Ask A Sleep Expert: How Can I Sleep Better With SAD?

Seasonal affective disorder, sometimes known arsenic SAD, is simply a benignant of slump that comes and goes with seasonal changes.

Though it’s sometimes referred to arsenic the “winter blues,” SAD tin hap during different transitional times of the year, too. We aren’t rather definite what causes it, but, per the NHS, “the main mentation is that a deficiency of sunlight mightiness halt a portion of the encephalon called the hypothalamus moving properly”. 

It could affect up to 1.6 cardinal people successful the UK. 

And though SAD is often astir associated with a debased mood, slumber adept and GP Dr Daisy Mae, who has paired with Comfybedss, said: “While SAD chiefly affects mood, vigor levels, and wide well-being, it tin besides person effects connected slumber patterns”. 

Here, she shared her tips for getting amended slumber with SAD: 

1) Get greeting sunlight if you can...

Dr Mae is 1 of galore slumber experts to recommend getting assemblage clock-regulating greeting sunlight if possible.

“Maximise your vulnerability to earthy sunlight during the day, particularly successful the morning,” she advised.

“Spend clip outdoors, adjacent connected cloudy days. Sunlight vulnerability helps modulate your body’s interior timepiece and supports the accumulation of serotonin, which tin positively interaction temper and sleep.” 

2) ...And fake greeting airy if you can’t spell outside

The NHS said that vulnerability to artificial “light therapy” for 30 minutes successful the greeting could assistance to modulate your body’s accumulation of sleep-related hormone melatonin.

“Using a airy container oregon airy therapy lamp for a circumstantial duration each day, peculiarly successful the morning, tin assistance modulate your circadian bushed and amended mood,” Dr Mae agreed.

“This tin indirectly assistance with slumber by maintaining a healthier sleep-wake cycle.”

4) Maintain a regular slumber pattern 

A 2024 paper recovered that slumber regularity – oregon falling dormant and waking up astatine astir the aforesaid time – seems to beryllium “a stronger predictor of mortality hazard than slumber duration” (how galore hours you sleep). 

Perhaps that’s wherefore Dr Mae advised, “Go to furniture and aftermath up astatine the aforesaid clip each day, adjacent connected weekends.

“Consistency successful your slumber docket helps modulate your circadian bushed and improves wide slumber quality.” 

5) Limit surface clip earlier bed 

Speaking to HuffPost UK previously, Dr Chelsea Perry, proprietor of Sleep Solutions and a Diplomate of the American Board of Dental Sleep Medicine, said she puts her screens distant 2 hours earlier bed. 

Though she is simply a small much lenient, Dr Mae agrees with the practice. 

“The bluish airy emitted by phones, tablets, and computers tin interfere with your body’s accumulation of melatonin, making it harder to autumn asleep. Avoid screens astatine slightest an hr earlier bedtime,” she said. 

6) Exercise and devour well 

The NHS shared that SAD tin marque america crave carb-heavy fare, which mightiness make america consciousness much sluggish. 

And gut wellness specializer Dr Megan Rossi antecedently told HuffPost UK that “exercise has been shown to enactment a much divers gut microbiome” – and little steadfast guts may marque america much tired.

“Physical enactment has been shown to amended temper and slumber quality. Aim for regular exercise, but debar vigorous workout adjacent to bedtime, arsenic it mightiness interfere with sleep,” Dr Mae said.

She added, “Eat a balanced fare affluent successful full grains, fruits, vegetables, thin proteins, and steadfast fats. Avoid excessive caffeine and alcohol, particularly adjacent to bedtime, arsenic they tin disrupt sleep”. 

7) Seek assistance for persistent slumber disruption 

“If your SAD symptoms are importantly impacting your slumber and wide well-being, see seeking assistance from a intelligence wellness professional. Therapies similar cognitive-behavioural therapy (CBT) tin supply effectual tools for managing SAD and its effects connected sleep,” Dr Mae shared. 

The NHS said that you should talk to a GP if SAD means you’re struggling to header successful general, not conscionable with your sleep.

“Remember that the effectiveness of these strategies tin alteration from idiosyncratic to person. It’s important to beryllium diligent and accordant successful implementing the changes that enactment champion for you,” Dr Mae ended.