It's that time of year (though maybe for the last time).

After a summer of basking in sunlight and enjoying late sunsets, the end of Daylight Saving Time has come. With the clocks falling back an hour earlier this month, we have been pondering how the limited daylight changes our wellness routines.

If you're like us, you dread the end of DST - it's already getting cold, must darkness be added to the equation? It makes getting out of bed harder, and staying out past 8pm seem heroic. The winter not only puts a damper on our social lives, but can impact our fitness and diet.

During the winter, we tend to get less sunshine, a major provider of Vitamin D and a serotonin booster. Without it, not only can we lose that pep in our step, but also find ourselves experiencing more fatigue.

Feel like you need more sleep in the winter? Don't worry, you're not alone.

It's not just that it's harder to get out of your warm bed - winter tiredness is real! Just as sunlight lets the brain know that it's time to be awake, when it's dark, the brain releases melatonin to promote sleep. This can cause drowsiness throughout the day which can actually make falling asleep at night more difficult - a lose-lose situation.

Winter also has us craving our comfort foods. We ditch the salads and ceviche, opting for heavier (and warmer) meals during wintertime. As we take comfort in fattier foods and more sugar, this translates to lower energy and further disrupted sleep.

It's always a struggle to stay as active in the winter months but, this year, we have a few ideas to keep us moving:

• Hot Yoga - we can warm up our bones more than a toasty class. Raising your body temperature also helps you burn calories as your body works to cool you back down.

• Sun simulator lamp - attempting to provide the same benefits without the harmful UV rays? We'll give it a shot.

• Soups + Stews a plenty - it can be easy to get into poor diet habits during winter, however soups + stews can be healthy, hydrating, and meet our comfort food need while also being filling.

• Scheduling DEXAs for the start and end of the season - help us stay accountable and hopefully make the transition back to our beach body easier.

For some people, the move to the darker seasons can have a big impact on mental health. Seasonal Affective Disorder is a type of depression brought on by the change of seasons. It was previously dismissed as the 'winter blues' but is now known to affect at least 5% of the population. It is recommended that those who believe they may be suffering from seasonal depression seek help from a doctor or specialist.

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