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Post by jwwilliams002 on Jul 19, 2012 14:56:18 GMT -8
Hi , can anyone here give me a link or brief explaination of what people believe causes summer SAD and also what they are doing to cope. What is the melatonin connection and what/how much do you supplement to help? Has this protocall helped anyone? Any and all info is much appreciated !!!
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Post by Admin on Jul 19, 2012 21:38:20 GMT -8
Hi Jim, I already replied to you personally but for others looking at this thread please take a look at the following: summersad.wordpress.com/2012/07/20/259/I will try and finish updating my website soon to current information on summer SAD Scroll down through some of my posts on Dark Therapy, blue light, etc. controlling your light can really make a difference. Of course try and keep yourself cool as well. If you find yourself really seriously depressed right now you should talk to your doctor about anti-depressants. There are some that work well for SAD like Wellbutrin (I don't know about the efficacy on summer SAD, though). Just to get you back on your feet for the next few months, although anti-depressants can really have pitfalls for some people. Natural things that are worth looking into are L-Tryptophan, SAM-e, vitamin D (more than the recommended dose if you are low--I was super low and took 5-10k per day for a short time), a really good multi and other stuff (sorry, brain dead right now). Personally I had great success with natural anti-depressants but sometimes they take a few weeks (I think anti-depressants do too but I don't know enough to say). First step right now is make sure you are not over exposed to light at night esp. from fluorescent lights, TV, computer etc......go to bed early and light proof your room/wear a sleep mask. The reason for this is that these lights prevent your body from producing melatonin, which is going to mess up your sleep cycle even more at this time of year esp. (and you might be very low already). It is much better to get up early and go to bed early a lot of people have found. Don't expose yourself to too much light esp. at the end of the day. Keep as cool as possible. Start a good multi-vitamin and look into the natural anti-depressants or talk to your doc about other approaches. Talking to people here is a good start too--just connecting with others so you know you are not alone is so great!!
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Post by jwwilliams002 on Jul 27, 2012 6:17:23 GMT -8
Thank you for the responses Saskia. I rally appreciate it as I have seen on the board that you are very busy with a new kiddo. Congrats!
Has anyone else out there had much success with the melatonin protocall? What about the blue blocker glasses? Or any thing else. I would love to hear some personal anecdotal stories of peeople who have gotten some relief , just to give me hope that there is something to give me hope . Thanks for any replies.
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Post by sananmitch on Jul 28, 2012 16:06:22 GMT -8
Last year, we started closing all the curtains and blinds in the entire house around dinner time (6:30, or so - since we have little kids). Since the sun doesn't set until around 9:00 PM, it is difficult to be ready for sleep by bedtime. Closing all the curtains helps my brain to switch into night mode and I seem to sleep better. I also have a sleep mask that I use if I am still having trouble.
We also turn down our thermostat at night, to keep the bedroom as cool as possible. Right now, it is so hot here that our air conditioner is not cooling the house very well, so I am not sleeping as well. This happens every year during the worst part of the summer. I need to start saving now, so that I can buy a bigger and more powerful AC - apparently the people who owned the house before us were cheapskates who didn't mind the heat that much, so they went with one that is a little too small for the house.
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Post by Admin on Jul 30, 2012 15:56:02 GMT -8
Sananmitch--have you tried closing vents at night in rooms you don't really use that often (if vents are easy to close?). I think there was a thread on our old site about this--the bedrooms were upstairs and so they ended up closing a lot of downtairs vents at night so all the air got pushed up there. Maybe the laundry room...guest rooms..bathrooms....maybe you'll get more air pushed into rooms you use more often (I think). Glad you to hear you are enjoying your vacation!!
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