Iowa Sleep Blog

Seasonal Affective Disorder

Monday, January 26, 2015

Des Moines Register: Find solutions for seasonal affective disorder

Experiencing some “winter blues” is nothing new for natives of the Midwest. Maybe it comes about on a cold January morning, when it takes a little extra motivation to get out of a warm bed. These blues and their more serious form, called seasonal affective disorder, are a type of depression that is directly affected by the change in seasons. Individuals experience SAD during the winter more than any other month. While there are not specific causes, some factors may include a disruption in your circadian rhythm, lowered levels of serotonin levels because of reduced sunlight, or an imbalance in your melatonin levels.

Iowa Sleep’s medical director, Dr. Zorn, was recently featured in an article from the Des Moines Register about dealing with seasonal affective disorder and the treatments available. Check out the article to find tips to lessen the effects of SAD.