A sunny getaway can make your SAD worse

Traveling to a sunny destination in late winter can temporarily improve SAD symptoms, but the rebound when you return often hits harder.

Here’s what happens: Your brain finally gets the bright light it’s been craving, so your mood lifts, energy returns, sleep normalizes. Feels great. But then you come back to gray skies and short days, and the contrast is brutal. On top of that, jet lag from crossing time zones messes with your circadian rhythm, which is already fragile in late winter. The combination of abrupt light loss and a disrupted body clock can trigger a crash that’s worse than if you had stayed put.

The rebound isn’t inevitable. You can soften it by prepping before you leave and managing your return. Before your trip, start shifting your sleep schedule by 15-30 minutes a day toward your destination time zone. While you’re in the sun, don’t overdo it — a few hours of morning light is enough. You don’t need to bake all day. When you get back, use a light therapy box immediately, ideally within 30 minutes of waking, and keep using it for at least a week. Also consider taking a low dose of melatonin (0.5-1 mg) a few hours before your target bedtime for 3-5 nights after returning.

Plan your return like you plan your departure.