Light Therapy for Winter Blues?

After 42 years, my wife is still trying to re-invent me into her perfect man. OK, so I get grumpy(ier) and blue in the winter, winter sucks so get used to it! Now she wants to buy me a goLite BLU 2 from Costco and sit me down in front of it every day. The ad says 15 minutes a day but I'll bet it takes a lot more than that.

Does anybody use one of these now and how does it work for you?

Just been there done that.

Here are the responses to my question about S.A.D. from just a few weeks ago: viewtopic.php?f=1&t=36195&p=312902#p312760
(Try full spectrum lights around the house)

I brought light therapy up with my psychotherapist this week and she said that spending 15-30 minutes outside during the day will do more good than 15 minutes in front of a light box. Supposedly even being outside when it's cloudy is more efficient and beneficial than a low-end light box.

Several years ago, we had my 90 year old aunt living with us and she really was struggling with what the doctor called "sundown syndrome" We purchased a huge $1700 light box on a rolling stand. We didn't find it to be effective. The instructions were to keep her face no more than a foot (I think) away from the light with her eyes fully opened. That was hard to do. Perhaps it would have been better for another person, but it just didn't get the job done for her. That box now sits down in the basement. Natural light will be more useful anytime.

echo wrote: Just been there done that.

Here are the responses to my question about S.A.D. from just a few weeks ago: viewtopic.php?f=1&t=36195&p=312902#p312760
(Try full spectrum lights around the house)

I searched "light therapy" without results (thought I get thousands of hits searching "SAD"). After reading your thread I recall seeing the topic and not going inside. I will look into replacing lights, if they make them in the compact florescent (CF) it's easy. Since I spend hours per day on the computer I may even OD on it. Hey, if I (un)dress right I should get a nice tan for the winter. Then will I have HAPPY instead of SAD?

OldLincoln wrote:Hey, if I (un)dress right I should get a nice tan for the winter. Then will I have HAPPY instead of SAD?

Let us know

BWT I haven't yet gotten around to the full spectrum lights thing. From what I found online, you need to get a light with min 5500K temperature and CRI (color rendering index) of min 9.0. Then there was some literature on another (new) index that rates how full spectrum it actually is. I went shopping for these types of lights here last weekend, didn't find a single one that fit the bill.
I bought a plant light in the end (for an acquarium), (and no specs were listed but it did seem to span most of the spectrum, ~350nm to 700+ nm wavelengths), but the light was purplish and it wasn't very bright. I ended up using the other one i bought - a 4000K 30W (fluorescent) bathroom light. It gives good light but I don't think it's the "full spectrum" kind. They also had a reptile light with a 10,000K temperature, but I thought that was overkill, plus it didn't cover the full spectrum. I'm stumped, to be honest. I'm not sure if it's all commercial nonsense (none of the published studies were conclusive), but on the other hand there is plenty of anecdotal evidence to suggest it works. As we all know published studies have their own flaws ...

I agree with fortomorrow's doc - the key is really to get outside as much as possible, especially in the morning hours just after waking.

I think some sort of physical exercise would be
more beneficial. Something to get your heart rate up,
and get a good endorphin buzz going.
That will always chase the blues away.

I do it w/my bike on a stationary trainer,
simple floor exercises and yoga.

OK, now I'm doing my homework thing.... I had to share the following with a snicker. It'd from the Society for Light Treatment and Biological Rhythms and found here.
=========
Are there any side effects [to light therapy]?
The most dramatic side effect, and one that occurs infrequently, is a switch from the lethargic state to an over-active state in which one may have difficulty getting a normal amount of sleep, become restless - even reckless - and be unable to slow down, feel irritable, or subjectively speedy and "too high". This state is called hypomania, when milder, and mania when more severe. People who have previously experienced these states in late spring or summer are particularly vulnerable. In such cases, the guidance of a clinician skilled in the use of light therapy is important. For example, the dose of light should be reduced, and other treatments may be required.
=========
Where do I sign up?!! I could use some of that about now and it's a long time till Spring.

