PENNSYLVANIA, USA — We only had two days of sunshine the entire month of January, on Jan. 17 and Jan. 22. And while they were some of the grayest looking days, January days are also some of the darkest. When the sun doesn't rise until around 7:30 a.m. and it sets around 4:30 p.m., it can trigger symptoms of seasonal affective disorder.
"Sometimes when the sun doesn't wake up until much later, our bodies don't want to wake up until much later either. Our biological clocks are a little bit disrupted," said Dr. Fauve Luckey, a clinical psychologist in Lackawanna County.
Doctors say seasonal affective disorder, or SAD, is a subtype of clinical depression, specifically with a seasonal pattern. It's the same as a depressive episode but the onset of symptoms happens around the same time every year, when daylight saving time ends, and then symptoms tend to go away in the spring when daylight saving time begins.
"The lack of sunshine, the shorter days, and sometimes that might throw off our natural circadian rhythms and our production of melatonin which is a chemical that makes us sleepy," said Dr. Luckey.
That can trigger the onset of symptoms of seasonal affective disorder, which is more serious than just normal wintertime blues. Dr. Luckey says it is believed seasonal affective disorder impacts about six in 100 people.
"What we want to see is our melatonin increase when we're ready to go to bed and then decrease when we're ready to wake up," said Dr. Luckey.
When that balance is thrown off, your body can start producing melatonin earlier at night and tapering off later the next morning.
Dr. Luckey says it is when your symptoms become debilitating and you have a problem functioning that you should consult a doctor.
"If we're seeing a low mood nearly all day, nearly every day, more days than not. If we see a lack of interest, or a lack of pleasure in things you used to enjoy," she said.
Doctors say exercise and adding vitamin D to your diet can help with seasonal affective disorder symptoms. Light therapy through sunlamps, anti-depressants or cognitive behavior therapy are also options.
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