Found a good article in the Bismarck (North Dakota) Tribune on Seasonal Affective Disorder and using Light Therapy for Depression.  I like it because the author, a family practice doctor, gives a good explanation of the difference between S.A.D. and the Winter Blues.  He also covers how Light Treatment for Depression works on the brain.  And he mentions the lack of side effects which is one of the main advantages of Light Therapy for Depression vs prescription drugs.

We get calls every day from people with questions about using Light Therapy for SAD.  Most people who call have some understanding of the basics and are looking for some reassurance.  Others have specific questions about particular items on our website.  Some people preface their questions with “this is a dumb question, but” and some people have obviously done a lot of homework before they call us.  FYI, there are no dumb questions.

So here are the top 5 questions not in any particular order.

1. How long do I use my light box?  The standard answer is 30 min each day at 10,000 Lux.  Check your lightbox to see what distance is required to get 10,000 Lux.  A light box that makes 10,000 Lux at 14″ will make 5,000 Lux at 28″.  If you are getting a little less than 10,000 Lux, you can increase the session time.  So, if you are getting 5,000 Lux, then you should use the light box for 60 min.

2. Which light box is the best one?  Since most people don’t sit still and do nothing while they use their light, we usually recommend that you start by identifying the activity that you will be engaged in while you use the light.  For example, most people will use the light while having breakfast and reading the paper  (most table top light boxes will work for this).  Some will use a light box while on the treadmill (you will want a bigger light box perhaps with a stand).  Once you know how you will use the light box, it is easier to narrow down the choices to just a few options.

3. Do I need to use my light box every day?  Yes, at least for the first several weeks.  After you have established the habit, you can skip a day if you want to once in a while.  Remember, you are going to reset your body clock or circadian rhythm.  It usually takes a week to 10 days to do this.  After that, you will want to stay on the “new” sleep schedule for a while to make that your norm.

4. How much do light boxes cost?  Depending on size, features and warranty light boxes range from $139 up to $475.  But unlike anti depressant drugs, you only pay once.  Bulbs usually last for 3 or 4 years and are $32 to $60 for a set.

5. Does my insurance cover light boxes?  Yes, most insurance companies now cover light boxes.  A lot depends on the plan you have, so call your insurance company to find out the specifics of your plan and the co pay etc..  You can supply them with the medical code that is used for light boxes-  E-0203.

6. Do I need a prescription to buy a light box?  No.  While doctors frequently prescribe light boxes to treat depression and seasonal depression, most of our customers are self diagnosed and buy their own light box.  There are a lot of people who might be suffering from the Winter Blues, which is basically a milder version of SAD.  These people will also benefit from light therapy.

7. Do I look straight into the light?  No.  We usually recommend that you have the light “shining on your face but not directly in your eyes”.  Place the light box 10 to 15 degrees off center.  Looking at a computer screen with a light box right next to it is about right.

If you had a question that we did not cover, try the FAQ page from our site.

For more information on How to choose a light box this page is helpful.

Great article in the Minneapolis Star and Tribune this morning.  Straight forward and factual.  And a good reminder that there is still plenty of winter left.

Today I talked to the manufacturer of the SunUp Dawn Simulator. He has been fielding many calls for so called “defective units”. The defect turns out to be operator error. When people get their SunUp, they are anxious to test the unit. They set the clock and then set the dawn feature to “go off” or be at full brightness in 5 minutes. This is not possible for the clock to do if the sunrise is set for longer than 4 minutes. In that case, the clock would begin its sunrise 30 minutes before the alarm time. If you want to test the unit, set the alarm for 1-2 hours from the current time.
Another concern that people have is that the light may not wake them up. Go ahead and set your regular alarm clock as a back up for the first week, if you are nervous that the light won’t be enough to wake you. That way you will wake up refreshed and sleep deeply knowing that you will be woken up by the light or your back up alarm. As you gain confidence that the light is indeed waking you every day, you can skip setting the back up alarm clock.
Once you get woken up by this gently process, you’ll wonder how you ever survived being jolted awake in the dark!

