Winter Blues or Seasonal Affective Disorder?

How to tell and what helps

What You’ll Learn

It’s 5 p.m., it’s already dark, and all you want is a blanket, a bowl of something carby, and your bed. Is that just November, or is it something more? In this episode of Healthy Looks Great on You, we head to mini medical school to talk about seasonal affective disorder: why less daylight affects your mood, sleep, and cravings, and what you can do about it.

Seasonal affective disorder, or SAD, isn’t just “the winter blahs.” It’s a type of depression that follows a seasonal pattern. For most people, it starts in late fall or early winter, lasts about four to five months, and lifts in spring.

Researchers are still working out exactly what causes it, but light plays a starring role. Your brain’s body clock depends on morning sunlight to stay on schedule, and shorter days can affect serotonin, the brain chemical that helps regulate mood. Long nights may also mean more melatonin, the sleep hormone, which helps explain that urge to hibernate.

SAD is much more common in women, and it shows up more often the farther north you live. It’s also more common in people who already have depression or bipolar disorder, or who have a family history of them.

The good news? It’s very treatable. Light therapy has strong research behind it, and many people start feeling better within days. Talk therapy designed for SAD works about as well, and its benefits may last longer. And if this happens to you every year, you can plan ahead with your doctor before symptoms start.

In this episode, you’ll discover:

• The difference between the winter blues and seasonal affective disorder
• Why your brain’s body clock needs morning light
• The telltale signs of winter-pattern SAD, from oversleeping to carb cravings
• Who’s most at risk, and why women are diagnosed far more often
• How light therapy works and what to look for in a light box SHOP HERE*
• The honest truth about vitamin D
• When it’s time to talk to your doctor

When to get help:

If you’ve felt down most days for two weeks or more, or it’s affecting your work, relationships, or the things you usually enjoy, talk with your doctor. If you’re having thoughts of hurting yourself, call or text 988 to reach the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline.

The days are getting shorter, but you don’t have to let the dark win. Find your light, get outside, and reach out if you need to.

Healthy looks great on you.

😴 Get the free guide: “3 Simple Strategies to Sleep Smarter” HERE

This content is for informational and educational purposes only and is not a substitute for medical advice.

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Sources

• NIMH – Seasonal Affective Disorder fact sheet
• NIMH – Seasonal Affective Disorder (archived): risk factors and causes
• NIMH – SAD overview (archived): women diagnosed four times as often
• Psychiatric Times – SAD prevalence by latitude (Florida vs. New Hampshire)
• Journal of Psychiatry & Neuroscience – Optimal bright light therapy for SAD
• American Journal of Psychiatry – Side effects and response to 10,000-lux light therapy
• HealthLinkBC – Using light therapy for SAD
• IQWiG via NCBI – Light and vitamin therapy for SAD (vitamin D and latitude)
• PCOM review – Vitamin D supplementation trials for SAD
• Nutrients (2024) – Vitamins and SAD, inconsistent results
• NIMH content via ADDRC – CBT-SAD vs. light therapy
• Anthem EAP (citing NIMH) – Bupropion XL for preventing seasonal depression

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