Phone: 616-217-9489 | eMail: jude@midlifetoolsforliving.com
JD's Midlife Tools For Living Practices, LLC
As our days are getting shorter especially since our fall back time change it’s not surprising if you begin to notice some mood changes. That includes feeling symptoms of seasonal depression.
As we change the clock, we also change our sleep cycle, our chemical balance and our circadian rhythms too.
The loss of natural light can cause us to experience a decline in our body’s ‘feel good’ chemical called serotonin that resides in our brains. The sun is our primary source of vitamin D which is an essential nutrient for our overall mental and physical health. We don’t see as much of the sun this time of year.
As the nights get longer our body’s production of melatonin increases. Melatonin is a sleep related hormone and, in the evening, it helps you feel sleepy.
The National Center for Biotechnology Information reported in the week after the November time change that people in their study had an increase in sleep dissatisfaction, difficulty staying asleep, in excessive daytime sleepiness, and in difficulty falling asleep.
When our internal body clock is disrupted as the days get shorter, it can lead to experiencing symptoms of depression. It is believed that melatonin plays a role for people with Seasonal Affective Disorder or SAD.
According to the Cleveland Clinic about 5% of us have SAD and 10-20% of us experience a mild form of it. People with it reportedly get 53 minutes less sleep in October than they do in September.
Seasonal Affective Disorder symptoms include:
Those of us here in West Michigan experience one of the Nations top grayest areas this time of year! More people who live in low sunlight states have SAD then those who live in areas with the most sunlight.
Make sure you have heathy sleep habits with a consistent pattern of bed time and wake up times.
Get outside—even on the gray days there is actually more of the kind of light outside that your body needs than you might think. Take a walk and on sunny days do soak up the sunshine!
Consume a healthy diet and be mindful of the amount of caffeine and alcohol you drink as both affect your sleep.
Move your body—even small amounts of exercise will help you feel better and energized.
Be social—keep in touch with family and friends.
If your seasonal depression symptoms are troublesome to you do reach out for Depression Therapy.
If you have intense thoughts of death or suicide don’t hesitate to call 988, 911 or go to the nearest emergency room for immediate assistance. You are worth taking good care of!
Do Contact Me today to begin therapy so your SAD doesn’t overwhelm you and you can enjoy a wonderful day!
JD’s Midlife Tools For Living Practices, Holland, MI Offering Heartfelt care, Compassion and Coping Tools!
