How light deprivation, disrupted routines, and severe winter weather are impacting mental health across all ages
LAS VEGAS, NV, UNITED STATES, January 26, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ — Mental health professionals across the U.S. are sounding the alarm as winter depression reaches what many describe as crisis levels, now compounded by a major winter storm system expected to impact millions nationwide. Once considered an adult-only concern, Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) is increasingly affecting children and teenagers as well, driven by prolonged darkness, indoor-heavy routines, and constant screen exposure, conditions that intensify when severe winter weather keeps families indoors for extended periods.
As storms disrupt daily routines, close schools, and further limit outdoor exposure, daylight becomes even more scarce. School days move indoors earlier, homework shifts to digital devices, and daylight hours continue to disappear. As a result, both young people and adults are spending even less time exposed to the bright light their brains rely on to regulate mood, focus, energy, and sleep cycles. The outcome is a widespread rise in fatigue, irritability, brain fog, low motivation, and emotional withdrawal, symptoms often misunderstood as behavioral or lifestyle issues rather than biological ones.
Experts are increasingly pointing to a common and overlooked root cause: light deprivation.
In response, bright light therapy is gaining recognition as a front-line, non-medication option for managing seasonal mood changes, particularly during periods of extreme winter weather. Alaska Northern Lights, a leader in light therapy solutions, reports growing adoption among parents, educators, and adults seeking preventative support during fall and winter months when outdoor light exposure is limited or disrupted entirely.
“We’ve built a society that’s constantly stimulated but chronically light-deprived,” said Cort Christie, founder of Alaska Northern Lights. “Light is not optional, it’s a biological requirement. When people, especially kids, don’t get enough proper light, their internal clocks fall out of sync, and mood regulation suffers. Light therapy isn’t a trend. It’s preventative mental health.”
As awareness grows, many professionals are now recommending light therapy alongside lifestyle adjustments as an early step for addressing seasonal depression, particularly during extended indoor periods caused by winter storms.
Unlike short-term wellness trends, Alaska Northern Lights’ light therapy devices are engineered to deliver medically recommended brightness levels safely for consistent daily use when used as directed.
In a screen-first world where winter storms increasingly confine daily life indoors, restoring access to proper light may be one of the simplest, and most overlooked, mental health interventions available. Alaska Northern Lights is urging parents, schools, individuals, and healthcare professionals to rethink seasonal depression support, shifting away from reactive treatment and toward proactive, biology-based care.
Jagger Rosenfeld
Alaska Northern Lights
+1 800-880-6953
email us here
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