Dr. Nicole Cain explains how seasonal changes (shorter days, cloudiness) increase melatonin production by driving serotonin conversion into melatonin, which can create daytime "melatonin hangover" and relative low serotonin in people with seasonal affective disorder (SAD). She recommends supporting serotonin production (morning 5‑HTP with B vitamins, leafy-green/antioxidant-rich diet) and suppressing excess melatonin with morning bright-light therapy (a "Happy lamp"), noting a second daytime session may help in very dark/cloudy locations but overuse can cause insomnia. Video closes with a call-to-action to visit her website and subscribe.
Questions this video answers
Dr. Nicole Cain.
www.drnicolecane.com.
5‑HTP in the morning with B vitamins; also a diet high in leafy greens and antioxidants.
A bright-light/"Happy" lamp used in the morning (and possibly a second session later in very dark/cloudy locations); overuse may cause insomnia.
Chapters
Hi, guys. This is Dr. Nicole Cain, and I want to talk to you about the serotonin melatonin snafu that happens with seasonal affective disorder. So when we're making melatonin, we have to start with serotonin, and then the serotonin gets converted into melatonin production. Melatonin is then stimulated to increase when it's dark. So what happens in the fall is that the sun is going down earlier and it's coming up later, so the days are shorter, there's less sunshine. And then when you combine that with cloudy weather, there's way less sunshine, and we have more nightfall, more dark. So melatonin production increases. It can increase to the point where people feel really tired, and then there's high melatonin hangover throughout the day. We can actually test your melatonin levels and find out if that's a problem for you in the fall and in the winter. The other thing that can happen is that if your serotonin is getting converted into more and more melatonin, because the melatonin levels are in higher demand due to the darkness, is that you can start to suffer from symptoms of low serotonin. And we've seen in the research that serotonin levels overall tend to be lower in individuals with seasonal affective disorder as compared to the summer. So giving your body nutrients to support serotonin production is really important. And. And so I like to use 5 HTP in the morning for that with B vitamins, a diet high in leafy greens and antioxidants, and then suppressing melatonin production. And my favorite way to do that is by using a Happy lamp or a bright lamp in the morning. Sometimes people find that that can help them wake up more easily. Their energy is better. But if you're living somewhere where it's really cloudy or really dark and the sun is going down super early, you might need a second dose of Happy Lamp later in the day, too. A sign that you're using the lamp too much may be that you develop insomnia, because, again, its job is to suppress melatonin production. So if you're dealing with seasonal affective disorder, your top two solutions is going to be to support your serotonin levels. And we talked about that. And then to make sure that you're not dealing with a melatonin hangover by using a Happy light the next morning. This is Dr. Nicole Cain. We've been talking about seasonal affective disorder solutions, talking about the serotonin melatonin seasonal snafu that's a mouthful, right? And how you can start to feel like yourself again. So if you'd like to learn more, if you'd like to read about this and other topics, go to my website. And also don't forget to subscribe and like and comment and there'll be lots of other videos coming out. My website is www.drnicolecane.com. i can't wait to talk to you next time and if you have any questions or need anything, don't hesitate to reach out. Thanks guys. Bye.
