What you’re feeling might be more than Seattle winter blues
Dec 9, 2015, 11:16 AM | Updated: 4:45 pm
To get the full benefit of a 'happy light,' you must keep your eyes open. Doctors say the rods and cones in your eyes are what process the UV light. The Sun Ray II is an old but still functioning light that students can sign up to use at University of Washington. (Sara Lerner/KIRO Radio)
(Sara Lerner/KIRO Radio)
In the Puget Sound region, we get precious few hours of daylight this time of year, and what we do get is particularly dark right now.
A dearth of UV light can bring health problems, like Seasonal Affective Disorder. But you don’t have to be diagnosed with SAD to feel the impacts.
Ellen Taylor, Director of the University of Washington Counseling Center, says most people do experience some symptoms, even if not severe ones.
“All of us are affected by brain chemistry in terms of food, energy, and appetite … exposure to light has an influence on that system,” she said.
More people in the Pacific Northwest do end up getting the winter blues.
“Sometimes we’ll hear students talk about, ‘I just feel like hibernating,” she said. “Or they’ll have an increase in appetite, especially sweets and carbohydrates – really craving things that we believe will give us more energy.”
For some people, it’s more dramatic.
“If you’re noticing, ‘I’m sleeping 10, 12, 14 hours a day; I’ve gained 15 pounds in the last three weeks; I’m really noticing it affecting my relationships, my work…” she said. “In that case, it’s time to talk to someone and say, ‘Do I need to do something about this in terms of some treatment?”
Taylor has a few tips to fight the sluggish effects of dark days.
• Get outside.
“This goes against our natural inclination..get outside every day, even when it’s grey and it’s raining.”
• Use UV light.
“You have to do it with your eyes open. We get exposure to the light through the rods and cones in our yes.”
• Exercise.
“I recommend getting outside, but it doesn’t matter where.”
• Eat right.
“I think people crave something that gives a sense of immediate energy. High carb foods tend to give us a boost in our blood sugar, so there is that immediate feeling of having some more energy, but it can create a vicious cycle because the blood sugar drops and you want to take a nap.”
