Lighting That Helps Depression

Do you suffer from winter blues? Do you constantly feel tired and sleepy? Are you depressed and moody, craving sweets and starchy foods?
If you notice that your symptoms tend to occur during the winter months then you may have depression that occurs seasonally, known as seasonal affective disorder (SAD). The condition is triggered by a lack of natural light. Luckily, there is a way to regulate your home lighting to help you reset your inner clock.

Definition

• Seasonal affective disorder (SAD) is a form of depression that affects people in the fall and winter. The symptoms described above begin in the fall and worsen through the winter months. In the spring these symptoms gradually disappear.

Cause

• Seasonal affective disorder is linked to changes in the amount of daylight and your body's circadian rhythm, which acts like an internal clock that tells your body and brain when to sleep. It also regulates your level of brain activity, hormone production and other body processes.
  When your body is exposed to less sunlight in the fall and winter your internal clock becomes disrupted. This affects the time and duration of your sleep, as well as your body's production of melatonin and serotonin.
  Melatonin is a hormone that regulates sleep, while serotonin is a chemical produced by the brain. This neurotransmitter is linked to sleep, mood, sexual desire, sexual function, appetite, body-temperature regulation, memory and learning.

Bright-Light Therapy

• Bright-light therapy, or phototherapy, is one of many effective treatments for seasonal affective disorder. It is an option when antidepressants and melatonin cannot be used or are ineffective.
  Bright-light therapy uses a special high-intensity light box that mimics outdoor sunlight. Daily use of the therapeutic light resets your body's internal clock and reduces your symptoms until spring, when you can get enough available sunlight.

Elements of Light Therapy

• During a light-therapy session, you sit in front of a light box so that light indirectly enters your eyes, taking care to not look directly into the source to prevent damage to your eyes. The early morning is the best time of the day to derive the greatest benefit from the procedure because it matches your body's natural biorhythm.
  And light-therapy sessions don't have to be boring: You can read, use your computer, watch television, make telephone calls or do any other stationary activity.

Recommended Dosage

• The length of each light session depends on the brightness or intensity of your light box. A 30-minute dose per session of 10,000-luces light is recommended. If you are using a small, portable light box that emits 2,500 luces it may take up to two hours to feel the therapeutic effect. Just as a matter of comparison, a typical household lamp shines at 400 luces.
  The distance you sit from the light box also determines the intensity of light needed. Some light boxes require you to sit within six inches of them to experience a brightness of 10,000 luces, but with a high-powered box you can sit up to 27 inches away and still get a therapeutic dose.

Dawn-Simulation Light Therapy

• Dawn-simulation light therapy gradually increases light in the early morning. It mimics a typical spring and summer sunrise, so that every winter morning light gradually increases in intensity at the same time.
  Dawn-simulator devices use an adjustable timer and electronic system that you can set to start at a time that works for you. Their light settings range from twilight to shaded sun.