I was just talking to my sister in Christchurch, New Zealand earlier this week and she was complaining that the temperature on her side is “down” to 12°C (54°F). I looked outside where my kids were happily playing because we are finally “up” to 12°C after a long, cold winter. They were wearing light jackets and baseball caps.

What I am trying to say is that winter blues or seasonal affective disorder (SAD) as we call it is a year-round thing, depending on where you are. SAD is a not-very-well-understood but definitely existing psychiatric condition characterized by depressive symptoms during the long, dark, winter months. SAD is said to affect about 2 to 5% of people in the US alone. Other SAD symptoms include:

Moodiness
Lethargy, e.g. chronic fatigue and need for more sleep
Cravings for carbohydrates that easily lead to weight gain, the so-called “winter fat.”

SAD has two main characteristics:

It is seasonal.
SAD is observed in the winter time when the days are short, and daylight minimal. The symptoms usually start with the onset of autumn, peak in midwinter January when people get over the holiday mood, but resolve as soon as the sun stays a bit longer in spring.

It is geographic.
The incidence of SAD increases as one moves northward (or southward, depending on where you are). In other words, the risk and incidence of SAD is higher in higher latitudes where sunshine is practically non-existent in the winter time and the day basically consists of 24/7 of night time. It is no wonder the suicide rates are very high in winter time in these regions. In addition to the short daylight hours, winter gloominess can also be worsened by fogs and low clouds, something that you get when living close to big lakes like in Switzerland or Scotland. On the other hand, SAD incidence is practically non-existent in the tropics where winter is unheard of.

So how do we fight SAD (isn’t this abbreviation so fitting!)? Here are a few tips to help you through the winter blues:

Go outdoors.
The cure for SAD may just be outside your front door. Take advantage of the short daylight by going out late morning till early afternoon. Have you ever noticed how the snow make everything seems lighter even on the gloomiest day? Make a midday walk a daily routine. You get sunlight, vitamin D, and physical exercise.

Go somewhere bright and light.
If you have the time and the money, then follow the birds and go south (or north), even if only for a couple of days. Those of you living in the US don’t even have to go out of the country. A weekend in southern California or Florida would do just fine. Here in Switzerland, we always get daily information as to which is the closest hilltop or mountaintop to go to in order to escape the lowland fog and low clouds. You’d be surprised at the difference in visibility once you are over the clouds. The sun up there can be blinding.

Make your place as light as possible.
If you don’t have the money for a tropical, sunny vacation, then try making your home as light as possible. White walls are best in keeping a room light and airy. But if you don’t have them and you don’t feel like (understandably!) painting in midwinter, there are other things you can do. Open the curtains, blinds, shutters, drapes or whatever you have on your windows at daytime. Turn on the lights even if it’s daytime. You’d be surprised how dark it is indoors even with artificial light. Indoor illumination is approximately 500 lux. Try taking a picture with your camera. The flash automatically goes on!

Lighten up your clothes.
It’s not only the dark walls and the gloomy rooms that can affect your mood. It strikes me as strange that we tend to dress in dark, drab colors in winter time. Black maybe chic but it’s not the time to make a fashion statement. A little color on yourself could really cheer you up as well as others around you.

Use artificial light.
If you cannot have natural light, then go for the artificial type. Health experts at UC Davis recommend artificial light therapy for those with serious cases of SAD. The standard light therapy equipment is a TV-sized light box with fluorescent bulbs behind a protective filter. The box would emit between 2,500 to 10,000 lux, which is equivalent to the outdoor light at dawn or at dusk. SAD treatment consists of standing in front of the light box between 15 minutes to 2 hours every day and is said to be work better and faster than drugs. The box can be bought or rented.

Medications.
In cases where light therapy alone doesn’t help, the treatment can also be combined with anti-depressants. The drug Prozac seems to work best against SAD, according to the UC Davis experts. However, consult your doctor before taking any anti-depressants.

Choose fiber-rich carbs.
You may not be able to ignore those cravings for carbohydrates any longer. Make sure you go for the carbohydrates rich in fibers: whole grain bread and crackers, whole grain, sugar-free cereals, even whole grain pasta.

