Spring might be in the air, but the short days and long nights are still getting many of us a little down.  According to research, nearly a third of us in the UK suffer from SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder). However, many spas offer solutions to help carry us through to lighter days, including Rudding Park.

Rudding Park is an exceptional spa hotel in Harrogate, known for its luxurious credentials and exemplary facilities.  Now it has extended its offering with the addition of a Sunlight Therapy Room.

Designed to counterbalance SAD by giving guests a healthy dose of winter sunshine, the Sunlight Therapy Room offers safe sun exposure from ‘sunlight simulators’.  These mimic natural sun rays whilst filtering out harmful UV rays. Guests simply relax on heated, sculpted loungers beneath these simulators for 20 minutes to reap a host of benefits.  These include reduced symptoms of SAD such as sounder sleep, increase in energy, reduction in aches and pains and a boost in vitamin D production.

Following the Sunlight Therapy Session guests are encouraged to try the Roof Top Spa’s thermal and hydrotherapy experiences.  These include the outdoor hydrotherapy infinity pool and spa bath.

Other spa treatments for SAD

Other spa destinations have also delivered highly valued treatments and experiences for countering SAD.  Donnington Valley has has great success with their Aqua Sun Mineral Treatment. It sees guests relax in a bath of 21 minerals from the Dead Sea under a UV canopy.

The Sun Meadow at K West Hotel and Spa in London is a gentle approach to relaxing and unwinding to the sounds of birdsong while UV lights deliver light therapy.  Equally, The Beach Hut at Three Horseshoes Country Inn and Spa offers an experience which replicates taking in the sun on the beach complete with a bed of sand.

Furthermore, the nutritional knowledge of destinations including Lifehouse Spa Hotel and Grayshott Spa, are well positioned to help guests use diet to counter the common effects of SAD.  These frequently include low mood, irritability, weight gain and difficulty waking up.