Seasonal Affective Disorder: Some Ways to Combat Those Winter Blues

Yes, it’s that time of year again, time for shorter days and longer periods of darkness in our days. Many people get down in the dumps just thinking of it.   If this thought scares you or you have depression like symptoms in the winter months you may have SAD – seasonal affective disorder. SAD is a type of depression that hits when days become shorter. For some people it may be no more than a slight case of wintertime blues. But others can find SAD to be severe and affect the quality of life one is used to.  Some common symptoms of SAD include changes to sleeping patters, craving carbohydrates, avoiding social interactions, and other symptoms that often occur with depression.

Of course these days there is a way to cure most things by visiting a doctor and by all means, if you suffer from depression or SAD you certainly should see a medical professional to be sure there is no underlying issue. A doctor may offer suggestions for treatment, including light therapy and/or medication depending on the severity. I am here to offer some natural methods for combating those winter blues and help you get through those dreary months of winter, may be even take advantage of the extra time indoors!

Let us first take a look at light therapy. This may also be recommended by a medical professional as the warm, bright light from a dawn simulator can make you feel relaxed, refreshed and ready to tackle the day. Some day the main cause of seasonal affective disorder is the lack of sunlight on our bodies and the decrease in light that occurs with the change in season. When you work all day the option of natural sunlight in the winter months is tough to find. A dawn simulator or light therapy clock that gives off a simulated sun but still provides warmth and light may be just the answer.   The light will stimulate the biochemical activity in your brain to help regulate a variety of systems. The Sun Alarm Ultima has been very well loved in providing this dawn simulating affect at your wake up. Not only does this wake you up naturally, you will be amazed at how much more refreshed you feel not having a loud beeping alarm clock in your ear!  Indoor fountains are another product that can help alleviate some of the feelings of anxiety, winter blues etc. The relaxing sounds of a water fountain an brilliant soothing background noise that can help relieve anxiety or help you fall asleep.  You will be amazed at how even a smaller tabletop style water fountain will bring beauty and joy into your life. Water fountains have many benefits such as stress relief, calming background noise, air humidifiers, pet drinking source and releasing negative ions. This could be just the ticket to bringing something into your home that you delight in relaxing by each and every day. Another common symptom of SAD is lethargy. You can’t seem to get motivated to do anything and you spend your time sitting around. These feelings are triggered by the lack of serotonin in the brain. Believe it or not, serotonin can be produced naturally by physical activity.  A small exercise each day will help you relax and take your mind off what stresses you out. Fighting stress during the winter months is vital. SAD can affect your ability to handle stress well. Make exercise part of your daily routine and you are sure to notice a difference! Having a excellent diet is one of the keys to combating those winter blues. It all goes hand in hand. A lack of Vitamin D, which we get from the sun, can cause feelings of lethargy which can cause us to crave terrible foods which leave us with no energy. It all goes together! Be sure you eat a balanced diet and get plenty of vitamins and minerals. Fresh fruits and vegetables can provide your body with the tools you need to stay healthy and combat those symptoms of Depression and SAD.

SAD and depression is not fun but there are ways to make those feelings go away and things you can do to combat these symptoms to have a worry free, relaxed winter season and get the most out of it.

The Brookwood Grandfather Clock – How to Care for It and Where to Get the Best Price

The Brookwood grandfather clock comes from a long tradition of fine clock-making in America, as long case clocks were the very first clocks to be really made in America for use in the home. Before 1680 all clocks were imported from Europe. The long case design for this ancient timepiece came about because of the need to house the long pendulum. In the early days the movements of grandfather clocks were made from wood and bronze.

We still like our grandfather clocks today and the Brookwood grandfather clock is a very authentic-looking copy of the original design. It is a splendid looking floor clock with a North American red oak case, which has a rich color and end to it. The case and full length door of the clock are crafted from 13/16″ thick red oak, to make it an elegant and sturdy piece of furniture which will last way into future generations of your family.

If you want to make an elegant traditional décor in your home, a Brookwood grandfather clock will set the mood perfectly. This magnificent clock has a 31 day cycle, so you only have to wind it up once a month. These clocks are usually about 6′ 4″ high and have a glass front which displays the attractive brass weights and pendulums. The very musical chimes strike on the hour and once on the half hour. If your Brookwood clock starts to gain or lose time, this is not a problem because all you need to do is to adjust the length of the pendulum and that’ll fix it.

