Time to set your bodyclock
Published on Tue 28 Aug 2007
28th October signals the start of British Winter. For many this will mean endless colds, lethargy and weight gain. For at least one in twenty it will bring the misery of Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), a specific form of depression, which experts attribute to lack of daylight. A further 1 in 8 people will suffer the milder condition: 'Winter Blues'.
But it does not have to be a winter of discontent; experts believe that re-setting your body clock could be the answer to warding off colds and fighting seasonal depression.
Light therapy specialists Lumie, have developed the Bodyclock range of dawn simulating alarm clocks which do just that.
Professor Angela Clow from the Department of Psychology at the University of Westminster explains how they work "All living organisms operate across a 24 hour daily rhythm: we have night and day cycles and these physiological processes can become 'phase delayed' in winter, which means that it takes longer for our bodies to switch from night time to daytime activities. Dawn simulation triggers and regulates the circadian rhythm (our own internal body clock) whilst slowly waking you up.
"We found that 'dawn simulation' during winter months is important in the day-to-day regulation of the immune system. This aids the regulation of our 24 hour body cycles during the long dark days of winter and is beneficial in helping to preserve good health".
BBC health expert Doctor Trisha Macnair adds "winter nights can be anything from 15-19 hours long. We go to work in the dark and return in the dark, so it is not surprising then that many of us are prone to illness and become seasonally affected. The main component treatment for SAD and Winter Blues is light therapy. This can help alleviate symptoms of depression and other side affects such as: low-energy, weak immune system and weight gain."
Bodyclock dawn simulation ensures that your body is functioning in its day cycle when you are, thus helping maintain a strong immune system and ward off the winter blues. So, with the clocks changing, bringing shorter days, why face a sluggish winter? Make sure you reset your own body clock this autumn.
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