Winter means a lot of different things to different people. Since the dawn of humanity, people who live in temperate climates and other parts of the world, with a defined winter season, have viewed winter as a time of hibernation and withdrawal. In today's fast-paced society, it can be harder to tell just how winter affects us. With out-of-season produce still on the shelves, and offices and workplaces running the same year-round schedule, we sometimes take the passing of the seasons for granted.

However, our bodies still change according to the seasons. One of the natural still effects of the winter season is often called Seasonal Affective Disorder or SAD. SAD represents a basic way that nature stills affects our human environment. Hence, every year, many people look to solutions for fending off this natural seasonal condition. Over time this has become a serious issue that requires serious attention by professionals. With the right lighting this disorder can be treated.

SAD: Symptoms

Experts estimate that SAD affects as many as 25% of Americans. Organizations like the American Psychiatric Association and the National Institute of Mental Health recognize this condition, and doctors across the country treat it. Some symptoms of Seasonal Affective Disorder include appetite changes, changes to sleep schedules, oversleeping, and general depressive feelings or negative emotions. Basically, an element called melatonin interprets the body's environment and translates different kinds of light into bodily responses. In the winter, when a person may be exposed to only poor unnatural lighting, this means the melatonin levels can result in a kind of low-functioning ‘twilight state', where the subject feels drained, exhausted, or listless all of the time.

Another effect is when light enters the brain, where signals go out to various glands in responding to specific colors and shades of light. When natural or natural looking light is not available, the body responds. This could be called deprivation of the full spectrum of light, where taking away the brilliance of brighter light can have an effect all its own.

So, sufferers of Seasonal Affective Disorder have two options. They can seek natural light outdoors, or rely on full-spectrum lights that contain some of the same effects as natural light. For those who need to stay in an indoor environment, full spectrum lights provide an alternative.

Comprehensive lighting shops sell full spectrum lights to help customers beat Seasonal Affective Disorder through the long winter, with energy efficient bulbs that produce natural light for the caves and hiding places we use as shelter from the cold. Look for full spectrum lighting products to mitigate the effects of Seasonal Affective Disorder in a office. These environmentally friendly, heavy-duty light solutions will restore color balance and brighten an indoor habitat, making it a place to safely hibernate in good health.

So, if you are down in the dumps when the autumn light starts to fade, take a look at boosting your energy and brightening your days with high-engineered lighting for SAD solutions and start enjoying winter again!