by Artisttia Yarns

Created on: June 28, 2009

Are you eating or sleeping more frequently as temperatures start to cool in the fall, and the nights lengthen? If you do, this is a normal reaction to the change of the seasons. About four to six percent of the population, in the United States, have an adverse reaction to the seasonal change; for them it triggers a cyclic depression called Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD). This means there are over one and half million Americans who suffer from SAD.

SAD is divided into two different types, winter SAD and summer SAD. Besides depression, persons with winter SAD may exhibit:

Anxiety
Irritability
Inability to concentrate
Fatigue, an increased need for sleep
Craving for starchy foods (carbohydrates)
Increased appetite and the accompanied weight gain

Usually SAD strikes in the fall and ends in the spring. Summer SAD, is a rare form of the disorder; in the vernacular it is known as summer depression. Its onset occurs in late spring and ends in the fall. Besides depression, symptoms of persons with this disorder may include:

Decreased appetite and accompanied weight loss
Difficulty falling or staying sleeping

Geographically the further a person lives from the equator, the more likely they are to experience SAD. It is estimated that 1 percent of Florida residents, 4 percent of Washington, D.C. residents, and nearly 10 percent of Alaska residents suffer from SAD. Three-quarters of those affected with SAD are women; however, when men are diagnosed with the condition it affects them more severely. The disorder is uncommon in children, teens, and adults over age 40.

The cause of SAD remains unknown; however, genetics appear to play a role. One of the theories of the cause of SAD is that changes in the amount of sun exposure alter the body's circadian rhythm (body clock). Another hypothesis is that hormones within the brain responsible for mood (serotonin, dopamine) and sleep (melatonin) may be out of balance.

Melatonin is a hormone that is usually stored in the body and increases during the winter months. Melatonin is the hormone that makes the bears want to hibernate for the winter; in humans it is what makes us want to sleep. When sleep cycles are disrupted it causes serotonin levels to fall. When this occurs mood is adversely affected. It is felt that exposure to sunlight may help the body to correct these imbalance naturally.

Researchers have found that phototherapy (light therapy) is an effective treatment for those with SAD. The theory behind how this works has

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