Why is it easy to feel depressed in winter?

Seasonal affective disorder (SAD)，is also called Winter depression. The disease is an affective, or emotional disorder.

What are the distinguishing characteristics of patients with SAD?

Most people with SAD remain in good health for most of the year, but experience symptoms of depression in winter or summer. SAD is present but rare in the tropics. However, SAD exists significantly north of 30 degrees north latitude or south of 30 degrees south latitude.

There is significant presence of SAD in north of 30 degrees north latitude or south of 30 degrees south latitude.

What causes Seasonal affective disorder?

The exact cause of seasonal affective disorder is unclear, but the prevailing view is that this mood disorder is strongly influenced by light. Overexposure to both strong light and low light can trigger changes in brain hormone levels.

When the light is lacking, the activity of the enzyme is high, and the serotonin is greatly transformed into melatonin under the enhancement of biochemical enzymes. When serotonin decreases, people's mood will easily become depressed, and when melatonin increases, people will easily become sleepy and cause drowsiness.

When the sun is full, the biochemical enzyme that converts serotonin into melatonin is inactive, the secretion of melatonin decreases, and people's mood and spirit will be in a relatively stable state.

In addition, there are studies that suggest that changes in norepinephrine, dopamine, and tryptophan are the cause of SAD.

In Europe and the United States, the prevalence of SAD ranges from 0.4% to 2.4%. Patients diagnosed with SAD had a relapse rate of up to 70% in the same season next year.

Reduced daylight hours in winter is an environmental factor for SAD and people living in higher latitudes are more susceptible to SAD.

If you have SAD and are having trouble regulating yourself, don't panic, these SAD treatments may help you:

Vitamin D supplementation

Several studies have found a lower rate of seasonal depression in Iceland among the Nordic countries, presumably likely to be related to eating a lot of fish. Sun exposure and fish can supplement vitamin D, a nutrient that helps regulate depression.

Many people with SAD are deficient in vitamin D. You can add foods rich in vitamin D to your diet, do more outdoor exercise in the sun, and supplement vitamin D before winter comes.

light therapy

The main cause of SAD is the reduction of sunlight in autumn and winter, so SAD can be treated with artificial light similar to sunlight.

How to use Light Therapy Lamp to treat Seasonal Affective Disorder? 

After the late autumn, the days are gradually shortened, and starting phototherapy at this time will play a key role. Beginning treatment with light therapy lamp in late fall can prevent symptoms of depression weeks later.

The morning is the most effective time to do light therapy, using Happy Light for 10 to 15 minutes at a time, eventually increasing to 30 minutes. Place the light therapy lamp one to two feet in front of your face.

During this process, don't stare at the light, you just need to relax and do something with the light on, such as reading a book, cooking food, arranging flowers, or putting on makeup and so on.

How to choose Light Therapy Lamp?

AIXPI Light Therapy Lamp can be a good choice. It can be warmly illuminated at night. There are three levels of brightness to choose from.

Turning on the light when you feel lack of sunlight or feeling bored can give you a sense of tranquility, let your body and mind settle down, ease your emotions, and gain a feeling of tranquility.

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