Overview
- With less than two weeks until clocks go back, clinicians advise starting morning bright light therapy now at roughly 10,000 lux for 20–30 minutes to stabilize circadian timing.
- Experts recommend beginning 1,000–2,000 IU of vitamin D daily in early autumn and using dawn simulators to ease dark-morning wake-ups.
- Psychologist guidance highlights early warning signs such as unusual fatigue, increased cravings for sweets and carbohydrates, and loss of interest in usual activities.
- Reduced daylight can disrupt the body clock and alter serotonin and melatonin, which contributes to low mood, poor sleep and lethargy in seasonal depression.
- People with significant symptoms are urged to contact a GP or mental health professional for assessment and treatment, while setting exercise and social routines can help counter isolation.