Having spent a lot of money on a Brookwood grandfather clock, its care and maintenance will be very vital to you. Oiling and cleaning at regular intervals will keep your valuable timepiece running smoothly and increase its life. The oiling procedure is vital and you should not oil your clock without finding out exactly how to do it correctly. If you place oil in the incorrect places on the clock mechanism you could cause major problems. You only need to have a Brookwood grandfather clock oiled once every two – four years and get a professional clock repairer to give a full clean every five – eight years.

If before the scheduled service time you find that your Brookwood clock is having problems like the chimes sound slow or it’s not keeping the right time, first of all check that it is still standing on a perfectly level surface. I remember the case of a guy whose clock got infested by termites. The clock had a hollow space at the base and some termites had taken up residence! Houses that over time develop cracks in the foundations are vulnerable to termite infestation, so be aware of this, because they could hurt your Brookwood grandfather clock beyond repair. If your floor is level and the clock is still misbehaving, it’s a excellent thought to let a professional have a look at it just to be on the safe side.

It’s also worth mentioning that the very best prices for Brookwood grandfather clocks are to be found online. The online stores don’t have high overheads like local stores and they have a larger market base, so they can get real excellent discounts on buying in bulk.

If you’re plotting to enhance your home with a Brookwood grandfather clock, I hope that I’ve helped you to get some thoughts about the best places to buy for a keen price and how to keep your lovely grandfather clock in mint condition.

The Brookwood Grandfather Clock – How to Care for It and Where to Get the Best Price

The Brookwood grandfather clock comes from a long tradition of fine clock-making in America, as long case clocks were the very first clocks to be really made in America for use in the home. Before 1680 all clocks were imported from Europe. The long case design for this ancient timepiece came about because of the need to house the long pendulum. In the early days the movements of grandfather clocks were made from wood and bronze.

We still like our grandfather clocks today and the Brookwood grandfather clock is a very authentic-looking copy of the original design. It is a splendid looking floor clock with a North American red oak case, which has a rich color and end to it. The case and full length door of the clock are crafted from 13/16″ thick red oak, to make it an elegant and sturdy piece of furniture which will last way into future generations of your family.

If you want to make an elegant traditional décor in your home, a Brookwood grandfather clock will set the mood perfectly. This magnificent clock has a 31 day cycle, so you only have to wind it up once a month. These clocks are usually about 6′ 4″ high and have a glass front which displays the attractive brass weights and pendulums. The very musical chimes strike on the hour and once on the half hour. If your Brookwood clock starts to gain or lose time, this is not a problem because all you need to do is to adjust the length of the pendulum and that’ll fix it.

Having spent a lot of money on a Brookwood grandfather clock, its care and maintenance will be very vital to you. Oiling and cleaning at regular intervals will keep your valuable timepiece running smoothly and increase its life. The oiling procedure is vital and you should not oil your clock without finding out exactly how to do it correctly. If you place oil in the incorrect places on the clock mechanism you could cause major problems. You only need to have a Brookwood grandfather clock oiled once every two – four years and get a professional clock repairer to give a full clean every five – eight years.

If before the scheduled service time you find that your Brookwood clock is having problems like the chimes sound slow or it’s not keeping the right time, first of all check that it is still standing on a perfectly level surface. I remember the case of a guy whose clock got infested by termites. The clock had a hollow space at the base and some termites had taken up residence! Houses that over time develop cracks in the foundations are vulnerable to termite infestation, so be aware of this, because they could hurt your Brookwood grandfather clock beyond repair. If your floor is level and the clock is still misbehaving, it’s a excellent thought to let a professional have a look at it just to be on the safe side.

It’s also worth mentioning that the very best prices for Brookwood grandfather clocks are to be found online. The online stores don’t have high overheads like local stores and they have a larger market base, so they can get real excellent discounts on buying in bulk.

If you’re plotting to enhance your home with a Brookwood grandfather clock, I hope that I’ve helped you to get some thoughts about the best places to buy for a keen price and how to keep your lovely grandfather clock in mint condition.

The Brookwood Grandfather Clock – How to Care for It and Where to Get the Best Price

The Brookwood grandfather clock comes from a long tradition of fine clock-making in America, as long case clocks were the very first clocks to be really made in America for use in the home. Before 1680 all clocks were imported from Europe. The long case design for this ancient timepiece came about because of the need to house the long pendulum. In the early days the movements of grandfather clocks were made from wood and bronze.

We still like our grandfather clocks today and the Brookwood grandfather clock is a very authentic-looking copy of the original design. It is a splendid looking floor clock with a North American red oak case, which has a rich color and end to it. The case and full length door of the clock are crafted from 13/16″ thick red oak, to make it an elegant and sturdy piece of furniture which will last way into future generations of your family.

