Let There Be Dark!

Yes, get it most of us hate

(too strong a word?) this time of year Summer is long gone and being deep into autumn, most of us are leaving for work in the dark, and soon we will leaving work for home, in the dark This is the time of year many of us are not happy to see arrive, and for some it does bring on the blues and for a others the potential of depression as well

SAD, Seasonal Affective Disorder, is well known to affect some people as seasons change from summer to fall The lack of sunlight is often blamed as this condition can carry on well into the winter months Hallmark symptoms of SAD are lethargy, being moody and a general lack of motivation

’ve often wondered why, or if, SAD really exists in the rst place tend to be a “Mother Nature knows what’s best for us kind of guy, so wonder if having that much darkness in our lives for a better part of 4 months every year is actually something we do need Heck, if the groundhog does it by nature, why should we be so afraid of the dark?

Not too long ago, you may remember a signi cant weather event here on the prairies that left many of us without power overnight and into the next day As tend to be an early bird, was out and about driving in the city and was just amazed at how dark it really was without the collective glow of streetlights, parking lot lights and the lights of other early risers and businesses t was a reminder that arti cial light is nearly always in our lives

ethargy, irritability and moodiness These are common symptoms of SAD, but they are also common symptoms of lack of rest Without a good night’s sleep, the results can mimic SAD So wonder, is it possible that we are too quick to blame the “winter blues” on a lack of sunlight, when it is possible that we are not respecting what Mother Nature has intended for us by adding too much arti cial light at times when we should be exposed to more darkness? Our bodies need rest, especially in the form of sleep Sleep is as crucial to the body as food and water And just as important it is to have good quality food and water, we need quality sleep Simply put, good quality sleep comes when it is dark The body produces melatonin when it is dark, and melatonin is required for a restful sleep Having arti cial light in the evening leading up to bedtime is more than likely sabotaging a restful sleep

So instead of purchasing more arti cial light, hoping to bring summer back into your life, maybe try cutting out more light when the sun goes down Try working with Mother Nature, rather than against her Sunday, November 26th, 2017