Can Windows Help You to Avoid Being SAD?
Monday, August 18th, 2008Why so SAD?
In the last article, I mentioned that, by putting a bit of thought into the positioning of your windows and doors, you can maximise the light levels in your home. And, as most people are aware by now, there is a strong link between increased levels of natural light and improvement in both physical and emotional health.
Sunlight is vital for your body to make good use of its Vitamin D stores, the vitamin responsible for strong bones. Lack of Vitamin D in adults can also lead to muscle weakness.
As far as emotional health is concerned, well, there aren’t many people around who haven’t now heard of Seasonal Affective Disorder or SAD. The symptoms of SAD are caused by a chemical imbalance in the brain due to lack of natural sunlight. The disorder usually happens in the winter, because the shortened days affect the hypothalamus of the brain. The first line of treatment is to have light therapy by sitting in front of special lamps for a short period each day, and some folk need the extra support of anti-depressant medication for a while.
Wouldn’t it be preferable to avoid the disorder as much as is possible by ensuring that you don’t get it in the first place?
Did You Get Out Your Compass?
By clever placement of your windows, you can maximise the amount of light that floods into your home. Obviously, this is only possible in a new build or as part of a large reconstruction job, but it is possible.
As you might expect, south facing windows provide lots of direct daylight all day long, and north facing windows provide shaded light. But its not only south facing windows that do the trick - east and west facing windows also allow in lots of daylight, with less direct rays either in the morning or evening. East facing windows are best for helping you to balance your day/night rhythms.
Other window-ways of increasing the amount of natural daylight coming into your home include: putting in patio doors or French windows; putting in a skylight (particularly useful in internal rooms that have no natural light at all); replacing your current windows and doors with larger versions.
If these changes, however large a job they might be, can help you to avoid being SAD, they’re surely worth consideration?
If you are considering installing light therapy |(that’s windows!) take a look at our home page where you will find a double glazing site with ethics!