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If you feel like escaping because the sun sets around 5 pm, think about this: the sun goes down for the last time this year over the people of Barrow, Alaska, the northernmost city on November 11th. until the sun rises again on January 23rd.
In comparison, even the shortest day of the year – the December 21 winter solstice – in Washington, Washington residents will have nearly 9 hours and 30 minutes of daylight; in Miami, 10 hours 31 minutes. In Portland, Oregon, it is 8 hours 42 minutes and in Billings, Montana, 8 hours 40 minutes.
Many find that the shorter days and longer nights of the season affect their health. According to Mental Health America, about 5% of the population develops a seasonal depression. According to the American Academy of Family Physicians, a decrease in daylight triggers a "winter blues" a little softer, between 10 and 20%.
Seasonal Affective Disorder, or SAD, affects women much more often than men. 4 out of 5 people with SAD are women. It also affects people under 30 years more often than older people. Symptoms include typical signs of depression – lack of energy, sleep problems, change in appetite and weight, loss of interest in favorite activities.
But with SAD, the symptoms come and go with the season. Nobody knows what causes SAR, but most experts associate its development with less exposure to sunlight. This can disrupt your body's internal clock, cause depression, and lower your body's serotonin levels, increase melatonin levels and decrease vitamin D levels, thus affecting your mood.
Treatment options include light therapy – sitting in front of a special light box 20 to 60 minutes a day – as well as behavioral therapy and possibly antidepressants.
If relocation is an option, consider heading south. The closer you are to the equator, the lower your risk of seasonal depression.
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