Winter and Sleep

Question for this evening:

Q: Why do I feel depressed, gain weight, and generally feel blah in the winter?

A: You may have seasonal affective disorder (SAD) also known as winter depression. This is related to the lack of sunlight in the morning. Sunlight causes the retina in our eyes to shut off melatonin in the brain. Melatonin as you may have heard is used as a natural sleep aid resulting in drowsiness. The required light must be at least 2,500 to 10,000 lux which is very bright. This is much brighter than the usual environmental light in our homes. Units are commercially available but must be used at least 30 minutes per day.