Have you ever heard of “winter depression”? It’s a real condition that occurs, obviously, in the winter, developing as the sun dips lower in the sky and our bodies and brains receive less of the health benefits provided by natural daylight. The medical term for winter depression is seasonal affective disorder, or SAD. And even though Australians aren’t subjected to the same level of winter “doldrums” as those in many other areas of the world, a surprising number of people still suffer from the symptoms of SAD, including:
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- depression
- moodiness and irritability
- sleep problems including both insomnia and excessive sleeping
- fatigue
- weight gain
- food cravings
- decreased interest in activities
SAD occurs because our bodies and our brains are designed to respond to natural sunlight; in fact, our regular cycles of sleeping and waking – our circadian rhythms – are dependent on the ebb and flow of natural light. Interruptions in the levels of natural light can wreak havoc on our ability to get the sleep we need to stay healthy in both body and mind. Plus, the release of mood-enhancing chemicals naturally produced by the brain is also affected by sunlight, and so is our body’s natural production of vitamin D, which plays a major role not just in physical health, but in mood and depression as well.
During the wintertime, most of us spend more time indoors; in the bright light of summer, that’s not so bad, but during winter months when the sun is lower in the sky and rises and sets later, we wind up getting considerably less sunlight than we normally would, significantly increasing the risk of developing SAD.
It would be nice to think we could get enough light streaming through our windows, but because of the sun’s position in the sky, that’s not the case. What we need is a way to capture more sunlight and bring it indoors into every area of our homes so we have ready access to the sun and it’s healing and restorative rays. And that’s where a Solatube skylight comes in handy.
Solatube skylights use a special dome design to capture as much light as possible, even when the sun hangs low in the sky. The dome is the portion of the light that’s located up on your roof, and Solatube has engineered it using special materials and angles to make gathering sunshine possible at any time of the year, whenever the sun is shining. In addition, the tube’s highly reflective interior lining ensures every bit of the light makes it into your home so you can enjoy it.
Solatube skylights are easy to install, requiring no major renovations, and they can be placed just about anywhere in your home, including the ground floors of multistorey homes. What’s more, Solatube offers a generous guarantee policy, so you get the peace of mind that comes from knowing you’ve made an investment in your home – and your health – that can last for years to come. If you’d like to learn more about Solatube skylights and how they can help you beat the wintertime blues, visit our website or call 13 16 19 today.