Fall is here – and so are the Winter Blues for many Floridians
November 21, 2011 by Sona Deck
With the arrival of the cold season, besides getting sick, some people experience lack of energy and get the “winter blues.” Do you ever wonder why during the cold season when days are shorter and sunlight is scarce, we often feel sleepy or drowsy? Or why more people get sick in the winter months? It’s because of light – and getting a tan can help.
It has been scientifically proven that the lack of light favors the production of melatonin by your body, a hormone inducing sleep. That is why, during the cold seasons when days are shorter and the sunlight is scarce, we often feel sleepy or drowsy.
Well, if drowsiness were the only impact generated by season changes, things would be easier to solve (with a little coffee maybe). When melatonin is secreted, serotonin production is inhibited. Lack of serotonin causes disorders such as chronic fatigue syndrome and reflects its effects on mood, also triggering depression in some persons. Further, the lack of sunshine causes a deficiency in Vitamin D, which in turn weakens your immunesystem – increasing your chances of getting sick during these months.
Depression, sleep problems, fatigue, weight gain, anxiety, joint pain, irritability, stress and headaches are just some of the symptoms that may appear when we suffer from SAD – Seasonal Affective Disorder.
I myself suffer from this during the fall and winter months. In fact, my husband will be the first to tell me – when I’m irratable or seem depressed – “you need to get into a tanning bed.” And of course I feel much better after I do so.
It may seem strange to consider indoor tanning as anything other than cosmetic, but some health insurance companies will now pay for a tanning bed as a Seasonal Affective Disorder light therapy. Indoor tanning is a way to apply heliotherapy, which literally means “sun treatment” in order to help with winter blues, and all of the symptoms associated with SAD.
This year, we have decided to offer a “Winter Blues” package for our clients that suffer from this. For $59, you can come in and tan, as much as you feel you need, from now until the end of January. An easy way to keep you feeling good and your immune system strong as the holidays approach. Once or twice a week is all most people need to keep them feeling great through these colder months.
If you or a loved one suffers from SAD, or if you or they tend to get sick regularly in the fall and winter months, you need to come in and take advantage of our ”Winter Blues” package today.
