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

I had a customer call today who is VERY sensitive to light.  She purchased the Trav-Elite and has been using it for a few days.  She feels that her eyesight is blurry and disturbed.  I suggested that she start out much more slowly than the suggested  first session of 15 minutes.  She is going to wait until her issues with her eyes abate and then try the light for just 1-2 minutes.  If her eyes still feel great, she will do that for several days and very gradually increase her time in front of the light.

Some people are extra sensitive to light.  The Trav-Elite seems to be a really great fit for these people.  It is important to remember that for someone who does not get much natural sunlight and/or wears very dark sunglasses whenever they are outdoors, light therapy will be very bright.  Some people actually feel slightly nauseous.  This is a clue that they will need to start out very slowly and reprogram their bodies to take in the very bright light which it is craving, but without the side effects.  It just takes a little extra patience.  The long term benefits will far outweigh the slower start!

Have you ever wondered why there is a caution on the outside of the cf bulb box warning against using the bulbs with timers, photocells, dimmers and motion control devices?

It turns that the devices listed have their own internal current which can affect the ballast of the bulb.  In English, the bulb gets blown from a power surge created by the device.

This has been a strange summer in the weather department here in Minnesota.  I wondered how this cool summer was affecting people in other areas of the country.  I just got a great article about just that…

“Some doctors say more than 20 percent of people in New England suffer from S.A.D.–seasonal affective disorder.”

http://www1.whdh.com/features/articles/healthcast/BO117991/

The interesting thing is that Seasonal Depression used to mean Winter Depression for many.  New studies are finding that the depression is based less on the season, and more on the sunlight.  What about summertime seasonal depression?

http://wcco.com/health/summertime.sad.seasonal.2.1061049.html

On a very serious note, if you are worried about someone’s level of depression, make sure to keep watch and seek professional help even in the summer months.  It turns out that the suicide rate is higher in the summer months.

http://blogs.pe.com/news/digest/2009/07/ucr-research-shows-suicides-hi-1.html

I am on several email lists for news and some has come across recently that I felt that I needed to share.  There are some pretty alarming statistics.

-Only 20% of teenagers get enough sleep (8-10 hours is optimal)

-According to a study done at the University of Michigan states that children who get less than 9.75 hours of sleep are 40% more likely to be overweight by sixth grade.

-The same study shows a direct correlation between the hours of sleep a child gets and their risk for obesity.  The rate for obesity declines with more sleep.

-Adults who sleep less that 7 hours have a high risk for weight gain.

-Only 20% of teens get adequate sleep.  A survey reported that 16% of teens admit to having sleep problems and 28% admit to falling asleep in school.

-New science relates the lack of adequate sleep to increased risk for obesity, depression, alcohol and drug abuse and future cardiovascular disease.

-Adolescents with a history of sleep problems are twice as likely to have ADHD as those without.  Some ADHD medications can exacerbate the sleep quality issues.

-A good night of quality sleep is key to memory and learning.  Our brain takes information in our short term memory and moves to the long term memory during sleep.

How can you and your family get the quality and ideal amount of sleep?

-Set a sleep schedule and do your best to keep it!

-Stay away from caffeine, sugar, and artificial sweeteners, as well as alcohol within 3 hours of bedtime.

-Stay physically active and exercise early in the day.

-Have a relaxing bedtime routine to get your body ready for sleep

-Make breakfast your biggest meal of the day.

-Get lots of bright light in the morning.

-Drink 8-10 eight ounce glasses of water per day.  Even mild dehydration (1/2 cup of your body’s water) could turn into   low-grade chronic fatigue.

-Naps are ok but try to limit them to 15 minutes.

-Go to bed when you are sleepy.  If you don’t fall asleep in 15-20 minutes get up and leave the bedroom.

-Move the television out of the bedroom.

-Keep the bedroom cool and add blankets if you are chilly.

There are many products designed to help capture that sometimes elusive deep sleep.  Aromatherapy seems to be gaining popularity because the scents can be changed to address specific issues.  Lavender promotes relaxation while peppermint clears sinuses and has a calming quality.There are sleep and relaxation CDs that help the body as well as the mind to relax.  A good quality ionizer can clean the air of pollutants and impurities to ease breathing and relaxation. Dust mite bedding covers help to reduce the allergens on sheets, mattresses, and pillows.  Bed linens made with natural fibers breathe helping to maintain comfortable temperatures.    There are many things to try, but the important thing is to keep searching for the combination that is right for you and your body. Get the rejuvenating sleep that your body deserves every night.

