Did you know that Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) is a type of depression that only happens during a specific time of year? Typically, the days are shorter in the fall or winter months and get dark earlier, contributing to SAD. This happens because the brain is responding to seasonal changes in daylight. Another name for SAD is seasonal depression.
What causes seasonal depression?
Did you know that daylight has a significant impact on your body? Daylight triggers two chemical reactions that regulate your sleep-wake cycles, mood, and energy. Those chemicals are melatonin and serotonin.
When it’s dark, your brain makes more melatonin. When your melatonin levels increase, you are left feeling sleepy and have less energy. On the other hand, serotonin is linked to energy and mood. When exposed to sunlight, your levels increase, and you feel happier.
In Western New York, we feel the long hours of darkness. These short days directly lead to higher levels of melatonin and lower serotonin levels; this is a recipe for depression.
Here at Buffalo Holistic Center, we believe in evidence-based holistic therapies, and we have one to help combat SAD with our Sunbox Light Therapy.
These Sunbox Light Therapy sessions simulate daylight, triggering a higher level of serotonin and a lower level of melatonin in your body. We have our box set up in a nice comfortable chair; you sit underneath the light for 30-minute sessions and just rest and relax. Symptoms of SAD have been shown to improve within a few weeks or even days of use.
If you are interested in booking a sunbox light therapy session, you can schedule your appointment right online!
