Have you ever wondered why people living in the Mediterranean always seem so much happier than us? Picture for a moment the old women sitting in the evening sunshine outside their crumbling village homes - yet smiling and content with their lives. Well, why can't we be like that?
It's called Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) or the Winter Blues and is now officially recognised as a medical condition that affects two million people in the UK.
Centuries ago most people in the UK worked outdoors in natural light, starting at the break of dawn and ending at sunset. Today fewer than 10% work outdoors. Whilst this is fine in the summer months with longer daylight hours, in the winter people go to work in the dark and go home in the dark, so don't get enough natural daylight.
This modern way of living has dramatically altered nature's cues. Our working days are getting longer and many people have to deal with shift work schedules. Additionally, electric light allows social gatherings and personal activities to extend well into the night. All these factors have lowered the body's natural ability to regulate the body clock and this work-life change has resulted in a dramatic increase in light-deficiency symptoms.
In the UK we are more susceptible to SAD as we are situated in the higher latitudes of the northern hemisphere. As a result, between summer and winter we experience big changes in light levels. We also experience profound periods of dark, gloomy weather which can reduce the amount of light we receive and therefore have a marked effect on our body clocks. Lack of light causes an increase in the production of melatonin (the hormone that makes us sleepy at night), and a reduction of serotonin, the lack of which causes depression.
The combination of a change in seasonal light, our hectic lifestyles and the long periods of darker days and poor weather have dramatic effects on our circadian rhythms: those that regulate our mood, sleep, waking state, appetite, digestion and energy. As a direct consequence, more and more people are suffering from SAD.
SAD symptoms include:
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Lethargy, lacking in energy, unable to carry out a normal routine
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Sleep problems, finding it hard to stay awake during the day, but having disturbed nights
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Loss of libido, not interested in physical contact
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Anxiety, inability to cope
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Social problems, irritability, not wanting to see people
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Depression, feelings of gloom and despondency for no apparent reason
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Craving for carbohydrates and sweet foods, leading to weight gain
What to do about it
Medical professionals now agree that light therapy for SAD sufferers works far better than drugs. The exposure to bright light therapy reverses the process, with the additional benefit of being drug-free.
By using a SAD lightbox, which provides summertime levels of light during the winter, you can successfully alleviate the symptoms of SAD. They are entirely safe to use for the majority of people and if you are generally healthy you should have no problem using one. However, in the following instances we advise you to consult your doctor/medical practitioner before you start using a lightbox:
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if you have an eye problem or if you are particularly sensitive to light;
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if you are (or have been) taking anti-depressants or medication for epilepsy.
Don't worry: you won't get a suntan from using a lightbox, nor will you be exposed to dangerous amounts of UV. Lightboxes have no more UV in them than any ordinary bulb.
A medically-approved lightbox will cost you between £110 and £300. Also on the market are Dawn Simulators which treat some of the symptoms of SAD, but they cannot be classed as a medically proven SAD light. For more information on all the medically-recommended products for treating SAD, contact SAD.org.uk - a voluntary organisation specialising in the condition.
We can't all afford to move permanently to sunnier climes, but there are alternatives as outlined above. No longer do those living in northern areas need to suffer from SAD. The solution is a mere light-flash away.
