Are you getting enough morning light?
One Minute For Your Health #15
Around 1 in 4 of us feel depressed during the winter months.
As the days get shorter and darker (for those of us living in the northern hemisphere) many of us will notice a change in our mood and energy levels.
To a certain degree this is normal, we should be going into ‘hybernation’ mode as the weather outside becomes colder.
But ideally, this should feel cozy and relaxing. Not dread inducing and overwhelming.
Why do we feel more depressed in the winter?
One reason we may feel more depressed in the winter is that it becomes harder to get bright sunlight soon after waking up.
This disrupts our body clock, which we spoke about before in the article on the power of morning movement.
Our internal body clock should make us feel awake and motivated shortly after waking up.
When this doesn’t work, we feel tired, demotivated and down throughout the day.
At night it should help us feel sleepy and drowsy, helping us to fall asleep in a timely manner.
If you struggle to get up in the mornings or to fall asleep at night it is likely that your body clock is dysregulated. This puts you at even greater risk of low mood in the winter.
The body clock is regulated by:
Light
Movement
Eating
Light and your body clock:
Receptors in your eyes are triggered by light to signal to the brain whether it is time to be awake or not.
Bright, blue lights signal that it is time to be awake. These can come from the sun, very bright indoor lights or electronic devices.
Dim, orange lights and darkness signal that it is time to go to sleep. These can come from candles, sunsets, and dimmed, orange indoor lighting.
What you can do:
To help keep your body clock in sync during the darker months I challenge you to:
Turn on bright lights as soon as you wake up
Spend at least 10-30 minutes outside during the brightest part of the day
Dim the lights in the evening
Avoid electronic devices after 7pm
You may even want to consider purchasing a light alarm clock*.
Want to learn more about seasonal depression? Watch this 6 minute video:
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Links and References:
Penders, T.M., Stanciu, C.N., Schoemann, A.M., Ninan, P.T., Bloch, R. and Saeed, S.A. (2016). Bright Light Therapy as Augmentation of Pharmacotherapy for Treatment of Depression. The Primary Care Companion For CNS Disorders. [online] Available at: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27835725/ [Accessed 6 Oct. 2020].
Pinchasov, B.B., Shurgaja, A.M., Grischin, O.V. and Putilov, A.A. (2000). Mood and energy regulation in seasonal and non-seasonal depression before and after midday treatment with physical exercise or bright light. Psychiatry Research, [online] 94(1), pp.29–42. Available at: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0165178100001384 [Accessed 6 Oct. 2020].
Germain, A. and Kupfer, D.J. (2008). Circadian rhythm disturbances in depression. Human Psychopharmacology: Clinical and Experimental, [online] 23(7), pp.571–585. Available at: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/hup.964 [Accessed 6 Oct. 2020].
Behavioral Sleep Medicine. (2012). Bright Light Therapy Protects Women from Circadian Rhythm Desynchronization During Chemotherapy for Breast Cancer. [online] Available at: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/15402002.2011.634940 [Accessed 6 Oct. 2020].
Gooley, J.J. (2008). Treatment of Circadian Rhythm Sleep Disorders with Light. [online] 37(8). Available at: http://www.annals.edu.sg/pdf/37VolNo8Aug2008/v37N8p669.pdf.
CZEISLER, C.A. and DIJK, D.-J. (1995). Use of bright light to treat maladaptation to night shift work and circadian rhythm sleep disorders. Journal of Sleep Research, [online] 4, pp.70–73. Available at: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/j.1365-2869.1995.tb00231.x [Accessed 6 Oct. 2020].
https://www.capitalcharacter.com/why-do-you-feel-sad-in-the-winter-seasonal-depression/?utm_medium=social&utm_source=pinterest&utm_campaign=tailwind_tribes&utm_content=tribes&utm_term=967782330_43244926_548278
https://www.nytimes.com/wirecutter/reviews/best-sunrise-alarm-clock/
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