By VA Daylight | December 29, 2009 at 03:55 PM EST |
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Let Velux SunTunnel Skylights Help You Combat the Effects of Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)
What is Seasonal Affective Disorder?
The days become darker. Less sunlight filters your life. The air becomes crisp early in the morning. And you want to sleep just a little while longer. You even reach for a cup of hot cider rather than a glass of cold, iced tea.
What has changed, you say? Fall is in the air. And winter will soon follow. During these colder, darker days, you may begin to experience such intense feelings as fatigue, lethargy, weight gain or even depression. You might even have other lesser, more vague symptoms like feeling "cooped up" or having "cabin fever." Your increased anxiety, oversleeping, or loss of energy may have nothing at all to do with simply going through "the winter blues." You may, in fact, have a condition known as Seasonal Affective Disorder.
Seasonal Affective Disorder, also known as SAD, is a cyclic, seasonal type of depression, which causes serious mood alterations in some people during lighting and temperature fluctuations caused by the four seasons. The onset of SAD can occur during any part of the year but most people experience symptoms beginning in the late fall to early winter. Symptoms of SAD can even last until late summer! Every year, half a million people in the United States suffer from this common type of fall- and winter- induced depression. (Familydoctor.org)
What are the symptoms of SAD?
Not everyone who develops SAD experiences the same symptoms. You may have Seasonal Affective Disorder if your symptoms come and go about the same time each year. Do you..........
- Feel sad, grumpy, moody, irritable or anxious?
- Have a drop in energy levels, or feel fatigued?
- Lose interest in your usual activities and avoid social situations?
- Have a change in appetite, especially a craving for sweet or starchy foods such as pasta?
- Sleep more and feel drowsy during the daytime?
- Have difficulty concentrating? (Familydoctor.org and Health.yahoo)
What causes SAD?
Experts are not exactly sure what causes Seasonal Affective Disorder. However, they note that these series of mood shifts in those who do experience this syndrome are related to the changes in the amount of daylight to which a person is exposed during different times of the year. The lack of light may upset a person's sleep-wake cycle, or what is known as circadian rhythms. Lack of natural light may also cause a person's mood to shift off-kilter due to non-sufficient amounts of serotonin in the brain. (Familydoctor.org and Health.yahoo)
What can Velux SunTunnels do for you as a Year-round Cure for Seasonal Affective Disorder?
Did you know that Velux SunTunnel Skylights are actually good for you? Several prominent studies have shown that increasing daily exposure to natural light can enhance mental and physical well-being, boost concentration and energy levels, and provide a number of other unexpected perks. Now you can have the best solid defense against the effects of Seasonal Affective Disorder on an ongoing basis - all day...everyday...conveniently within the privacy of your own home or business - without ever having to go outside. By providing more continuous, evenly dispersed sunlight to even your darkest rooms, Velux SunTunnel Skylights add an abundance of clear, pure natural light to every interior, thereby creating a natural elevation in mood at all times!
Backed by the highest performance guarantee- 10 year product and labor warranty- for all of our Velux SunTunnel Skylight products, Solar Lighting of Virginia, Inc. will always focus its light on brightening your day!
References
Katz-Wise, Sabra L. "Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)-Topic Overview." Healthwise. Idaho: Boise, 1995-2007. http://health.yahoo.com
Mayo Clinic Staff. "Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)." Lexapro. 1998-2008. http://www.mayoclinic.com/health
"Seasonal Affective Disorder." Family Doctor. http://familydoctor.org
"Seasonal Affective Disorder." Medline Plus. Maryland: Bethesda, 2008. http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/seasonalaffectivedisorder.html
by Lenna Guinn 10-8-08
