Seasonal Effective Disorder and Melatonin

Night shift workers are 40% more likely to develop depression than daytime workers. The shorter days during the winter months confuse our body clock and lead to many of those symptoms that we've discussed. Another major reason behind the existence and occurrence of this disorder is the production and the release of melatonin. Melatonin is a naturally produced hormone that our brain releases in response to darkness which helps us sleep.