SAD around the world
Posted on: 2013 01 21
Are people around the world affected by Season Affective Disorder (SAD)? Yes! You can expect to find SAD in countries that are further away from the equator and who experience a decrease in hours of sunlight available when the season changes over to winter. It’s estimated that over 12 million people suffer from SAD in Northern Europe, about 2 million of those in England and Ireland alone. One reason people in northern parts of the world suffer from SAD is because we are working inside. 200 or so years ago, most of us had jobs that kept us out of doors but now many of us are in an office building. I know my husband leaves for work at 7:30 when it is barely light and gets home at 6 or later. He rarely leaves his building to be outside during the workday so he never gets to see the sun! We make an effort to spend time outdoors with him on the weekend. Poor guy! Sleeppassport.com has 5 interesting tips on how to combat Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD). They include:
- Dance in the sunlight- get yourself off the couch and go outside and MOVE!
- Fill your eyes with even more light-Sleep Passport recommends light therapy. I’ll talk more about this in my last post of the month.
- Thunder, oceans and country living- Did you know that living by the ocean or in the country can help with SAD? Air that contains high concentrations of negative ions has a positive effect on mood. Country or ocean air contain a whole lot more negative ions than city air.
- Awaken to light-Sleep Passport asks you to consider a dawn simulator as light therapy. This is a type of light therapy that simulates dawn as you enter the last phase of your sleep cycle.
- Positive thoughts- A recent study done by our very own University of Vermont shows that talk therapy was more effective than light therapy for SAD treatment.
Read more about the above recommendations and why they work at www.sleeppassport.com.