How lack of light presses our mood in winter - experts clarify!

How lack of light presses our mood in winter - experts clarify!

In the cold season, many people fight with a bad mood, especially when it gets dark early. Martin Ohlmeier, director of the Clinic for Psychiatry and Psychotherapy at the Kassel Clinic, attributes this to neurobiological reasons. A lack of daylight in the winter months leads to an increased distribution of the sleep hormone melatonin, while the serotonin level, also known as "happiness hormone". A lack of light can lead to seasonal depression that express themselves with symptoms such as lack of drive, loss of joy and sleep problems.

Ohlmeier emphasizes that not everyone who is tired or in a bad mood in winter suffers from depression. A formal diagnosis is made if the symptoms significantly impair functionality. Sunstore is limited in winter and vary in Hesse; The south tends to get more sunshine. Meteorologist Thomas Kesseler-Lauterkorn recommends looking around for sunlight in higher locations, where there is often a blue sky.

tips for improving the mood

To raise the mood in winter, there are various suggestions. Ohlmeier advises to spend the lunch break outdoors and move outside to use daylight. Winfried Rief, Professor of Clinical Psychology, also recommends light therapy with special light beams. Daylight lamps for at home should have a light intensity of 10,000 lux, the therapy should be carried out in the morning for 30 to 60 minutes to support the hormonal regulation.

In addition, in a Health Harvard Publication is explained that the seasonal affective disorder (SAD) is a kind of depression that appears in late autumn and often in the spring or often Early summer ends. The exact cause of SAD is unknown, but a lack of light is considered the main factor. A formal diagnosis requires the presence of criteria for severe depressive episodes over at least two years during autumn and winter.

The most common symptoms include feelings of hopelessness, loss of interest in previously estimated activities, sleep problems and changes in appetite or weight. In addition, symptoms such as excessive appetite for calorie -rich comfort food, social isolation and reduced sexual energy can occur. Light therapy is often recommended as treatment for SAD by using light boxes that simulate sunlight. It is advisable to use a light box with 10,000 lux, to avoid the direct view of the light and to strive for about 30 minutes of daily exposure, preferably before 10 a.m.