Keep a regular sleeping pattern.
If you give in to frequent daytime napping, you will end up not sleeping well at night. Keeping a regular night time sleeping pattern is the best way to avoid sleep disturbances.

Author: Science-Mom

By Timothy Robinson

The moment that you have waited for has finally arrived: the day you bring your newborn baby home from the hospital. Like all other expectant parents you will have spent the last nine months preparing for this day. You will have a baby room full of everything a newborn could possibly want. You will have read book after book on a wide magnitude of baby topics from what to name your baby to when you can expect those first words. You will have walked and paced the length of baby’s room, imagining your little bundle sleeping peacefully in her crib. Now the moment has arrived. In the crib lies your sleeping baby and the most exciting adventure of life is about to begin.

The first few days home from the hospital are just as important to you as they are to your baby. As new parents you will have gone through an exciting birth that will have left you breathless and exhilarated.

During your first days at home it may be wise to limit the amount of visitors that you welcome into your home. You need time to recuperate and settle into the routine that a sleeping, feeding, and often crying baby brings into your life.

As a new mother you will need to pay particular attention to the way that you are feeling so that those “baby blues” don’t creep up and surprise you unexpectedly. It is normal to feel a bit out of sorts and sad for the first couple of weeks after giving birth. Your body is going through some major physical changes after the birth of your baby. Your hormones will be changing and you likely will be feeling a lack of sleep. You should be patient with yourself, understand that all these feelings are normal, and that in a couple of weeks things will feel better for you.

If you find that you are feeling more and more depressed, and find it difficult to care for yourself and your family, you should consult your doctor so that he/she can determine if you are suffering from a condition called postpartum depression. While not serious, postpartum depression can leave a new mother despondent, tired, and subject to emotional swings and loss of appetite. The effects of giving birth, hormone changes and the lifestyle changes of having a newborn (not sleeping, being indoors a lot, responsibilities of caring for a baby) can lead to a bout of the baby blues. Baby blues are usually short lived and go away without treatment.

During the first few days at home your family will be adjusting to the additional member of your family. If you have other children at home you may be dealing with feelings of jealousy as the new baby takes center stage. Make sure that you include your other children in the day-to-day activities that are part of the new baby’s routine. Let older children help with diaper changing, feeding, and just sitting and holding the new baby if they are old enough to do so.

This is your time to adjust to the changes in your life and settle into a comfortable routine…at least for the moment!

About the Author
Tim Robinson’s report, Baby’s First Year: What Every New Parent Needs To Know will make sure you have everything you need to know to provide for your child. Just visit for a sneak peak at what the guide will share with you.

Unfortunately we are not talking about the blue of your baby’s eyes. We are referring to the mild form of sadness a mother may experience after she delivers her baby.

Also known as maternity blues or maternity baby blues, baby blues are very common and occur in as many as 75-80% of new mothers. It is not postpartum depression unless it is abnormally severe.

What Causes Baby Blues?
When the placenta is delivered after the baby is born the part of the body creating the hormones shuts down abruptly. This causes a woman to react as if she is going through withdrawals from the high levels of estrogen, progesterone and endorphins that she had during her pregnancy.

In addition to the changes in hormones there is the exhaustion that sets in, whether it is physical, mental, or emotional after the baby is born, as well as sleep depravation you probably feel that can contribute to the baby blues.

Symptoms of Baby Blues
Symptoms may include some of these:

• Weepiness and bursting into tears.
• Sudden mood swings.
• Anxious and hypersensitive to criticism.
• Low spirits and irritability.
• Poor concentration and indecisiveness.
• Feeling ‘unbonded’ with baby.
• Restless insomnia.

Baby Pinks
Another, less referred to and less known feeling a person may have after giving birth is call the baby pinks. This is referred to when a person is overly happy and exuberant. This can be a sign of impending postpartum depression or psychosis.

If you have recently had a baby and you feel a bit of sadness, call your doctor to talk to him about it. He can help you judge and decide if you are experiencing a simple form of the baby blues, or if there is something more serious going on.