Day Light Therapy

Day Light Therapy are bright light therapy lamps that help ease the symptoms of Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) or the Winter Blues – feelings of being down in the dumps, Fatigue, lack of energy, reduced social interest, and weight gain from carbohydrate cravings. Typically, people with SAD get these symptoms only in the fall and winter months, and feel fine the rest of the year. SAD can be a very serious mood disorder, so you should always consult with your doctor before considering such a purchase. The Center for Environmental Therapeutics (CET) has set standards for light box design that consumers, doctors and insurance companies should keep in mind. We used these guidelines when we designed our Day Light Therapy. We strongly recommend you to use them as a checklist when selecting a Light Therapy product.

Light Box Design:

Only light boxes should be used for bright light therapy. Visors have not yet been shown effective in placebo-controlled studies.
The light box should provide 10,000 lux of illumination at a comfortable sitting distance (with the eyes 12 inches or more from the center of the screen).
The lamps should give off white light rather than colored light. (Extended exposure to blue light may be harmful to the eyes, and red light is not effective for Light Therapy).
Fluorescent lamps should have a filter that blocks ultraviolet (UV) rays. UV rays are harmful to the eyes and skin.
The light source should be covered with a smooth diffusing screen that evens the delivery of light. Bare bulbs and sharp points of light (including LED displays) can produce intolerable glare, forcing your gaze out of the therapeutic field.
Color temperature of lamps should be in the 3000-5000 Kelvin range for comfortable usage.
Light boxes should be equipped with high-efficiency ballasts that operate at 20,000 cycles per second in order to avoid flicker that can cause headaches. (Inferior magnetic ballasts operate at only 60 cycles per second).
The light should be projected downward toward the eyes at an angle to minimize aversive visual glare.
The screen area should be at least 190 square inches (for example 12 inches high by 16 inches long) to provide a satisfactory field of illumination. (When using a compact light box, even small head movements will take the eyes out of the therapeutic range of light).

Specifications

Electronically powered - no hum
Uses only 85 watts - no heat
Power : The Lamp is rated for 120V, 60Hz.
UV Output : blocked below 400 nm
Tube life : 5,000 hours
Use : about 30 minutes per day
CSA safety approved unit
Delivered fully assembled
5 year warranty

Treatment Guidelines

Correct Usage:

When beginning bright light therapy for the first time, therapists suggest an initial dosage of bright light at 10,000 lux for 30 minutes, first thing in the morning. Many people find it convenient to get their Light Therapy session during breakfast, before leaving the house. However, the optimum timing and duration of the Light Therapy session for individuals differs between people, and therefore you will need to explore a bit to find what works best for you. Begin with 30 minutes, and try that for a few days. If you respond a bit, but still feel symptoms, try extending the duration of your session by 5 or 10 minutes to see how that works for you. On the other hand, if you find that a 30-minute session is so energizing you don’t want to go to sleep at your usual bedtime or are waking up too early, try cutting back to 20 minutes. Remember: as long as you use a Light Therapy device designed according to the specifications recommended by Light Therapy experts (see the Proper Design link), there is little risk of adverse side effects, and you can safely modify and monitor your progress. Light Therapy can be fully effective for up to 80% of users who take their session at their “personal optimum” time. To determine your personal optimum, take the Automated Morningness-Eveningness Questionnaire at www.cet.org (The AutoMEQ is provided by the nonprofit Center for Environmental Therapeutics).

Indications:

Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) or the Winter Blues – feelings of being down in the dumps, Fatigue, lack of energy, reduced social interest, and weight gain from carbohydrate cravings.