Saturday Mundane

Saturday I overslept. I hope my swimming instructor hasn’t given up on me.

This is a difficult time of year for me concerning sleep and rest. I have Seasonal Affective Disorder. For those who don’t know, it is a kind of advanced form of the winter blues.

It first appeared after I moved to Arizona for college. I believe the radical change in sunlight brought it on for me (but thats just speculation). Being in a sun state, I reported only a vague tiredness during one winter, and my physician there had no diagnosis. He recommended L-Tryptophan, just to see what it would do (I did NOT take any).

But upon return to The State, it hit me with full force. The first time I saw my GP, we agreed it was just readjusting to new situations, etc. The second winter I went in, we tried Prozac. I listened, but it didn’t say anything helpful.

During the summer following, I was working on a typesetting project for the local Alliance for the Mentally Ill. When I came to the text on SAD, I read with great interest and awareness. When the symptoms appeared again the following winter, I was ready. I had a name for the face that came out of me.

Today, with the help of a slight diet adjustment, I handle my SAD by simply acknowledging my seasonal depression, and not letting the fact of it get me down also. I sleep more in winter, and my friends understand that my social energy is greatly diminished. I get through.

As to the cycle: for me, I can tell when the days start getting shorter. Within one week of that, I will usually tell someone “I can feel it”. The period from Thanksgiving on is “full onset” for me. The week between Christmas and New Years is the most difficult. I need to sleep 10-12 hours per day during that period.

In any case, by Easter, I am usually running at full steam again.

The funny part is right now. The days are getting longer, and there is “more sun”. I feel fully energized on a sunny day. The trouble is, I have no personal stores. If I am not careful, I will spend all the new energy completely. Then I have nothing for cloudy days, or days where I need the extra personal energy for social engagements, etc.

What I must remember to do, is not push myself as hard as I feel I can. I need to remember to recharge myself. Or, I will drag this deficit of personal energy for months!

So, what happened today is that I was up late on the computer Friday night. I felt fine, and went to bed when I was tired. But Saturday, my brain ordered my body to sleep in extra late.

It obeyed! (grin, sigh) Unfortunately, it means I overslept swim lessons at the YW, and also got to my office late to do some work-ahead work.

After I left work, I went out to the Club, to help do some cleanup work outside, then stayed for a Club sauna. I left around 8:30, and grabbed Taco Bell on the way back home. I watched some tv, before going to bed early.

The weather was cold, clear. Except for my car, it was pretty much a typical Saturday. Not overly exciting…