colder days and longer nights, we often head to bed earlier, and get up later. However, people with SAD frequently sleep for 2 hours longer, per night, in the winter months. This can equate to fourteen extra hours of sleep a week! What’s more, their night time sleep may also be broken with nightmares. Despite sleeping longer, SAD sufferers will often feel very sleepy during the day, as well, and an afternoon nap will do little, if anything to help. These changing sleep patterns can impact negatively on emotions and mood, and lead to anxiety and depression.
Along with sleep patterns, mood is affected by factors such as exercise. Regular exercise is a natural mood booster as it releases the body’s natural ‘feel-good’ chemical, endorphin. However, winter weather can deter many of us from venturing out for a daily walk, or even from driving to our regular indoor exercise meetup. When we stop exercising, we deny our body and brain an opportunity for positively recharging our ‘batteries.’
Diet also plays its part in affecting mood. It’s not uncommon to crave a sweet ‘pick-me-up’ treat on cold winter days or when we’re feeling low because the winter weather keeps us confined. Sugar has the well-known effect of boosting mood almost instantaneously, yet research shows too much sugar can actually slow our brain down, and leave us feeling worse than before we reached for the chocolate!
So long, sunlight!
One of the most researched factors in SAD, is sunlight (or, rather, the lack of it), in winter. The shorter winter days decrease our access to sunlight, but they also deliver the cold temperatures that make us less willing to head outdoors, even on a fine, bright day. Insufficient exposure to sunlight is thought to affect the body’s production of melatonin, a natural hormone involved in developing our ‘circadian rhythm’ (our internal body clock). It’s this natural body clock which helps (among other things) to signal times for sleeping and waking. It is thought sufferers of SAD may over-produce melatonin, which in turns ‘switches on’ depressive symptoms.
The vitamin D factor
Sunlight is important in the creation of vitamin D within our body. In winter, with less sunlight available, lowered vitamin D levels may be implicated in a range of health issues including infection, immune disorders, and high blood pressure. Although it’s not known for sure that lowered vitamin D levels play a part in causing SAD, research has noted among those who experience SAD, a lack of vitamin D is often found. If you want to know more about vitamin D and mental health, you should discuss it with your GP.
Self-care for SAD sufferers
- Don’t ignore symptoms – see your GP sooner rather than later.
- Take part in some outdoor exercise or activities each day.
- Let the sunlight into your home by opening curtains and blinds daily.
- Keep up social contacts.
- Plan something to look forward to, such as a short break, or a craft project you enjoy.
- Skip the junk food and takeaways, and opt for fresh fruit and veg.
- Adopt healthy daily routines with eating, sleeping, and exercise, (and set your alarm to help you achieve them).
- Remind yourself that better times are coming with the change in season.
SAD isn’t something to be unconcerned about. For many it is a serious and challenging seasonal health issue, and those who suffer from it needed encouragement and support to see the difficult seasons through.