Winter can be a mood killer.
How To Tell If You Have Seasonal Depression Winter can be a massive mood killer. Days are shorter, temperatures are colder, and staying in your cozy, warm bed all day can feel like a welcomed escape from the frigid world outside.While the desire to hibernate during the winter months is normal from time to time, a small portion of the U.S. population experiences a very real mood condition called seasonal depression during this time of year.
Many also experience an overproduction of melatonin, the hormone that causes sleepiness when it gets dark. The combination of decreased serotonin and increased melatonin messes with the circadian rhythm, or the body's 'biological clock.' This effect is most intense during the months leading up to and following the winter solstice , which is when days are the shortest and sunlight is least available.
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