If you want to make an elegant traditional décor in your home, a Brookwood grandfather clock will set the mood perfectly. This magnificent clock has a 31 day cycle, so you only have to wind it up once a month. These clocks are usually about 6′ 4″ high and have a glass front which displays the attractive brass weights and pendulums. The very musical chimes strike on the hour and once on the half hour. If your Brookwood clock starts to gain or lose time, this is not a problem because all you need to do is to adjust the length of the pendulum and that’ll fix it.

Having spent a lot of money on a Brookwood grandfather clock, its care and maintenance will be very vital to you. Oiling and cleaning at regular intervals will keep your valuable timepiece running smoothly and increase its life. The oiling procedure is vital and you should not oil your clock without finding out exactly how to do it correctly. If you place oil in the incorrect places on the clock mechanism you could cause major problems. You only need to have a Brookwood grandfather clock oiled once every two – four years and get a professional clock repairer to give a full clean every five – eight years.

If before the scheduled service time you find that your Brookwood clock is having problems like the chimes sound slow or it’s not keeping the right time, first of all check that it is still standing on a perfectly level surface. I remember the case of a guy whose clock got infested by termites. The clock had a hollow space at the base and some termites had taken up residence! Houses that over time develop cracks in the foundations are vulnerable to termite infestation, so be aware of this, because they could hurt your Brookwood grandfather clock beyond repair. If your floor is level and the clock is still misbehaving, it’s a excellent thought to let a professional have a look at it just to be on the safe side.

It’s also worth mentioning that the very best prices for Brookwood grandfather clocks are to be found online. The online stores don’t have high overheads like local stores and they have a larger market base, so they can get real excellent discounts on buying in bulk.

If you’re plotting to enhance your home with a Brookwood grandfather clock, I hope that I’ve helped you to get some thoughts about the best places to buy for a keen price and how to keep your lovely grandfather clock in mint condition.

The lamp mimics a morning sunrise and it will reach full brightness at the alarm wake up time you have chosen. You can choose to wake up to the gradually brightening light or also set the alarm sounder which gradually increases in volume

• This innovative sunrise alarm clock has an imitation sunrise and sunset
• Sunrise wakes you up naturally Sunset gently relaxes you to sleep. Sunrise and sunset programmable between 15 and 90 minutes
• 7 day programmable alarm so you can set the clock to suit your personal waking pattern. Sunrise System makes your own lamp into a dimmable reading lamp no more hopping out of bed to switch lights on or off.
• 12 or 24 hour time show – Plain language text LCD for all programming functions – Optional alarm sounder volume fades up at alarm time
• Snooze function – Nightlight option, level fully adjustable – Security mode, burglar deterrent option lamp turns on and off at random times

Sunrise System SRS 100 – Dawn Simulator Sunrise Alarm Clock – Helps Alleviate The Symptoms of SAD

Natural alarm clocks were not my first choice when writing my holiday gift list to buy friends and relatives. In fact I had not thought about them at all. I am one of those fortunate people who have a metabolic alarm clock and can wake up at will. Many of my friends and relatives are not so lucky and complain of having to jump out of bed at the last minute to get to work on time.

Someone suggested that I give natural alarm clocks as gifts so I did a small research. When we sleep, we go through several stages.

Stage 1 is the drowsy stage and lasts only 5 – 10 minutes. Your eyes go slowly under your eyelids and muscle activity will slow down. You are easily awakened from this stage.

Stage 2 is Light Sleep. The eye movements stop, the heart rate slows down and body temperature decreases.

Stages 3 & 4 are Deep Sleep. In these stages you are hard to awaken, and if awakened at this time, you cannot adjust immediately and will often feel groggy or disoriented for some minutes. Deep sleep allows the brain to restore the energy that is expended during the waking hours. Blood flow to the brain decreases and is redirected towards the muscles to restore physical energy. Research has shown that immune functions will increase during deep sleep.

REM sleep is Dream Sleep – At about an hour to 90 minutes into the sleep cycle, we enter REM sleep. We may experience three to five REM episodes per night. REM sleep is associated with processing the emotions, relieving stress and retaining memories. Breathing becomes rapid, irregular and shallow and the heart rate increases.

Natural alarm clocks are designed to satisfy the sleepers need to wake up with a feeling of mental alertness and no drowsiness. It is much more beneficial to wake up between sleep cycles than in the middle of a sleep cycle.

When we awaken naturally the gradual daylight stimulates our brain to wrap up a sleep cycle instead of jolting us from the middle of a cycle.

