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People who suffer the winter blues often crave a natural amino acid called trytophan, contained in some foods, including chocolate

If getting out of bed in the mornings is even harder this month, you may not be imagining it. In fact you may be one of the millions of people suffering a health complaint called the winter blues.

The condition, a form of mild lethargy and depression caused by a lack of sunshine combined with the psychological effect of the end of the summer, is now thought to affect eight out of 10 of us in one form or another. One in five of us suffer a more serious condition called seasonal affective disorder — SAD — which in its most severe cases causes sufferers such strong symptoms of fatigue and depression it can seriously disrupt their lives.

SAD was only recognised in the 1980s and, like the winter blues, is thought to be related to the amount of natural light available in the winter months.

Medics believe that daylight triggers a reaction in our bodies each morning that stops us from producing melatonin, a hormone that makes us feel drowsy so we can sleep.

In the winter months the lack of daylight can mean some peoples’ bodies do not stop producing melatonin — leaving them feeling exhausted.

Exposure to sunlight also boosts levels of serotonin, the chemical which makes us feel happy. During the winter months the body produces less serotonin, which can also lead to depression.

If the change in seasons has left you feeling down in the dumps, our top winter health tips could help you start to feel brighter.

Get out in the open air for half an hour every morning.

Don’t think that sitting in your well-lit office or home will help to boost the amount of light you are getting each day. Most artificial light is many times weaker than the natural light available outdoors.

Doctors believe that our bodies need to be exposed to around 2 500 lux (the measurement of light intensity) each morning for half an hour to allow our natural body clocks to work correctly. The average light in a well-lit kitchen or office is only 500 lux. A clear winter morning, however, has an intensity of 4 000 lux.

Invest in a dawn simulation alarm clock

Long before radio alarm clocks were invented and we were all cave men and women we were woken every morning by the sunrise.

New research from the University of Washington School of Medicine in America now shows that alarm clocks that mimic the natural dawn can help to lessen the affects of SAD and the winter blues.

The clocks work by producing a light that gets brighter and brighter in your bedroom for half an hour before you want to wake. The theory is that waking in light in this way sends a message to the brain to stop producing the hormone melatonin, which makes us sleepy — and is thought to be one of the major causes of the winter blues.

Get gyming or swimming

Research has proved that exercise can help relieve mild depression and the effects of the winter blues. “Just half an hour of aerobic exercise three times a week should help”, says Professor Annie Farmer.

“Although it is still not known exactly why, exercise seems to produce a feel-good hormone that can relieve mild depression.”

Swimming and gym work are ideal ways to get this kind of workout. Exercising with a friend should help to keep you motivated.

Eat expensive chocolate

People who suffer the winter blues often crave a natural amino acid called trytophan, contained in some foods, including chocolate.

Trytophan is involved in the manufacture of the feel-good hormone serotonin, which the body produces when exposed to sunshine.

Because during the winter months many people do not produce enough serotonin their bodies naturally crave trytophan.

But before you dive into your local newsagents and buy up all their stocks it’s worth knowing that some chocolate contains more trytophan than other types.

“The amount of trytophan chocolate contains is directly related to the amount of cocoa bean content,” says Professor Annie Farmer, who runs an SAD clinic at the Maudsley Hospital in London.

“The more expensive the chocolate, the higher the cocoa bean content and usually the less sugar it contains — which will make it slightly healthier too.”

Book a holiday abroad

People with severe symptoms of SAD sometimes emigrate to warmer climes. If you suffer a milder form of the winter blues you don’t have to be so drastic, but booking a winter holiday abroad may help.

“I always advise sufferers to book their main holiday in the winter months,” says Professor Farmer.

“It will give them both a psychological boost as they will have something to look forward to and also a physical boost while they are away.”

To get the full effects you should book a holiday in a country that is further south than Morocco, as the sunshine further south is more intense and therefore better for sufferers.

“If your symptoms are milder a skiing holiday should also help as there is often a lot of sunshine at this altitude and you will be spending a lot of time in the outdoors in natural light,’ she adds.

Take up an outdoor activity

You may feel like hibernating inside in your spare time this winter, but if the short winter days are getting you down getting out in the fresh air — whatever the weather — could really boost your mood.

The natural light on a cloudy — or even rainy-day is many times brighter than artificial light and is therefore many times more likely to help boost your mood. So whether it’s gardening, hill walking or dry slope skiing, just getting out of the house should really boost your feelings of well being.

Consider installing a special light box on your desk at work

Light therapy, using special high intensity “light boxes”, is one of the main forms of treatment for SAD sufferers.

To get the benefits sufferers have to sit in front of a light box, which contains a light five to 20 times more intense than a well-lit office, for a certain amount of time each day.

Unfortunately these boxes can be large and unwieldy, but smaller light boxes have now been developed which can be installed on top of computers for people to use for an hour or two each day at work.

In its most severe forms, SAD can seriously disrupt peoples’ lives.

If your symptoms persist you should consult your GP who will refer you to a specialist. — Dailymail.