How to Make a Seasonal Affective Disorder Light

If you suffer from seasonal affective disorder (SAD) you know that when summer turns to fall and the days become shorter you'll get the "winter blues." With less sunlight you'll feel tired, moody, crave sweets, starchy foods, and sleep. Fortunately, you can break that seasonal cycle of depression by using a SAD light box. SAD light boxes generally cost $200 to $400 and can be purchased online. But for less than $100 you can put together a SAD light that is equally effective and just as safe.
Your light fixture should be equipped with full spectrum lights that produce at least 10,000 lux (illumination over a given area) at a distance of 20 to 24 inches. You'll get a therapeutic dose if you sit for 30 minutes every morning.

Things You'll Need

• Four-bulb, 2 x 4 feet, 120 volt, 32 watt, T8, troffer fluorescent fixture with clear acrylic lens
• Four 32 watt, 4 feet, T8 full spectrum fluorescent light bulbs (2850 lumen per bulb)
• Three electrical wire nuts
• 25 foot, 16 gauge, 3 conductor, light duty extension cord
• Wire stripper
• Pliers

Show More

Instructions

• 1

  Prepare a location where you will place your light unit. Make sure that you have a comfortable chair because you will need to sit in front of the light unit for 30 minutes or longer.

• 2

  Cut the extension cord at the female end and use the wire stripper to strip off two to three inches of the insulation to expose the white, black, and green wires.

• 3

  Use the wire stripper to remove one inch of insulation from the end of the green (ground) wire. Do the same with the fixture's green wire.

• 4

  Align the two wires then use pliers to twist the ends together one turn clockwise.

• 5

  Cut one-half inch off the end of the wires, insert them into the electrical nut, and screw the nut clockwise until the wires do not come loose when you pull on them. Be sure that there are no bare wires exposed.

• 6

  Connect the white wires by stripping insulation, twisting them together and inserting them into an electrical nut.

• 7

  Connect the black wires by stripping insulation, twisting them together and inserting them into an electrical nut.

• 8

  Install four full spectrum light bulbs into the light fixture.

• 9

  Position the light fixture on a table so that your face will be 20 to 24 inches from the light.

• 10

  Plug the electrical cord into the wall socket and turn on the light fixture.