OldLincoln wrote:Are there any side effects [to light therapy]?
The most dramatic side effect, and one that occurs infrequently, is a switch from the lethargic state to an over-active state in which one may have difficulty getting a normal amount of sleep, become restless - even reckless - and be unable to slow down, feel irritable, or subjectively speedy and "too high".

We only WISH we could get into this state
Good find OL

I live in Canada and find that from mid November until about the end of March, light therapy helps me. It is dark when I get up in the morning. I use the light therapy for 15 to 20 minutes (only in the morning). It helps my mood and my energy level during the winter months here in Canada. No side effects. I'm not bouncing off the walls or anything - just feel better.

I use a portable one - It's from "Apollo Health" and is called the "goLITE". I've used it for a couple of years.

I have one of those little -go-Lites (by Apollo) as an alarm. It plays a pleasant little jingle and then the blue lights come on. You don't look right at it, but do need to keep your eyes open. It stays on for 15 minutes while I struggle to stay awake. I have not had any of the above mentioned side effects Then I have two other alarms that mostly wake up any one sleeping up a floor and on the other side of the house. I guess we don't know if they work until we try them.

Bev

Edit: Hawthorne, we were writing at the same time

I don't use mine as an alarm, Bev. I get up before I use mine, using it will I check my emails on the computer. It's at an angle just about 2-3 feet from me. You're right. You should not look directly at it but your eyes need to be open.

I agree, you don't know if they will be useful to you unless you try them. I just know I am much more productive during the day with it, in the darker winter months. It doesn't interfere with my nightime sleep in any way. I suppose if I used it later in the day it might.

I too suffer from SAD and have done a lot of reading on it. It looks like there is a narrow band of blue light that is the most
potient, some lights using banks of blue leds exploit this effect these are the ones talking about using for 15min a day. Well
these seem to work for people ~40 years old and younger but arn't as effective for the over 40 croud. For me it takes 4 or more hours to have any effect. There is an article at the Mayo Clinic websight about getting good results using large doses of vitimin D.

I guess it is an individual thing because I am well over 40 (69 to be exact) and the 15 to 20 minutes each morning works for me. The band of light on mine would be about 2 1/2" by 4 1/2" at source.

I do, however, also take 1000 IUs of Vit D every day as well.

Light therapy helps to control your body's clock and has been proven to be more effective than drugs in treating winter depression.

In order to be effective the light has to be *bright*. It's a hard to tell just how bright light actually is with your eyes alone due to the fact that the eye blocks more and more light as it gets brighter. 500 lux is considered proper illumination for office work. 10,000 lux is the amount of light that you get when you step outdoors on a bright day. Light levels of 10,000 lux are what is considered theraputic.

In order for it to be effective you need to get the light early in the day. A dose of 20-30 minutes is usually sufficient. Sensitivity to light varies. The sooner after awakening you get into the light, the more impact it will have. As you move towards the middle of the day it has no effect, and as you approach night time bright light will make the condition worse.

If you start waking up too early, then you need to cut back the dose. Spend less time exposed to light or do it later in the morning.

A walk taken early in the day works very well and has the added benefit of exercise. Wear a hat to shield out the light from the higher part of the sky but no sunglasses, they will cut down the dose to an ineffective level.

If weather or other reasons make early exercise impractical you can use one of the 10,000 lux light boxes. This company makes a good box at a reasonable price:

http://www.alaskanorthernlights.com/

Follow the instructions, the amount of light you get drops off rapidly as you move away from the box. Just turning it on in the same room will do nothing for you, you have to use it according to the instructions. One of the benefits of going outside is that if the weather is good you will get 10,000 lux no matter which way you turn. With the light box you have to be in front of it at the right distance to get enough light.

The smaller LED based units that put out only blue light have become popular but there is much less information on their effectiveness. Many people do report good results and they are certainly more convenient. The studies for the big boxes are numerous and provide good proof of their effectiveness.

Using full spectrum bulbs around the house is ineffective. They are not nearly bright enough to reset the body clock.