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Treat your seasonal affective disorder with bright light therapy

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SAD light therapy

Have you ever thought about how your mood gets darker as daylight hours get shorter? You may have seasonal affective disorder, or SAD. It’s a depressive disorder that comes and goes in a seasonal pattern.

SAD typically affects people from September to April. The greatest impact occurs between December and February when we experience the fewest hours of sunlight each day.

The cause of SAD is unclear. However, it’s often associated with vitamin D deficiency and lack of sunlight.

How bright light therapy works

One way to overcome the winter blues is with bright light therapy, a sunlight alternative you can use in your home.

A specially designed therapeutic lamp delivers light with the intensity of 10,000 lux to mimic a bright, sunny day. Light-sensing cells in the retina of the eye send a signal to the area in the brain involved in regulating mood and cognition, called the prefrontal cortex. The body's master clock, called the suprachiasmatic nucleus, also receives signals from the light.

Lack of sunlight may lower production of serotonin, a compound in your blood that affects everything in your body from your emotions and sleep to motor skills. People with SAD may experience a wide range of health problems including:

  • Trouble sleeping
  • Loss of interest in activities
  • Decrease in energy
  • Difficulty concentrating
  • Feelings of depression
  • Hopelessness
  • Appetite or weight changes

How to use light therapy

For best results, use a light therapy lamp first thing in the morning. It can interfere with your sleep cycle if you use it in the evening or at night.

  • Place the device 24 inches from your face at a 30-degree angle.
  • Don’t look directly into the light, but keep your eyes open to receive the maximum benefit.
  • Use the device for 20 to 30 minutes each day to keep SAD at bay.
  • Make bright light therapy a part of your routine by using it while you eat breakfast, work at a computer, do your morning journaling, put on your makeup, enjoy a cup of coffee or read your favorite book.
  • Start therapy before you notice negative feelings or lifestyle changes.
  • Consider using a light therapy lamp in the fall when Daylight Saving Time ends or at the start of the holiday season.

Most people start to feel improvements from bright light therapy in two to four days. You should notice full improvement within two weeks.

Who shouldn’t use light therapy?

Most people can use light therapy. It’s free of ultraviolet radiation – the skin-damaging rays from the sun.

Check with your eye care provider if you have pre-existing eye conditions, such as macular degeneration or retinitis pigmentosa. Exposure to bright light can make these conditions worse.

If you have bipolar disorder, talk with a medical provider before trying bright light therapy.

Get outside to improve your mood

An early morning walk can offer similar benefits to bright light therapy. Even a gray or overcast day can provide the same light power as a bright light therapy lamp. Aim for a 30-minute walk to get an extra dose of endorphins, the chemicals in the brain that act like natural painkillers and mood elevators.

LaToya Lewis, ND, is a naturopathic doctor with Goshen Center for Cancer Care. She offers patients with cancer natural therapies and lifestyle recommendations that support a healthy quality of life.

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