We recieved the following note from a customer:

Hello, this is a follow-up, thank you note for your great customer service we recieved a few months ago from your office.  I recieved the Flamingo therapy light for a Christmas gift in December.  It wasn’t working quite right.  I placed two calls to your ofice concerning this.  I recieved prompt remidies both times.  We recieved a new unit and it’s working well.  Thanks so much for your assistance & positive attitude.  We will refer others to you.  Mk, St Paul, MN

You are welcome Mk.  And thank you for taking the time to send that nice note.

It is rare that we have a problem with a new light.  But we will always do what we can to make sure that our products work for  you.

It seems like when we are under stress, our quality of sleep seems to suffer.  During times of stress, we need great quality sleep more than ever!  At Light Therapy Products, we have many customers who complain about sleep quality issues.  In order to address this, we have begun to add a product line for sleep and relaxation.  http://store.lighttherapyproducts.com/index.php/sleep-products?limit=all  We will be adding more items weekly after product reviews and testing.  I can personally attest to the fantastic cds by Dr David Illig.  These cds relax the body by convincing it that it is not in physical danger, which triggers the fight vs. flight response.  These cds have helped me to relax and feel rested when nothing else seems to work.  A friend recommended them telling me that she had used them during her divorce.  I have passed them on to friends who are dealing with the loss of a loved one, job loss, divorce, and all types of stress.  Protect your sleep so that you can deal more rationally with whatever comes your way.

Just in time for summer, we have added a tanning light to our product line.  This portable tanning light is only 18×10x6.5 and weighs only 18 lbs.  It has a larger coverage area than regular sunlamps and doesn’t have the harmful UV-B rays that burn skin.  It tans with UV-A rays so you can look great all year long.  Check it out:  http://store.lighttherapyproducts.com/index.php/skin-lights/table-top-tanning-light-ht-420.html¼/p>

Specials This Season:

Due to the continued popularity of the Suntouch plus, we have decided to continue this special through the end of May!

Use coupon code “happy” (case sensitive) and receive $20 off of our best selling light box - the Sun Touch Plus.  Regular price is $139.00.   This unit has light therapy and anion therapy all in one unit with a built in timer.

Wake up to your own personal sunrise every day rain or shine.
Use the coupon code “sunrise” and receive $10.00 off of any one of our many dawn simulators.  Choose the one that has the features that you like the best:

sunrise/sunset

back up alarm

radio

built in light

We have something for everyone from the sleepy child to the sleepy grandparent.

Spring is here beautiful and very much alive.

The trees are budding, the egret and the bluebirds have returned, and things are starting to turn green.

Traditionally, this is a slower time of year for us here at Light Therapy Products.  However, this year, we are making some exciting changes to our website and product line.

We have added a section of sleep and relaxation products, and we are continuing to add to our product offerings!

Soon, the sleep/relaxation section will have its own landing page icon so that it is easy to find.  Right now, if you click here:
http://store.lighttherapyproducts.com/index.php/sleep-products
We are still building the new product line but there are already some great things available to help you sleep better.

Dawn simulator alarm clocks
White noise generators
Pillows
Compact Discs
Headphones
Aromatherapy Candles and Oils
And some great new books.

So many of our customers tell us that they don’t sleep well.  Although light boxes and sunrise alarm clocks can help with that, we have been looking for a broader range of products that can help more people.  We have personally used some of the products, and we look forward to your feedback on the rest of the items.

An important part of having and maintaining energy is being well rested.  I recently read some great tips for getting quality sleep:

-Time evening work outs more than 2-3 hours before sleep.

-Limit or eliminate caffeine (even decaf has caffeine) after 3pm if you are not sleeping deeply.

-Keep your bedroom below 62 degrees for better brain function.

-If you have trouble regulating your body temperature at night, try wearing socks to bed.  Your body’s thermostat is often connected with the feet.  If they are warm, your body furnace won’t crank the heat.

-Make sure that your bedroom is reserved for romance and sleep-that’s it.  Remove any items or activities that detract from the peaceful and calming atmosphere that the bedroom should be.  Your body will learn that this is a place of relaxation.
Start your day off in a brand new way with one of our dawn simulators.  These great clocks wake the body with light instead of sound.  You can make have your own personal sunrise every day. The light tells the body to come out of the sleep cycle and get up for the day.  With 4 or more months of dark mornings, doesn’t that sound great?!  Then to wake the body fully, try using a light box,  taking a brisk walk or doing your version of a work out.  Nothing says wake up like deep  breathing and bright light therapy!