Seasonal Affective Disorder: What Can Replacement Windows Do To Help

It’s that time of year again: winter’s gray skies are here, coupled with the early arrival of nightfall. Plummeting temperatures don’t help matters much. Many people find themselves in a down or depressed mood at this time of the year, and for a select few the depression becomes so bad that it becomes something else entirely: seasonal affective disorder.

Seasonal affective disorder is a serious condition that may require hospitalization. It’s symptoms mirror those of clinical depression. Whether you’re experiencing season affective disorder or a milder, seasonal depression, light therapy may help.

One of the most popular and effective treatments for seasonal affective disorder and related milder seasonal depressions is exposure to what’s known as full spectrum lighting. Full spectrum lighting mimics natural sunlight. As a rule of thumb, the more exposure one has to natural sunlight, the more relief from seasonal affective disorder symptom one experiences.

This is where replacement windows come in. Many homeowners keep the draperies closed in winter, in an effort to keep heat from leaching out through leaky, single pane windows. Draperies do keep the heat in — but they keep the light out.

Installing home replacement windows, especially those featuring triple pane glass and insulating gas pockets, allows the homeowner to slide those drapes out of the way and let the light shine in. Let the beneficial, natural sunlight fill your home or office, bathing you in the best possible light. Replacement windows let the light in while keeping the cold air, drafts, and moisture outside. Vinyl replacement windows, fiberglass replacement windows, and wood replacement windows all allow you to enjoy the comfort of your warm living environment, and the healing, mood restoring natural light.

Particularly effective for many seasonal affective disorder sufferers has been what’s known as dawn stimulation. This is exposing yourself to the changing light of the sunrise, which subtly resets the body’s responses.

Leaving the bedroom drapes open to let the morning light in is a good idea — but only if you have a good replacement window to stop those cold winter breezes from sneaking into your living space and creating frigid drafts in your bedroom! Vinyl replacement windows play a pivotal role in maintaining the building envelope and preventing air penetration.

There’s more than the glass to consider when selecting replacement windows. Cold air penetration often occurs at points in or surrounding the frame. Rigid new vinyl replacement windows offer superior framing, virtually eliminating all air penetration points. This is critical to maintaining a warm bedroom. You can lie in comfort while enjoying dawn’s early light.

Obviously, seasonal affective disorder is a serious condition and should be treated with the advice and supervision of your health care provider. However, most health care providers and experts on this condition agree that maximum exposure to natural lighting is one of the best things you can do to alleviate the worst symptoms of seasonal affective disorder. Replacement windows allow you to enjoy natural lighting and a warm comfortable environment at the same time.