# That time of year...anyone getting S.A.D.? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [October 25, 2003, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/that-time-of-year-anyone-getting-s-a-d/209506 "2003-10-25T16:38:30Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![zweisamkeit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zweisamkeit/32/4360_2.png) [@zweisamkeit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zweisamkeit)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2003, 3:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/that-time-of-year-anyone-getting-s-a-d/209506/21 "2003-10-27T03:37:40Z")
I seem to have reverse S.A.D. I’m a lot more productive and energetic during the Fall and Winter. Late Spring and Summer are what drag me down, energy-wise. I guess I’m just a freak. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Engineer\_Dude](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/9fc29f/32.png) [@Engineer\_Dude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Engineer_Dude)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2003, 3:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/that-time-of-year-anyone-getting-s-a-d/209506/22 "2003-10-27T03:47:48Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by dutchboy208 \* > \*\*There is a rather simple cure, you know… do as I did, and move to Florida 🙂 > > A screened balcony, afternoon sunlight, and a fountain will cure pretty much anything. \*\* I can’t imagine ever getting anything done with good weather every day. It seems like it would be too much of a distraction. I live in the midwest, but have been to Florida and Hilton Head. Both times, I had to either do school work or fill out employment forms for my co-op job. Normally, I’m a productive person, but all of the sun and fresh air that I experienced completely robbed me of any motivation to do anything productive. Perhaps you’re used to it, though, since you’ve lived there for a while. ---
**Author:** ![ralph124c](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/8797f3/32.png) [@ralph124c](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ralph124c)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2003, 2:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/that-time-of-year-anyone-getting-s-a-d/209506/23 "2003-10-27T14:23:09Z")
I too suffer from SAD. My symptoms begin in mid-September, when the days really become shorter. However, it seems to get better as soon as we have snow on the ground and clear days in January-it seems to me that all of the light reflecting off of the snow relieves the symptoms. Anyway, my mood begins to improve in mid-Febroary, as the days lengthen. However, March can really be a bummer,cold windy days, with gray skies and no sun! ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2003, 3:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/that-time-of-year-anyone-getting-s-a-d/209506/24 "2003-10-27T15:44:10Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Engineer Dude \* > \*\*I can’t imagine ever getting anything done with good weather every day. It seems like it would be too much of a distraction. > > I live in the midwest, but have been to Florida and Hilton Head. Both times, I had to either do school work or fill out employment forms for my co-op job. Normally, I’m a productive person, but all of the sun and fresh air that I experienced completely robbed me of any motivation to do anything productive. > > Perhaps you’re used to it, though, since you’ve lived there for a while. \*\* Er… not so much. Rather than learn how to be productive when the weather is always gorgeous, I just stopped being productive. If I had a laptop, hell, I’d never get anything done at all… ---
**Author:** ![BrainFreeze](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/45deac/32.png) [@BrainFreeze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainFreeze)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2003, 7:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/that-time-of-year-anyone-getting-s-a-d/209506/25 "2003-12-13T19:29:23Z")
If you live in a country with a national health service you can apply for a “light box”. this emits UV and “normal” light and has the same affect as sunlight. I think they will tell you sit next to it for about an hour a day and that helps a lot. Also, silightly off the subject. I rememeber seeing an alarm clock once that had a huge white light on the top. It dimmed for you to sleep and got brighter to wake you up. I remember hearing great reviews from those who suffered from insomnia (I get this in the winter _due_ to lack of sunlight) and was wondering where i could get one. Anybody know about these? Brainfreeze ---
**Author:** ![Helen\_s\_Eidolon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/8edcca/32.png) [@Helen\_s\_Eidolon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Helen_s_Eidolon)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2003, 10:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/that-time-of-year-anyone-getting-s-a-d/209506/26 "2003-12-13T22:44:27Z")
I may have it. I get blah, but I attribute that more just to winter blahs, though. My main symptom: From mid-October to February I just cannot sleep enough. I sleep 10 hours/night, then take a 2 hour nap in the afternoon and last year I STILL fell asleep in class. It was awful. I’ve been feeling it this year - I’m sleepy unless I get 9 hours, but I’m making efforts. (Note: I used to be able to be okay on 4-5 hours/night, and I’m a 6 or 7 hours a night person in the summer) ---
**Author:** ![Trigonal\_Planar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/0ea827/32.png) [@Trigonal\_Planar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trigonal_Planar)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2003, 10:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/that-time-of-year-anyone-getting-s-a-d/209506/27 "2003-12-13T22:49:53Z")
I get revserse-S.A.D (HAPPY?). I LOVE this weather. I have terrible allergies in the summer. I hate hot weather. It makes me feel sick and just tires me out. But Winter? Oh man. The cool (even cold) weather is so invigorating! I just have so much more energy. My allergies don’t bother me. The snow…the cloudy days…are so calming and relaxing. I’m not even remotely kidding when I say this is my favourite time of the year and summer can just stay away. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/that-time-of-year-anyone-getting-s-a-d/209506.md?page=1)