How Seasonal Affective Disorder can impact your sleep and what to do about it.
Updated 2024
Winter is coming, and for many of us, the onset of shorter days brings a mix of emotions. It’s no secret anymore that many mamas struggle with Postpartum Depression, and many of us can also find ourselves impacted by SAD, or Seasonal Affective Disorder. According to the Mayo Clinic (2021), SAD is deeper than the winter blues. Mamas who are impacted by SAD experience moodiness, depression, lethargic periods, low appetite, loss of interest in things they normally enjoy, and more. Your sleep is also impacted. You may oversleep, which leads to a break in your patterns that may result in bouts of insomnia, throwing off your circadian rhythm and melatonin production. To cope with SAD, you may also see a change in diet through not eating or stress eating foods that are known to impact sleep, like sugary treats.
While the exact reasons people experience SAD are unknown, the Mayo Clinic also lists the following culprits:
Your biological clock (circadian rhythm). The reduced level of sunlight in fall and winter may cause winter-onset SAD. This decrease in sunlight may disrupt your body's internal clock and lead to feelings of depression.
Serotonin levels. A drop in serotonin, a brain chemical (neurotransmitter) that affects mood, might play a role in SAD. Reduced sunlight can cause a drop in serotonin that may trigger depression.
Melatonin levels. The change in season can disrupt the balance of the body's level of melatonin, which plays a role in sleep patterns and mood.
Your circadian rhythm, serotonin and melatonin are all crucial for a good nights sleep. There are numerous studies showing the connections between low sleep and mental health, and if you’ve gone through sleep teaching with your little one, you also know how important sleep is for emotional development, academic attention, and even behavioral recognition in your growing kiddos.
If you feel impacted by Seasonal Affective Disorder, first and foremost, go to a doctor. There might be something else happening to cause your symptoms that they can diagnose through exploratory testing, but most importantly, they are the ones who know and understand your family history and your history of treatments.
Other ways to help beat SAD are sun lamps that encourage Vitamin D production, exercise, eating plenty of vitamin dense foods, and scheduling time to leave the house and even if it’s tough, making yourself do it. But, again, these final suggestions are only once you’re positive your mental health is safe.
According to The American Psychiatry Association (2021), “talk therapy, particularly cognitive behavior therapy (CBT), can effectively treat SAD. Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) are the type of antidepressant most commonly used to treat SAD.”
Many of our sleep consultants practice meditation and we are a fan of positive affirmation, which can help with CBT. One of our most popular blogs has been Thirteen positive affirmations for tired moms. To keep with the encouragement and let you know you are not alone, we are happy to share the following ‘44 Positive Affirmations for Coping with Depression’ from MS Broudy, Ph.D, psychologist, writer, and consultant. He has a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology and a master’s degree in Social Psychology, and specializes in writing about mental health issues.
If you need a reminder this winter that you’re doing the best you can, or want to harness the power of cognitive theories to counter your negative personal perceptions, we hope one of the following speaks to you.
Affirmations for Coping With Depression
1) I have come this far and I am proud of myself.
2) This moment in my life does not define who I am.
3) My challenges bring me better opportunities.
4) My life has value and meaning.
5) These are just thoughts. Only I determine the way I choose to feel.
6) I choose to release negative feelings and thoughts about myself.
7) I will try to see the best in others.
8) I believe in who I am.
9) I am working toward making a better life.
10) I do not need to rely on others’ judgment for acceptance.
11) I do my very best and that’s enough.
12) I believe in my ability to get through this difficult period.
13) I am resilient and can handle problems that come my way.
14) I am worthy of happiness.
15) My goals are achievable.
16) Depression makes me sad, but it builds my resilience.
17) I feel low now, but tomorrow is another day.
18) Where there is life, there is hope.
19) I’m not limited to anything.
20) I love myself unconditionally, no matter how I feel.
21) I am not the first to deal with depression, and I won’t be the last.
22) Depression is just a human emotion and I am human.
23) My life is what I make it.
24) I find and enjoy the simple pleasures life is offering right now.
25) I experience depression but I can also experience joy.
26) There is nothing wrong with me because I feel sad.
27) If they can do it, there’s no reason I can’t do it.
28) I am taking control of my own mind.
29) My future is bright because I am designing it.
30) I am just as good as anyone else.
31) I am deserving of self-care.
32) My life is a gift.
33) Being depressed is not my fault.
34) I deserve love and happiness.
35) Smile and breathe.
36) I look forward to tomorrow.
37) This feeling will pass.
38) I’m okay right now.
39) I control my destiny.
40) I may be sad now, but that’s fine.
41) I am gaining strength every single day.
42) The depression I experience doesn’t define me.
43) I work on myself every day.
44) I will wake up tomorrow and do the best I can.
Broudy’s Affirmations were originally published on eCounseling.com (2021).
Other resources used in this article:
The Mayo Clinic (2021), retrieved from: https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/seasonal-affective-disorder/symptoms-causes/syc-20364651
Broudy, M.S. (2021), retrieved with permission to reprint from: https://www.e-counseling.com/author/ms-broudy/
The American Psychiatry Association (2021), https://www.psychiatry.org/patients-families/depression/seasonal-affective-disorder
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