As people get older, they need more sunlight. Their eyes are aging, too, and they can’t see as well. Age causes shrinking of pupils and a thickening of the lenses of the eyes, so there’s a diminished amount of light that reaches the back of the eye. That isn’t something that a lot of older people notice – their world still seems bright – but it’s still a fact of life for them. Another issue is that they might be more likely to suffer from depression, especially if they don’t have a lot of friends or family members left around them. Between those issues and the fact that artificial lighting costs them money that they can’t really afford in many cases, sunlight is a great option.

If you find that you feel depressed when the lighting is low or when it’s cloudy a lot, you might have SAD, and you could benefit from light therapy. If you’re building a house or looking to buy one, look for a lot of windows. Let in all of the light you can, no matter what your age. It might become a little more important to you as you get older, but younger people can suffer from SAD, as well. Because of that they can also benefit from light therapy. Anyone suffering from SAD when they are younger should pay close attention to their light needs as they age.

When you’re diagnosed with SAD, or Seasonal Affective Disorder, it can be a relief – at least you know what the problem is. Unfortunately, that indicates that something’s wrong and you have to find a way to deal with it and treat it. Some people take medication and other people use light therapy. Some do both. There are also people who move to a sunnier climate, especially if they live in a place that’s typically considered cloudy and rainy, such as the Pacific Northwest. While there are plenty of people who love that kind of weather, there are many more who don’t care much for it and who feel as though they can’t cope with all of those gray days.

They start to feel depressed, sad, and lonely, and they have trouble with the low-light conditions that persist, sometimes for days or weeks on end, in certain areas of the country. The winter months are usually the problem months for people with SAD, as summers are often much sunnier and people can be out more, enjoying life and bright light. They can also spend more time with their family members and their friends, so that helps to keep problems like depression at bay. If you’ve been diagnosed with SAD, light therapy and/or medication can help you live a more normal life again. You don’t have to feel depressed and drag through the winter months.

How old you are could have a lot to do with not only how much sleep you need but also with when you get that sleep. Some people stay up late and sleep in, and other people are in bed early and get up early. Others seem to need more sleep no matter what time they go to bed. Circadian rhythm is the name that’s given to when you sleep and when you’re awake, and it varies with age somewhat. Babies sleep almost all the time, older people seem to sleep less, but little children often wake up early and teenagers have to be coerced to get out of bed before noon in many cases. In middle age, most people seem to go to bed early and get up early, but that’s not completely because they want to. It’s often because they work and have no choice.

If you find as you get older that your sleep pattern changes, you shouldn’t automatically assume that there’s a problem. As long as you’re otherwise healthy and you’re getting adequate sleep, it could just be your circadian rhythm changing because of age. That’s normal for a lot of people, so don’t let it worry you. Everyone’s bodies go through various types of changes as they age, and most of those changes aren’t specific to them, they have to do with normal and expected aging.

A lot of people are sensitive to light. They may squint when they go outside, and they may get headaches when they go to places that have a lot of bright, fluorescent lights, like some of the larger chain retail stores. Migraine sufferers are generally sensitive to light, and too much light can actually trigger a migraine, just like too much noise can. Even if you don’t have migraines, light sensitivity can be a problem for you. If you wear contact lenses or you’ve had LASIK surgery, there’s a good chance that your eyes are more sensitive to light and you might wear sunglasses even when it’s cloudier outside. What doesn’t bother most people might leave you squinting and blinking.

Medications can also make you sensitive to light. Not everyone will have that problem, but there are a lot of medications that say to stay out of the sunlight. You can burn more easily, and it might stop your medication from being as effective. Other people have light sensitivity problems like SAD, where they need more light. If they live in a place where it’s cloudy quite often they may struggle with that and may feel bad because they get depressed in low-light conditions. Usually, a special light can help with this kind of problem, and some people are given medication for it. Anyone getting depressed when it’s cloudy or dreary a lot should see his doctor, because help is out there.