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When you suffer with infertility you become very familiar with the infertility calendar. It’s marked with those difficult holidays to endure, and perhaps the hardest is nearly upon us. In the US the festive season of goodwill kicks off about two seconds after Thanksgiving ends. When you are trying to conceive, it is not festive at all. But is this seasonal sadness just because of infertility?

Some people suffer from what is commonly called the Winter Blues. A small number of these suffer from a more severe form known as Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD). About 6% of people living in the US experience SAD, while about 14% experience the winter blues. Women and young adults aged 18-30 are more likely to suffer with SAD than men and older adults.

What are the Winter Blues?

The winter blues are quite common, with sufferers experiencing a mood shift during the colder, darker days of late autumn and winter.

The main symptoms are:

  • Lethargy and a lack of energy/vitality
  • Feeling emotionally low
  • Difficulty sleeping
  • Feeling less social than usual
  • Difficulty taking initiative.

Although the winter blues makes people feel more gloomy than usual, they don’t generally hinder the ability to enjoy life.

What is SAD?

This is more serious. If the winter blues start permeating other aspects of life, like work and relationships then the diagnosis might be SAD. SAD is a recurrent type of clinical depression associated with the change in seasons. As well as the symptoms of the winter blues, SAD includes more problematic symptoms such as:

  • Mood that is down or depressed most of the day, nearly every day
  • Loss of interest in activities that were once enjoyable
  • Withdrawal and isolation from friends and family
  • Struggling to focus and perform at work or home
  • Feeling constantly fatigued and lethargic
  • Feeling hopeless about the future
  • Having suicidal thoughts.

Is there a link with infertility?

This is a harder question to answer. However, there IS a documented link between seasonality and pregnancy. A review study in 19921 found that:

“A seasonal distribution in human natural conception and birth rates has been consistently demonstrated by epidemiological studies in several geographical areas.”

This means that in the northern hemisphere there is a peak in conception rates during summer. This leads to more births in the spring. Several theories have been put forward for this, but could SAD and the winter blues play a part? After all, a link between depression and fertility has already been established. It’s not that far-fetched to speculate that winter blues and SAD may be depressing the autumn and winter conception rate.

What can be done about winter blues and SAD?

The good news for both winter blues and SAD is that there are treatments to alleviate symptoms.

  • Sunlight: exposure to natural light has been shown to boost serotonin production and raise mood. So, it is important to get outside whenever the sun is out during the darker    days. Perhaps take a walk or try an outdoor winter activity
  • Light therapy: this is the standard medical treatment for SAD. Light therapy replicates natural light with light boxes that mimic sunlight. Light therapy can be particularly     helpful in regulating the release of melatonin, which aids sleep patterns
  • Exercise: Research shows that exercise is nature’s antidepressant. Exercise can increase serotonin and endorphins, which both affect mood. Moderate exercise of at least 30 minutes most days of the week may provide a significant mood boost
  • Cognitive-behavioural therapy: this is another medical therapy which has been shown to as effective in long term treatment for SAD as light therapy
  • Medication: some people may need antidepressants, prescribed by a health professional, to regulate the chemical imbalances associated with SAD.

In general, maintaining a regular schedule during the winter months can help to keep hormones in balance and regulate your mood.

Here are some hints and tips to help manage winter mood:

  • Go to sleep and wake up at the same time to normalize your sleep rhythms
  • Eat three meals a day, at the same time every day. Again, this helps to stabilise your body cycles
  • Avoid over-intake of carbohydrates, instead eat a balanced diet of proteins, fruits and vegetables, whole grains and nuts
  • Stay connected to friends and loved ones
  • Make sure that you take time for yourself to engage in enjoyable activities.

Hopefully, you can keep the winter blues at bay by taking such measures. However, do not ignore symptoms if they persist, or if you suspect that you may be suffering from SAD. If so, understand that the condition is treatable and seek help from a qualified health care professional.

Reference

  1. https://academic.oup.com/humrep/article-abstract/7/6/735/724626