A lot of people feel depressed in winter - but there's an easy way to fight those winter blues.

 

In the 1970s, an American engineer called Herb Kern noticed that in spring and summer he was happy and had a lot of energy, but every winter he became depressed and lazy. He thought it was because there wasn't much daylight in the winter and asked some scientists to make a light box. He put the box on his desk and after a few days he felt a lot better. In 1982 the scientists gave his illness a name - Seasonal Affective Disorder, or SAD.

 

People get SAD in autumn and winter, when the days are shorter and there is less daylight. It is more common in women than in men. Poeple with SAD usually sleep a lot and feel tired all the time. They also eat a lot of sweet food and feel depressed. In the UK about 5% of people have SAD and it is common in other cou8ntries like the USA, Sweden and Ireland. The best treatment for this illness is bright light. People with SAD should use a light box for half an hour or a day. Or you can go on holiday to a sunny country, of course!

 

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1. What happened to Herb Kern in winter?

 

2. What did some scientists make for him?

 

3. Why do people get SAD?

 

4. Do men get SAD more than omen?

 

5. How do you know if people have SAD?