Knowing For Sure Whether You're A "Morning Person" Or An "Evening Person"

The Center for Environmental Therapeutics has developed simple, online tests for "morningness" and "eveningness," available in 15 languages, that can help you determine whether you need an earlier dawn, meaning you will respond best to light therapy in the morning--or a later dusk, meaning you will respond best to light therapy in the evening.

However, there is no single best time for going to bed, using light therapy, or taking melatonin in order to get to sleep that works for every "owl" or every "lark." The online tool can help you find a more precise time for using light therapy, to help you wake up, or taking melatonin, to help you get to sleep. This test can also help you choose the right time of day for meals so you can more easily control your appetite.

Do You Need to See a Doctor?

Similarly, some cases of seasonal affective disorder can be self-managed by getting more light at the right time and taking 1 to 3 mg of a melatonin supplement 1-1/2 to 2 hours before you intend to go to sleep. Other cases may require medical intervention.

• Withdrawal (partial or total) from social interaction.

• Loss of interest (partial or total) in sex.

• Losing weight because of lack of appetite, or

• Binging on sugar or alcohol to deal with depression.

• Taking more than 30 minutes to fall asleep.

• Waking up early in the morning, before your chosen wake up time, especially if not able to get back to sleep.

• Sleeping 1 or more hours than normal.

• Feeling of heaviness in the arms and legs.

• Backaches or muscle aches.

• "Putting yourself down," loss of normal self esteem.

• Thoughts about dying, thoughts that life is not worth living, thoughts about ending your life. (If you are thinking of ending your life, please see a medical professional right now.)

• Worrying about your physical health.

• Worrying about your mental health.

• One of more of the following: abdominal cramps, belching, diarrhea, dry mouth, frequent urination, headaches, heart palpitations, hiccups, hyperventilation, involuntary sighing, unusual sweating.

• Slowed movements.

• Slurred speech.

• Fidgeting.

• Feeling tired in the afternoon or early evening.

If light therapy and melatonin do not work, then it may be a good idea to see a doctor. The Center for Environmental Therapeutics also has an online assessment tool that you can use to track your progress after you start treatment, whether self-treatment or medical prescriptions. Links to their website are posted below.

Read More: What depression does to a person?

Seasonal Affective Disorder Can Occur in Summer, Too

While the winter blues get more attention, "summer blues" can cause many of the same problems, but due to too little melatonin, not too much. Summer SAD is more likely to cause insomnia than sleepiness, and more likely to cause loss of appetite than weight gain. Treatment of summer seasonal affective disorder usually requires use of light-blocking curtains or sleeping masks.