Let There Be Light: Columbia Psychiatry Expert on SAD

(October 16, 2009)  SAD, also known as seasonal depression or winter depression, begins affecting people in late fall and can last through early May; in accordance with the time of year when overall daylight is shortest. The specific cause of SAD remains unknown. Now they theorize that it is the earliest morning light exposure that is the critical factor. That’s the time of day when our internal biological clock needs to receive a light signal in order to stay synchronized to local time. When we let our bioclock slip, depression can set in explained Dr. Michael Terman, director of the Center for Light Treatment and Biological Rhythms at Columbia University Medical Center.  

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