Falling Back an Hour

The end of daylight saving time for the year means it is time to set your clocks back an hour. It also means we are well into fall and quickly approaching winter. 

As we transition into a new time and darker months, you might start to slow down and feel slightly off. This isn’t your imagination; the various effects of seasons changing can impact your mental and physical health.

Seasonal affective disorder (SAD)

SAD is a form of depression that is driven by the seasons. It most commonly occurs over the dark fall and winter months. The risk is higher for those living further from the equator (less sun in the winter) or individuals with a history of depression.¹

Though the exact cause of SAD is not clear, specific factors to do with shorter, darker days with less sunlight may be involved:²

1. Circadian rhythm: Lack of sunlight can impact your circadian rhythm, which is your internal clock that helps direct your body to sleep and wake.³ When it gets off track, it messes with various functions in your body.
2. Melatonin: The lack of sunlight is thought to affect your production of the sleep-hormone melatonin. More darkness means more melatonin is produced.⁴
3. Serotonin: One of the feel-hormones that helps stabilize your mood, serotonin is boosted by sunlight, so less sunshine equals less serotonin.

Common symptoms of SAD include chronic fatigue, trouble concentrating, disinterest, anxiety, sadness, decreased sex drive, social withdrawal, appetite changes and more.⁶ Possible treatment options for SAD range from psychotherapy and antidepressants to light therapy and certain dietary supplements.⁷

Low vitamin D

With Daylight Savings and the oncoming lack of sunlight, it is also essential to remember vitamin D. What is the correlation? Our body can synthesize vitamin D when our skin comes in contact with direct sunlight.⁸ As it is hard to get adequate amounts from foods containing vitamin D, lack of sunlight can impact our levels of this essential vitamin.

Vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin that promotes calcium and phosphorus absorption in your body, which is particularly important for bone health. Severe vitamin D deficiency can cause brittle bone conditions like rickets and osteomalacia, as well as a weakened immune system.⁹ Vitamin D might be most well-known for its importance in bone health, but it may also play a role in mental health. Though a causal relationship has not been established, vitamin D does interact with our serotonin levels.¹⁰¹¹

Support your physical and mental health during these darker months by closely monitoring your vitamin D levels with imaware’s Vitamin D Monitoring test. If you are running low on vitamin D, vitamin supplements might be the right solution for you.¹² However, it is important to remember that any supplement should be taken with precaution.

This winter, remember to get out into the sunshine when you have the chance, look into vitamin D supplements and keep an eye on yourself and your loved ones.

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Resources:

1. National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health. Seasonal Affective Disorder. Accessed November 1, 2022.
2. Mayo Clinic. Seasonal affective disorder (SAD). Accessed November 1, 2022. 
3. National Institute of General Medical Sciences. Circadian Rhythms. Accessed November 1, 2022.
4. Johns Hopkins Medicine. Seasonal Affective Disorder. Accessed November 1, 2022.
5. Harvard Health Publishing. Serotonin: The natural mood booster. Accessed November 1, 2022. 
6. Johns Hopkins Medicine. Seasonal Affective Disorder. Accessed November 1, 2022.
7. National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health. Seasonal Affective Disorder. Accessed November 1, 2022.
8. National Institutes of Health - Office of Dietary Supplements. Vitamin D - Health Professional. Accessed November 1, 2022.  
9. Journal of Investigative Medicine. Vitamin D and the Immune System. Accessed November 1, 2022. 
10. Issues in Mental Health Nursing. Vitamin D and Depression: Where is all the Sunshine? Accessed November 1, 2022.
11. Journal of Affective Disorders. Effects of vitamin D supplementation on depression and some involved neurotransmitters. Accessed November 1, 2022. 
12. National Institutes of Health - Office of Dietary Supplements. Vitamin D - Health Professional. Accessed November 1, 2022.