Today we had an interesting question about the SunUp Dawn Simulator. The customer was asking questions about product features. This is what the manufacturer told us:
The SunUp has a programmable dawn feature that can be set from 1 minute in length to 3 hours long.
The light stays on for about 30 minutes. Oddly, the manufacturer and I both use the SunUp every day but have never been able to lay in bed long enough for the light to turn off on its own.

I had a customer come into the Stillwater showroom the other week.  She bought a SunSation with Floor stand and took it home.  She came back two weeks later to buy our  Clarity Skin Light.  She told me that after 2 weeks of using the SunSation she felt fantastic.  She said “It was the best thing I’ve ever done.  I should have done it years ago!”  She told me that the light steadily increased her mood and energy level and in 2 weeks she felt like a new woman!  She sure sounded like one!!

 I had an interesting customer question today about full spectrum light versus therapeutic light.  I realized that people seeking drug free treatment of depression or season depression often have this question.  The term full spectrum is often confused with

Hello,

I am interested in purchasing a desk lamp, and naturally have been looking at the Lumiram Comfort-View series.  I was not initially bothered by the price of $64.95, but after comparing it to the $2.89 price of the Compact Fluorescent 13-Watt 5000K Spiral, I am a bit baffled by the disparity between the two.  I was under the impression that the two offered fundamentally the same full spectrum technology.  What advantage do the desk lamps have over the full spectrum light bulbs?

With Thanks in Advance,

Andrew

You are right about the bulb.  The one important point is that the Lumiram Desk Lamp is not adequate for light therapy.  I measured the Lux of the Lumiram lamp at a distance of 10” and this is what I found:

On the low setting the Lux measured about 600

On the high setting the Lux measured about 1100

Standard light therapy (all of our light therapy items) measure 10,000 Lux at the same distance.

As far as light qualities for non therapeutic benefits go, the Lumiram is a good full spectrum task light.

I have been emailing back and forth with a customer who is trying to treat narcolepsy with light therapy and having a hard time.  She seems to be very sensitive to light and to medications.  Here are her findings with a side note that others may find help through light therapy and we’d love to hear from you.

“My issues with the light were similar to the issues that I had when trying medication to manage my narcolepsy symptoms. The first couple days I seemed a little more awake and not as foggy, but after a few days I was not reacting well. I would feel a bit strange immediately after using the light, and within an hour I would begin to feel nauseous and unsteady. I also felt extremely drained - I manage a store and my arms would feel tired from simply lining things back up on the shelf. My back and leg muscles felt odd - like they did not have the strength to fully support me, but not sore or anything. Very strange! If I used the light on a day off, I would try to take a nap to alleviate the strange feeling, but it would not help. I discontinued use, felt fine after like 36 hours, and then tried again a few days later. The feeling came back right away. I have tried shorter exposures, but it didn’t seem to matter. I had the same experience w/ three medications that are supposed to stimulate, so I guess my brain can’t handle it. I’m going to make an appointment to discuss these results with my doctor bc it seems from everything that I have read that these reactions are not normal. I wish I could find some magic plan to make the light work for me, but I don’t think it is possible and I can’t lose any more days to trial and error.

Thank you so much for your help!

Megan”

Here is an article that appeared today in the Wall Street Journal.  Does a nice job of summarizing SAD and SAD Treatment.

We often get requests from individuals studying SAD and light treatment.  Following is a recent email contact.  Light Therapy Products has no affiliation with this person and can not make any personal recommendations.  If you would like to be part of a Light Therapy Study in San Diego, feel free to contact Dr John Keltner, MD PhD:

My name is Dr. John Keltner and I am a UC San Diego psychiatry resident performing a clinical study measuring how daily light exposure reduces winter depression in patients who use light box therapy.

I would like to have your customers participate in this study.

Please contact me if it would be possible to use any of your customers in my research study.

I am particularly interested in any of your customers that live in San Diego.

Thank you,

John Keltner MD PhD
619 838 0519
jkeltner@ucsd.edu