Reviewed by Dr. Nicole Gregorio, DNP, APRN, PMHNP-BC
By September and October, Nevada residents receive less sunlight each day, making it nearly impossible for our melatonin and serotonin levels to remain balanced. Considering the state’s wonderful weather, which should rule out the onset of Seasonal Affective Disorder, taking preventive measures before September and October through light therapy, exercise, and consulting a psychologist helps ensure you don’t experience any mood swings during Daylight Saving Time.
Seasonal depression happens due to circadian rhythm disruption because of decreased exposure to sunlight. Nevada’s intense weather transitions from summer to autumn leave people trapped inside. While we have plenty of sunny days here in Las Vegas, shorter days in late autumn mean chemical imbalances inside our brains, resulting in constant exhaustion and feelings of depression. The upside is that you can stay ahead of seasonal depression through November.
Key Takeaways:
- The sunshine doesn’t fix SAD on its own – those short fall days mess up your serotonin and melatonin, regardless of how sunny Nevada may seem.
- Timing matters: Start your preventative measures in September and October, and dodge the seasonal blues after daylight saving time ends in November.
- Effective treatment happens quickly: Psychiatrist evaluations, light therapy, and medication management can significantly ease symptoms within a few weeks.
What is seasonal depression in Nevada and how is it diagnosed?
Seasonal depression, also known as Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), occurs when depressive episodes occur annually at the same points within each year. The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) says that to qualify for a diagnosis, you need to have suffered through at least two consecutive years of major depression occurring seasonally, and then gone into remission again in spring and summertime. Your medical team needs to get a handle on what symptoms you exhibit before reaching such definitive conclusions.
Symptoms range from feelings of depression, losing interest in hobbies and favorite things to do, and even feeling excessively tired and sleepy.
- Duration of symptoms: Recurs seasonally for at least two consecutive years.
- Seasonal onset: Begins with reduced light in fall, beginning in October and November.
- Seasonal resolution: Automatically resolves when enough daylight comes back in late spring.
Can you get seasonal affective disorder in sunny Las Vegas?
It may surprise many people to learn that you can suffer from seasonal affective disorder in sunny Las Vegas. Reduced daylight exposure is what causes seasonal affective disorder, not clouds. The American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP) explains why the actual decrease in daily daylight exposure in late fall affects body clocks anywhere. Summer days are unbearably hot in southern Nevada. This results in people staying inside through those long summer days. Then, when winter arrives, shorter days reduce the number of hours of sunlight, creating two strikes against anyone suffering from SAD.
- Indoor Migration: People stay indoors during hot summer days followed immediately by shorter days in the fall.
- Sunset Comes Too Soon: There is significantly less sunlight here in Las Vegas in winter than on summer days.
- Deceptive skies: The bright midday sun cannot make up for the lack of daylight in the morning and late afternoon.
How do changes in light, sleep, and schedule affect your mood?
Winter’s shorter daylight hours affect your brain’s internal clock, causing your body to produce too much melatonin and too little serotonin. According to the American Psychiatric Association (APA), hormone alterations contribute to ongoing feelings of daytime lethargy, sluggishness, and craving carbohydrates.
Less daylight affects how many cues your brain receives to regulate sleep and alertness patterns. A circadian disruption leads to feeling sleepy throughout the day while struggling to sleep well at night.
- Reduction in Serotonin: The lack of sun causes a drop in serotonin levels, making mood regulation difficult.
- Excess of Melatonin: Long night-time leads to excess of melatonin, which causes fatigue.
- Disrupted circadian rhythms: Delayed daylight causes misalignment of diet, metabolism, and exercise routines.
Is it seasonal depression or major depression?
The distinction between seasonal and major depression lies in timing. Seasonal depression only happens within certain times of the year. Major depression will happen consistently, without concern for what month it is or whether the weather is good or bad. Both types include the hallmark symptoms of lethargy and prolonged feelings of hopelessness.
Winter-onset seasonal depression brings unusual symptoms such as sleeping too much, withdrawing socially, and craving carbs. Non-seasonal major depression has symptoms like trouble sleeping, weight loss, and irritability at any point in the year.
If last winter was hard, September is the right time to plan for this one.
What are the most effective treatment options for winter depression?
Bright light therapy, psychiatric medication management, and behavioral modification are effective treatment approaches to combating SAD. Scientific studies referenced by NIMH confirm that spending 20-30 minutes every morning exposed to a 10,000-lux lamp improves energy and mood in just one or two weeks.
When light therapy does not work enough by itself, a professional psychiatric evaluation offers further help. A Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP) can evaluate your symptoms and prescribe appropriate medications to help maintain healthy brain chemistry during those dark winter months.
- Bright Light Therapy: Regular exposure to the 10,000-lux lamp helps to regulate your circadian rhythms.
- Targeted Medication: SSRIs can help keep neurotransmitter levels even during this challenging season throughout the fall and winter months under medical supervision.
- Lifestyle Modification: Following a strict sleep schedule and continuing regular morning walks outdoors help conserve energy.
How can you get ahead of seasonal depression before November?
Seasonal mood changes can be stopped through proactive steps such as beginning light therapy and booking a psychiatric consultation in late September or early October. Proactively managing the situation builds mental and physical barriers before Daylight Saving Time ends and winter days become shorter.
Putting off treatment until depression becomes serious in December makes the whole thing significantly more difficult. By taking these steps proactively, you will have enough energy to make it through the entire winter season.
- Plan early assessments: Make an appointment for a psychiatric evaluation before the peak winter demand at clinics.
- Set up light boxes early: In early October, start 20-minute morning light sessions.
- Uphold social routines: To avoid winter isolation, schedule weekly outdoor events and get-togethers.
How does Arbor Wellness Mental Healthcare help you manage seasonal mood changes?
Seasonal fluctuations impact everyone differently. At Arbor Wellness Mental Healthcare, we provide rapid, personalized psychiatry evaluation and prescription management to help your child, teen, or adult cope with the mood changes associated with these shifts here in Las Vegas. Our private clinic provides both telehealth options and in-person consultations to ensure expert psychiatric care without long waits at the hospital. No one deserves to wait on their mental healthcare needs.
If last winter was hard, September is the right time to plan for this one. At Arbor Wellness Mental Healthcare, our psychiatric team helps you build a proactive care plan before the dark days set in.
Sources:
https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/publications/seasonal-affective-disorder
https://www.aafp.org/afp/1998/0315/p1340
https://www.apa.org/topics/depression/seasonal-affective-disorder
https://www.psychiatry.org/News-room/News-Releases/Media-Advisory-With-Fewer-Daylight-Hours-Time-Chan
https://www.psychiatry.org/News-room/News-Releases/APA-Poll-Mood-Changes-in-Winter
https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/9293-seasonal-depression
https://www.healthline.com/health/depression/benefits-sunlight
https://health.clevelandclinic.org/are-sun-lamps-best-to-improve-your-winter-mood
https://adaa.org/learn-from-us/from-the-experts/blog-posts/consumer/steps-combat-seasonal-affective-disorder-sad-and
https://www.helpguide.org/mental-health/depression/seasonal-affective-disorder-sad
