Does too little sunlight give us all the winter blues?

The clocks have gone back, it is noticeably darker in the afternoons and sunlight is in short supply. Are you feeling less energetic, craving more carbohydrates and chocolate and sleeping longer in bed? Then perhaps the encroaching darkness, as autumn gives way to winter, is affecting your natural body rhythms. While many animals are preparing to hibernate, who would blame people for feeling ready to go into sleep mode too? This is how nearly one in five of the UK population feel every winter between September and April, and particularly during December, January and February. They suffer from the 'winter blues', brought on by a reduction in daylight hours and a lack of sunlight. Dr Aarohee Desai-Gupta, a psychiatrist in Enfield from The Royal College of Psychiatrists, says sunlight is key to our mood. "The longer the period of sunlight, the longer the feeling of well-being generally. We have more energy, feel more active, more creative and happier." So in winter it is unsurprising that the opposite happens. Mood change Research from the University of Southampton found that most adults, at least 90%, experience subtle changes in moods, energy and sleep when the seasons change. Continue reading the main story “ Start Quote People with SAD need four hours a day of bright light at 10 times the intensity of ordinary lighting ” Dr Natasha Bijlani consultant psychiatrist And an estimated one million working hours are lost by British industry over the winter months due to the winter blues.