Has anyone tried a light box/light therapy to regulate sleeping hours?

[Revived1]

Hi all. I'm wondering if anyone has tried light therapy to help wake up in the morning, or for Seasonal Affective Disorder, for that matter...I think it's the same sort of light used in both... and if it's worked for you.
I saw my sleep doctor today, and he confirmed that I have Non-24-Hour Sleep-Wake Disorder, but there are a few things I can try to hopefully bring it under control. Along with some other things, he said for me to spend the first half hour after I wake up in the sun. It's winter here now, and I can't see myself sitting outside in the morning...assuming I actually wake up "in the morning" instead of the afternoon. Either way, he said it will take a while to get my sleeping habits on track, but I don't mind that if there is light at the end of the tunnel. Pun not intended.
Anyway, it seems as though light boxes and things like that aren't too easy to find here in Australia, but if they work, I'd somehow find one. Anyone have any experience with them, and if so, did you find them helpful?
Thanks.

[Julie]

A funny thing happened a couple of yrs ago... I was not conscious of having a problem with SAD, but living with long winters here was not much fun.

I set up a low table with a hanging 'plant light' for some succulents and it's not far at all from where I normally sit to watch TV, etc.

Well, a while after fixing the 4' long fluorescent bulb-in-a-holder (plugs into the wall and is about at eye level a few feet to one side and the front) I began to feel pretty good considering problems I normally felt down about, and suddenly realized that the plant light (whatever the technical amount of light it put out) was doing a great job at making me feel better, to the point that I tested it out on a few mornings and found it really did make a difference!

So, if anyone else needs a quick (and relatively inexpensive) fix for SAD, maybe try my plant light and see if it helps to brighten things up for you!

[ChicagoGranny]

it seems as though light boxes and things like that aren't too easy to find here in Australia

Check out this one - https://www.amazon.com.au/TheraLite-Lig ... B074C6Z82Y

Reasonably priced. It gets 4.3 of 5.0 stars. Read some of the positive reviews. I tend to discount the few negative reviews - probably sleep-deprived grumps.

Light therapy really does work for many people. Mayo Clinic is a reputable source - https://www.mayoclinic.org/tests-proced ... c-20384604

[chunkyfrog]

I like the plant light idea, and they do work--think Ott lights
Full spectrum lights are excellent for sewing, reading, and hobbies.
Way less expensive, and a multi-tasker, too.
Often the bulbs/tubes are available, and can be used in an existing fixture.
The intensity is more comfortable, and can be used for longer periods of time.

[zonker]

someone here HAS, but i'll be damned if i can remember their name.

either oldreadhead or nicholas(can't remember trailing numbers on user name).

maybe whoever it is will stumble by.

i read a book recommended by said user. while i was intrigued by the notion, i didn't want to go through all the steps involved. but then, i'm a fairly lazy person!

good luck.

[colomom]

My son uses a light box to treat a circadian rhythm disorder, for him it has been a game changer. You should be able to find a lightbox on Amazon. You want a light that filters out UV light, gives off white light, and is 10,000 Lux at one foot away (you want to be able to sit at least a foot away from the light). Lightboxes have a screen that filters out UV, I would recommend against using a plant light or other florescent light because long term usage could cause damage to your eyes.
Here is a website with good info on the kind of light you should get:
https://cet.org/light-therapy/
Timing and regularity of use are extremely important, be sure use the light at the same time every morning. Keep a regular sleep schedule, go to bed and wake up at the same time every day. It is also important to limit your light exposure for a couple of hours before bed. Dim the lights in your house and try not to use computers, phones, and TVs.
Good luck!

[Julie]

This is what I have (tho' hanging fixture is newer and doesn't have the little side shields for the bulb that mine has) -

https://www.hydrofarm.com/p/category-fl ... ly/js10059

https://www.hydrofarm.com/p/category-fl ... mer/jsfs2t

And it's all on a 4' x ? 18" table.

[chunkyfrog]

I use Ott lights, which are intended for continuous work.
I would imagine they are safer than plant lights.

