When asking people how they feel during winter, many say that they feel tired, sleepy, moody and even depressed. Well, they might be just right! Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) is a disorder that affects the “Circadian Rhythms”, daily internal cycles or body clock. The lack of sunlight, causes disorder in hormone production, which can lead to lack of sleep, moody seasons and even loss of libido. It also causes weight gain as craving for starchy and sweet food increases. Extreme cases might feel lonely or hopelessness, leading to suicide.

SAD is very common in the northern hemisphere, and the most extreme cases are in the north of Scandinavia, where is dark almost 24 hours a day. People near the Equator or in the south do not tend to have the disorder as there is no lack of sunlight. People who move from a warm country to a cold one, tend to have this disorder in the first years, they then get accustomed to the winter and shorter days, or are so affected by the disorder that they go back home. It is said that 12 million people are affected by the disorder in Europe, but the real numbers can be much higher as many people have never heard of this disorder before.

There is treatment for SAD. Artificial light is a simple solution. Doctors may also prescribe antidepressants for more extreme cases. When nothing works, the solution is to move to a place where there is sunny climate year round.