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What is SAD and Winter Blues?

SAD stands for Seasonal Affective Disorder. Many people find that they feel low in energy and mood in the winter; they may sleep and eat slightly more and dislike the dark mornings. For some the symptoms are more severe and are enough to disrupt their lives and cause considerable stress. These people have SAD, and research indicates that it affects about half a million people in Britain. Around 5 million have milder symptoms in varying degrees, this is known as the Winter Blues.

If you suffer from some or most of the following, particularly between May and August each year, you may be suffering from SAD or winter blues
Sleep problems: oversleeping but not refreshed, cannot get out of bed, needing a nap in the afternoon
Overeating: carbohydrate craving leading to weight gain
Depression, despair, misery, guilt, anxiety: normal tasks become frustratingly difficult
Family/social problems: avoiding company, irritability, loss of libido, loss of feeling
Lethargy: too tired to cope, everything an effort
Physical symptoms: often joint pain or stomach problems, lowered resistance to infection
Behavioural problems: especially in young people

What causes SAD?

SAD is caused by the lack of bright light in winter. It is not a psychosomatic or imaginary problem. Researchers have proved that when bright light enters our eyes it causes chemical reactions to occur which control our daily rhythms and moods.Melatonin is produced as it gets dark, making us feel sleepy. At dawn, as the light increases, melatonin production falls and we start to wake up. We find it difficult to wake up on dark mornings because our melatonin levels are still high. New research has shown that exposure to bright light also increases the production of serotonin, a neurotransmitter that carries signals between the nerves in the brain. Low levels of serotonin are known to be a cause of depression and, in fact, this links well with what people say: tasks which are easy when you are well become frustratingly difficult when you are depressed.
Why light therapy is effective

SAD is caused by lack of light, and the best way to cure or prevent it is to increase your exposure to light. The most effective 'treatment' is to get away during the winter to somewhere sunny. Given that most of us can't do this, the next best option is to use light therapy; after all if the problem is caused by lack of light from nature then it makes sense to get light by other means. By using light therapy the underlying problem is removed – light therapy can work for some people immediately, for others it may take up to ten days or so.

Should I talk to my doctor?

We encourage SAD sufferers to seek the support of their doctor.

How Body Clocks Work

They help you sleep better and feel more energetic
They also regulate your circadian rhythm (24-hour body clock) and help to alleviate SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder) and the Winter Blues

Clinical proof:

Bodyclocks use your body's natural response to sunrise and sunset to help synchronise your circadian rhythm (sleep/wake pattern). Using the Bodyclock will help regulate your melatonin cycle to keep levels high at night (making you sleepy) and low in the day (keeping you alert). So you sleep better at night and feel more energetic during the day.

One of the major causes of SAD is a circadian rythm that's out of sync, which happens especially in the winter in northern countries. The Bodyclock helps to get your sleep/wake pattern back in sync. Clinical studies have shown dawn simulation to have a dramatic effect in relieving the symptoms of SAD* as well as improving mood, energy, productivity and ease of awakening.**

*Biol Psychiatry 2001Aug 1;50(3):205-16
**Acta Psychiatr Scand 1993 Jul; 88(1):67-71

What is a dawn simulation?

Dawn simulation is a technique using a light that comes on very slowly in the early morning to imitate a natural sunrise. The key research is that our ‘body clocks’ respond to this stimulus by speeding up and reinforcing the waking up process so that we have more or less woken up before our eyes even open. It is important to note that a light coming on quickly doesn’t have the same effect. We suppose that the explanation goes back to when mankind was evolving and our systems adapted so that our ancestors woke with the sunrise, which their systems recognised as being a gradual increase of light.

Many people ask how our bodies know that the light is on when we are still asleep? Try this… look out of your window, now close your eyes and cover them with your hand. Take your hand away but keep your eyes closed and see the change in darkness. This is how that it happens when you want to wake in the morning, so, even when your body is in a deep sleep, the light enters your eyes and therefore registers a sun rise.

At night the Lumie bodyclock gradually fades into darkness, giving your body the signal to wind down and so helping you to drift off to sleep. It gives your brain a signal to start releasing Melatonin and slowly wind down into a sleep.

An added bonus is because dawn simulation occurs whilst you sleep, it takes no time out of your day therefore making it easy, so, no excuses for not doing it!

Lumie Bodyclocks

Lumie bodyclocks became a real hit last year as more and more people started to understand the benefits of waking naturally with light. We believe that everyone should have one so that the snooze alarm can be banished leaving you energized and refreshed in the morning.

For new users who are often anxious that it will not wake them up, all three models include an audible alarm after the light has reached full brightness, although most people find that they are fully awake just in time to prevent the beeper soundin