[zonker]

Timing and regularity of use are extremely important, be sure use the light at the same time every morning. Keep a regular sleep schedule, go to bed and wake up at the same time every day. It is also important to limit your light exposure for a couple of hours before bed. Dim the lights in your house and try not to use computers, phones, and TVs.
Good luck!

this is pretty much why i didn't pursue it.

i'm not saying it doesn't work. i'm sure it does. but i don't have it in me(right now) to devote the time and energy to it.

[colomom]

this is pretty much why i didn't pursue it.

i'm not saying it doesn't work. i'm sure it does. but i don't have it in me(right now) to devote the time and energy to it.

My suggestions to OP are best practices, don't let perfection get in the way of progress. It's not as complex and difficult as it may seem. Our circadian rythm is controlled in our brains in the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) located in hypothalamus. A pathway runs from our eyes to the SCN, and light is one the the main cues our biological clocks rely on. Light is critical to our circadian rhythm, but our biology is built around the natural world's sun cycles. When light diminishes processes such as melatonin production that prepare us for sleep are triggered in our bodies. Likewise the light of the morning sun triggers processes in our bodies that promote wakefulness. Our modern lifestyles in which most of us spend our days holed up inside with no exposure to sunlight, then spend our evenings flooded with artificial lights is contrary to our biology, it's no wonder most people are chronically tired.
A simple way to improve sleep is simply to maximize light/ sun exposure in the morning/daytime and limit light exposure as much as possible at night. The type of light at night also matters. Many of us have blue light filters we use on electronic devices at night, CFB and LED light bulbs also emit lots of the blue light that wakes us up. It's less environmentally friendly, but in bedrooms I use incandescent light bulbs which give off a softer more diffuse light.

Keeping as regular of a sleep schedule as possible is also an easy way to help keep your circadian rhythm in line. Most of us dread the jet lag that comes with traveling across multiple time zones, but many of us effectively jet lag ourselves by dramatically changing our sleep schedules on weekends.

[Revived1]

Thank you all very much for the answers. I've had a good look through all the links, and at the Ott lights, too, Froggy, and there are a lot of great products and info. there. Much appreciated. I will definitely be getting a light box, based on the answers here.

Timing and regularity of use are extremely important, be sure use the light at the same time every morning. Keep a regular sleep schedule, go to bed and wake up at the same time every day. It is also important to limit your light exposure for a couple of hours before bed. Dim the lights in your house and try not to use computers, phones, and TVs.

This is pretty much what my doctor said to do, along with taking some Melatonin at 6pm. I'm with Zonker in thinking that I mightn't have the dedication for it, though! ...but I don't want to have a crazy sleep-schedule forever, either. I am actually VERY relieved that my doctor had some ideas to try to fix the problem, as I was under the impression that I was going to be stuck with this thing for life. I came to that conclusion after he told me, the first time I saw him, that he didn't recommend any sleeping tablets. I'd always taken a lot of sleeping med. to try to keep my sleeping routine on track. He thinks I have a body clock that's closer to 25 hours than 24, so the time I get tired each day keeps moving forwards.
So, the idea is that I take the Melatonin at 6pm, then sit in subdued light, (wearing orange glasses ), which I'm doing as I sit here right now, with the lights off . He thinks, over a period of time, that we'll be able to get my sleep time back to midnight fairly consistently, although I'm not counting my chickens yet. I do hope it works, though. I know I'm going to find it hard to sit in the dark from 6pm every night. I'm so used to going to bed late....ridiculously late....that it's going to take some getting used to, but I'll give it a good go and see how things end up.

Thank again, everyone, for the answers. A lot of very helpful info. there.

[zonker]

Thank again, everyone, for the answers. A lot of very helpful info. there.

please keep us updated!

[fmj13]

Yes, I use a SunSation lightbox every weekday morning for 15-30 minutes, it helps me wake up.

[ChicagoGranny]

Yes, I use a SunSation lightbox every weekday morning for 15-30 minutes, it helps me wake up.

I realize it will vary per individual, but are the results dramatic for you.

[Revived1]

Yes, I use a SunSation lightbox every weekday morning for 15-30 minutes, it helps me wake up.

Great to hear. Anything that helps me wake up is a welcome addition to my life.