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Light Bulbs and Sunlight to Treat Depression

Light therapy, also known as bright light therapy or phototherapy, involves using certain intensities of light to treat symptoms of depression, seasonal affective disorder, fatigue and insomnia. Light therapy is used with LED, fluorescent or incandescent bulbs in a device known as a light box. During the warmer months, you can use light therapy by going outside on a warm, bright day. If you have depression, you should consult your mental health professional before beginning any type of treatment.

  1. Effectiveness

    • According to MayoClinic.com, light box therapy can be used to effectively treat a number of mental health conditions. If you're suffering from depression, you may discover that your symptoms worsen during the colder, darker months of autumn and winter. While the exact reason is not entirely understood, researchers believe that sunlight influences the production of the neurotransmitters melatonin and serotonin as well as your body's circadian rhythms. During the colder months, the reduced amount of sunlight increases melatonin and reduces serotonin production. Using light therapy can greatly improve your mood, energy level, sleep cycles and appetite.

    Application

    • According to SAD.org.uk, you should use LED light boxes that output no less than 10,000 lux. Lux is a standard unit of measurement for light intensity and is about the average intensity of light produced by the sun on a summer day. Regular light bulbs are not effective at treating depression or SAD because they do not produce such a high intensity of light.

      When starting light therapy to treat SAD, you should use your light box at least twice a day for a total of 30 minutes. You don't need to sit right in front of the box with the light blaring in your face. Instead, put your light box just to the side of you or nearby while you do work, exercise, read or do something else.

      When using sunlight to treat depression, you should spend the same amount of time outdoors to get the full effectiveness of the sun's rays. Because exercise also has shown to lessen the symptoms of depression, you could combine the two "therapies" by exercising during a bright day. Go for a 30-minute walk, brisk jog, bike ride or hike.

    Warnings

    • Although sunlight and light therapy can be as effective as medication without some of the more pronounced side effects, there are some risks associated with the therapies. MayoClinic.com says that in rare cases the usage of light therapy can cause headaches, eyestrain, agitation, manic episodes, nausea, sleep disturbances and vomiting.

      The website also states that certain people should not use light therapy. If you have skin sensitivity to sunlight, you should not try it. If you are taking sun-sensitive medications, such as certain anti-inflammatories and antibiotics, you should avoid light therapy until consulting a medical professional.

      Also, people with bipolar disorder or severe depression should not use light therapy until talking with their mental health professional. In some cases, light therapy can cause mania (an elevated sense of mood and impulsive behaviors) in people suffering from bipolar disorder and suicidal thoughts in those with severe depression.

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