GREENSBORO, N.C. — In the last week or so we've had days where the temperature dipped so low, that not only were our teeth chattering, but pipes froze, and water mains broke. Then we had rain, rain, and more rain.
Now it's a little warmer, but it's gray, it's gloomy and you may feel more than sluggish. The Winter Blues may have settled in.
"So our bodies, you know, really depend upon light from the sun or sunlight to regulate our circadian rhythms," said Dr. Dorothy Sit of Northwestern University.
That is why Megan Fellman starts every morning the same way, by sitting next to a light therapy lamp.
"I just have it kind of at the side while I'm having my breakfast, reading the paper," said Megan Fellman.
Light therapy is a common thing. To get the most out of it you need to spend 20-30 minutes daily in front of it. Doctors say you need to use the lamp within the first hour of waking up. It's not like a pill, you take it you immediately feel better. You need to use it for a week or so before you start feeling the impacts.
Where do you find one of these light lamps? Almost anywhere. 2 Wants To Know did a quick search of Amazon. The key is buying a lamp that provides exposure to 10,000 Lux Light.
"Less sunlight during the day affects how our bodies regulate serotonin and melatonin. And when levels of these hormones are thrown off, it can affect our mood and sleep," said Catherine Roberts of Consumer Reports.
The gloomy skies make some of us cranky and others of us depressed.
Signs of the disorder include weight gain, fatigue, trouble concentrating, and other things that make you feel off, and not like yourself.
"Five or more of those symptoms are enough for a doctor to diagnose you with seasonal affective disorder. But many more people have what's called subsyndromal S.A.D., where you're not completely disabled by winter, but you're also not at your best," said Roberts.