To simulate the rising and setting of the sun, some Natural Alarm Clocks have a bedside lamp which helps one regain and maintain our body’s natural balance. When you awaken gradually and gently from sleep you feel refreshed from your night’s sleep.

Natural light alarm clocks are programmable and make use of a light source. Some time before you need to wake up a very small amount of light will start to shine in your bedroom. Over several minutes the natural light will gradually increase. This seems like a fantastic thought to wake up gradually to light rather than from jarring alarm.

Overall, my research suggests that the sleeper will feel refreshed and energized when they awake rather than startled and disturbed. By simulating dawn, natural alarm clocks establish a pattern of natural waking.

In conclusion, I have added several natural alarm clocks to my list of holiday gifts to buy.

Complementing the original Sunrise System 100 the SRS 150 will be especially welcomed by customers who delight in waking up with the SRS 100 because the SRS 150 adds sound and colour to the gentle Sunrise System wake up process.

Connect your own lamp to the SRS 150 and personalise the way you wak

• The only Dawn Sumulator with MP3, Radio, and multicolour show
• Adds sound and colour to the gentle sunrise system
• Helps those suffering from Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)
• Brilliant for shift workers
• Helps you wake up feeling more refreshed particularly on the dark winter mornings

NEW Sunrise System Natural Alarm Clock SRS 150 with MP3, Radio and Light

There are many natural light alarm clock reviews available on the internet and most of them share the same truth, that natural light alarm clocks are more efficient than the regular alarm clock.

The natural light alarm clock is ideal for those people who have problems waking up in the mornings and having the hard time for being always late for work as a result. There are many people out there who tend to place their regular alarm clocks out of reach so that it will force them out of bed to turn it off. But, doing this every morning can be quite annoying especially if your clock uses a jarring buzzer alarm. There are plenty of other thoughts out there but the natural light from these devices can be your best bet from various other solutions to this problem.

Different from our ancient ragtag clocks, a natural light alarm clock wakes you up using different sounds of nature, and a soothing daylight light that feels like it’s late in the morning and makes it much simpler for you to wake up. Also, not mentioned on any previous light natural alarm clock reviews is that the features of the clock can be easily modified depending on your personal taste. Some clocks even have other special features other than the usual light and sound.

The light of the clock is usually set on a default that turns on about 15 minutes before the natural sounds plays. It gradually increases its brightness step by step every 5 minutes until 30 minutes or so. After 30 minutes the final alarm will go off, it sounds more like a chime rather than a jarring sound, which is a very excellent thing. It helps you be more relax when you awake rather than being jump started by a traumatic buzzer sound.

You can also choose different nature sounds for your clock which can be set as your personalized alarm. The timing and volume of the natural light alarm clock can also be adjusted depending in which you are comfortable. Also mentioned on other natural alarm clock reviews is the availability of the snooze button. This snooze button gives you more sleeping time if ever the final alarm turns on. It usually has a default setting of 5 or 10 minutes, which can also be easily set at your own convenience.

In conclusion, these clocks are very efficient and reliable; you truly won’t regret it if you try one.

Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) is a type of winter depression affecting up to 2 million people in the UK.

Symptoms include Dep

• For much less than the price of an ordinary light box you can now also delight in the combined benefits of a Sunrise System Dawn Simulator – one of the most natural and stress free ways of waking with light.
• The Sunrise System Light Box (SRS 320) is packed full of functionality; not only is it lightweight and portable so that you can use it in any room, it has simple-to-use features which you can set to meet your own lifestyle requirements for waking and sleeping.
• Bright up to 10,000 Lux LED light box. Timer – when using the SRS 320 as a light box, the user can specify how long the light is on, from 10 – 90 minutes in 10 minute steps.Sunrise: This simulates a sunrise over a period of 0 (off), 15, 30, 45, 60, 75 or 90 minutes. Set to suit your preference.Sunset: simulates a sunset over a period of 15, 30, 45, 60, 75 or 90 minutes. Set to suit your preference.
• Lightweight and portable you can use the SRS 320 at work, at home, on holiday, in your caravan. You can take it on your travels it is supplied with 3 mains cables and a power supply – use it anywhere in the world. All functions of the Sunrise System 320 are indicated on the large backlit LCD show to clearly show the function being altered.
• Full seven day alarm is provided to allow the user to set different times (if desired) on the alarm for different days of the week. The factory programmed time for all seven days is 07:00am. VAT free for all S.A.D sufferers. Certificate will be automatically included.

Sunrise System SRS 320 2 in 1 Natural Light Alarm Clock plus SAD Lightbox

Medisana Light Alarm Clock (SAC)