Sarah's Health Notes: Stay sunny through the winter

This coming Sunday 27th October gives us a lovely extra hour in bed but also the threat of Seasonal Affective Disorder – commonly known as SAD or the winter blues. According to Victoria Health‘s in-house pharmacist Shabir Daya, SAD may affect up to 20% of adults, is twice as common in women as men and most likely to start in your thirties.

We’re particularly vulnerable to SAD in the UK and Ireland because of living in higher latitudes in the northern hemisphere, which leads to big changes in light levels between summer and winter.

This causes our circadian rhythms – which regulate bodily functions including sleep, mood, energy, appetite and digestion – to be thrown off balance. It’s exacerbated by the way most of us live now in the modern tech age – working indoors, electric light, longer working days and shift work, plus long periods of time stuck to screens of all kinds.

The production of two important hormones seems to be affected in SAD sufferers: the sleep-wake hormone melatonin may be produced in higher than normal levels, plus a lack of sunshine may lead to lower levels of serotonin, which affects your mood, appetite and also sleep.

The key is getting enough daylight but fewer than 10 per cent of us work in natural outdoor light these days, according to SAD (sad.org.uk), a voluntary support group. While this is fine during the summer months with longer daylight hours, in the winter people often go to and from work in the dark and simply don't get enough natural light to stimulate the signals that keep our bodies and brains functioning smoothly.

You might suspect you have SAD if you have some of the following symptoms, according to the SAD organisation:

• Lethargy, lacking in energy, unable to carry out a normal routine

• Sleep problems, finding it hard to stay awake during the day, but having disturbed nights

• Loss of libido, not interested in physical contact

• Anxiety, inability to cope

• Social problems, irritability, not wanting to see people

• Depression, feelings of gloom and despondency for no apparent reason

• Craving for carbohydrates and sweet foods, leading to weight gain

The NHS website entry on SAD recommends that anyone suffering from symptoms and struggling to cope should check in with their doctor to establish that it is SAD and not any other condition.  

Many health experts now recommend SAD therapy lights and Jo and I, who have both had winter blues, have both benefited from having light panels (the size of iPads) on our desks. It’s particularly helpful if you work in a dark room; I’m lucky enough to have my desk in a big artists studio now, which is light all year round.

There are different options in terms of size, type of light (white or blue) and the SAD organisation website explains these. The key is to get one that's medically proven and emits at least 10,000 lux, which is the equivalent of bright springtime light.

Find reviews here and tips on Choosing a portable SAD Therapy Light here.

I have a LiteBook Elite SAD Light, which is small enough to be portable, with long-lasting LED bulbs and a fully rechargeable battery.

Sounds obvious but the other important thing is to get out in the daylight as much as possible. Exercise is important for everything! So do get out for a yomp round the park at lunchtime wherever you are. (Pavements are better than nothing…) Jo has found this to be the single biggest help with her SAD.

People who are severely affected may be treated with talking therapies and possibly medication. Shabir Daya suggests that nutritional supplements, including St. John’s Wort, fish oils (for omega-3), B vitamins, magnesium and tyrosine, may help. See products here.

You might think that supplementing with vitamin D, aka the sunshine vitamin, would help SAD but so far research has not been conclusive. However, since most people have way below optimal levels of this vital vitamin, there is every reason to top up levels through the winter. Shabir Daya recommends BetterYou DLux 1000 Spray/£6.95 for 15ml – that’s 100 doses.

Photo by Ales Krivec on Unsplash