| How many of us have not turned our faces toward a nice afternoon sun
in the depths of the gray winter months seeking what little light that
can be gained? We often leave lights on throughout our homes or even head
south to a nice tropical location mid-winter, anything to get away and
get a little more light. For many people, this need for light can take
on an even greater significance by treating "winter blues" or the potentially
debilitating symptoms of a type of depression known as seasonal
affective disorder or SAD.
Winter depression, such as SAD, and the winter blues, are a cyclical
depression that is most often triggered by the onset of fall or winter
as the daylight hours become shorter and shorter. In rare cases, these
same conditions can even develop during the summer months as well. Signs
of seasonal affective disorder can include sadness, sleep difficulties,
increased appetite and the craving of carbohydrate rich foods, weight
gain, lack of energy, irritability, anxiety, and problems with concentration.
The symptoms in some people can be severe enough to interfere with daily
activities, obligations, and overall quality of life for months on end.
So what can you do during those dark days when it is all that you can
do just to get out of bed in the morning, and you find yourself overeating,
skipping work, and feeling overwhelmed? The simple answer is to use a
light therapy device.
Light therapy cannot be done with just any household lamp, but rather
with specialized lights designed to help you enjoy life again. It has
been used to treat forms of seasonal depression since the early 1980s
and is now considered standard treatment for seasonal mood disorders.
There is mounting scientific evidence that this form of depression arises
from abnormalities in how the body manages its circadian rhythms or biological
clock. Genetic factors may also be involved, but the evidence heavily
favors the idea that changes in the day-night cycle induce biochemical
changes that bring on seasonal
affective disorder and depression, either mild or severe. Evidence
shows that the hormones melatonin and serotonin play a major role in regulating
circadian rhythms, body temperature, hormone secretion, and sleep.
It is known that adequate light is vital to many aspects of healthy living
and recent studies show that specialized photoreceptors in the eye turn
a specific range of light into electrical impulses that are sent directly
to the brain, triggering a reduction in melatonin production. During the
light starved winter months our bodies naturally produce more melatonin
and less serotonin to the point of mood changes and depression. Exposure
to bright light suppresses the sleep hormone melatonin and at the same
time increases the "feel good hormone" serotonin.
- There are four keys to effective light therapy to avoid and treat
seasonal affective disorder: " Intensity. To work properly,
the light you use must have the right intensity. Intensity is measured
in lux, which is the amount of light you receive at a given distance
from a light source. You should receive 10,000 lux for at least 15 minutes,
or 5,000 lux for 30-45 minutes. This is 50-100 times the amount of light
found in an average living room in the evening, while a bright summer
day may be as high as 100,000 lux.
- Duration. Therapy sessions typically last from 15 minutes to several
hours. We suggest starting in smaller blocks and working up to longer
periods.
- Timing. For most people, treatment is best used in the morning, after
waking and allowing your eyes to adjust to normal room lighting. Using
an intense full spectrum device at night can make it difficult to sleep
and should be avoided.
- Spectrum. Recent research has begun to highlight the role that full
spectrum or lighting with an enhanced blue range plays in melatonin
production. Full Spectrum and scoptopically (blue) enhanced light that
simulates daylight is not only more pleasant to the eye than warmer
lights it is more effective.
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