I’m in the grey Midwest and each year it’s harder and harder to handle the bleakness. Not officially diagnosed with seasonal affective disorder, but I’m sure I have it. I got a circadian light and have been using it for a few weeks. Not sure if it’s helping or if I would be feeling even worse not using it. Anyone with experience with it?
atomom
The short gray days and long dark winter nights get to me, too.
I don’t have a special light, but this year I added two more 150w lamps to brighten my living room.
I tend to get a horrible sinking feeling around 4:30-5:00 pm when the sunlight fades. No diagnosis, (not interested in getting one) but common sense tells me that it is completely normal for people to sleep more and slow down during the dark cold seasons. But in the modern world we have to live by the clock–waking up while it is still dark out, using artificial lighting and coffee, etc. to keep us going. Imo, every business and school should have shorter “winter hours.” I don’t think that will ever happen, but knowing that a lot of people feel the same way helps me cope. I dream about becoming a snowbird after retirement. And I turn on all the lights at 4:30.
I always make a big deal about the winter solstice. As soon as daylight savings time ends I start my countdown–“Only x# of days until it starts getting lighter again!”
Only ONE more day!
Yes. Run, don’t walk to www.cet.org
There you will find excellent information about a variety of circadian rhythm disorders.
I have found that it makes a big, big difference for me to start treatment in September. Is this just in my head? IDK, but I start early every year.
I only buy products recommended at CET.org — proven to work.
I used a light box for many years. I would sit and eat breakfast in front of it. Sometimes, I’d set the light up at my computer desk and bathe in it for a few hours.
I also bought a dawn simulator alarm that is no longer offered at CET. It is connected to an impossibly bright halogen lamp that slowly brightens in the morning. This is my alarm.
Next, I bought the newest version of the negative ion generator on CET.
I was intrigued by the “passive” options. The dawn light. The negative ion generator (I run mine over night while I’m sleeping — game changer!)
I have since retired my light box and I only use the other 2.
I am not transformed into an energetic bubbly person in the winter, but I do not sink into a state of depression & non-productivity. I strongly believe this combo keeps my head above water and you will have to pry them out of my cold dead hands, haha!
Other things that help: regular exercise, eating well, walking my dog every morning, hiking on Sundays (yes, all winter), and some self-talk such as reminding myself we are past the shortest day, or, reminding myself of it were summer and 5 o’clock I’d feel like I had the whole night ahead of me, so don’t poop out in the winter! Go to that movie! Meet that friend for a drink! Work on that project!
This is a solvable problem! Good luck!
I’m in Chicagoland.
I’m in Chicagoland myself. Yes forcing myself not to get into sweats and stay home after 5:00 is one of my goals. I will definitely check out the web site listed. I know there’s help out there.
https://cet.org/education/ions/
I tried to find one patient story on CET I had read, but I can longer find it. Maybe it was one of the featured posts? It described quite nicely the “small” but significant changes one young woman experienced after beginning negative ion therapy.
She noticed little things like not feeling so groggy upon waking. She noticed that she was getting to places on time. She noticed she didn’t have to whip herself to exercise or get out, but it was happening without the Herculean effort.
I like the story because it certainly rang true to my experience as well. I simply began to notice little things had improved and the hurdles were not so high.
Do update us!
Another Chicagoan who counts the days until it’s light again in the afternoons/evenings. Thanks for the link. I’m definitely checking it out. I feel like I have SAD too - again, undiagnosed. I also turn on bright lights at 4:30. My H doesn’t have the same feeling so will mindlessly turn off the family room lights I’ve just turned on. lol. I’ve been trying to get him to understand my intense NEED for light!
I have my negative ion generator placed at the foot of my bed on a little stand. It is supposed to have several feet of free space around it, and away from the walls. This seems to be working well.
I used to have an older model that CET recommended, but it finally gave out. Then when I went to the web site, I saw they were recommending this machine by a different manufacturer.
I tried to get my adult kids to use one. It’s so easy! Just turn it on while you are sleeping, and if you are feeling shy or embarrassed about using one for mood, just say it’s an air purifier.
Nope. Neither one was going for it. :-/
We bought a floor lamp (he wanted one) and a daylight lamp for son’s birthday this fall. Did research online and decided the Verilux brand was a good choice for price, quality, features and sufficient lumens at the distance to eyes. I looked at the use directions and it seems the timing should be for around 15 minutes in the morning every day. Makes sense to get your wakeup dose then. It was easy to order online for delivery to him. Actually an appreciated gift.
Oh- we solved the problem for us with retirement to Florida (a mixed blessing- especially summers).
Our D attends a college in upstate NY. After the freshman year of short days, long, cold nights from Oct-March, she said that she and many friends felt depressed and miserable.
We bought her a Happy lamp. She has used it for two winters now and said it really helps uplift her mood.
We are in MA. I think I have winter blues but not too bad. I know I eat more and go to bed early this time of the year. I can’t wait for Dec 22.
One of the surprising things about retirement is that we now walk in the middle of the day in the winter. It is great. When I worked I never saw sunlight in the winter.
Check the sunset times for your area. The shortest day doesn’t coincide with the day the sun sets earliest. Earliest sunset is usually earlier in December. Where I live the very earliest sunset was December 7 (4:34:48) and it’s been setting ever so slightly later each day since then. 4:38:20 tonight!
I’m always jealous of the people who live at the far western edge of their time zone. Ann Arbor, MI earliest sunset is 5:02. Indianapolis’s earliest sunset is 5:17!
Are these special lamps mentioned different from daylight-balanced bulbs? You can get LED bulbs in many different color temperatures and it seems like that would provide both a cheaper and more ubiquitous solution (you can install them all over the house).
I think 5k is daylight-balanced which looks a bit blue indoors.
https://www.amazon.com/s?k=daylight+balanced+led+bulb&ref=nb_sb_noss_2