SAD lamps

[dragonsoup]

I give in - I struggle through the winter with the hope of sun in the summer.

This year is a total washout and I can feel my mood sinking lower and lower. There is surprisingly little on here about the lamps and I was wondering if anyone has any recommendations for a good source? The Tchibo one BTW is sold out.

[newlywed]

My sister got one of the alarm clock lamps that wakes you up with natural type daylight. She finds it really helps her. I think she got it online for £60 so not particularly cheap - though I'm sure there are more of these about these days.

[Justie]

I can't remember where mine came from as it's a good few years old now and is bigger than the more recent models I've seen. I too have a light alarm clock and love it - it's so much gentler to wake up to especially in the winter and I use the sunset mode every night too.

Until you have one you don't know how often you'll use it so before spending lots of money it may be worth hiring one for a month http://www.sad-lighthire.co.uk/ although that's not cheap either. But otherwise I can't recommend any one site over another.

Ted made a detailed post on another thread about lightboxes and ME just recently that I'd suggest you read as well. http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=509820

Even on a dull day it's still beneficial to be outside in real natural light though even though it doesn't have that instant happy hit.

[dragonsoup]

Even on a dull day it's still beneficial to be outside in real natural light though even though it doesn't have that instant happy hit.

I do my best!! I drive a convertible and provided it isn't pouring with rain ( drizzle isn't a problem) I'll have the roof down for up to 2 hours a day summer and winter. It's not helping this year though. :confused:

[Ted_Hutchinson]

Light therapy from a SADLIGHT box helps conditions which are related to a seasonal or circadian fluctuation in severity. By providing bright light in the morning the melatonin production is stopped and this may make people who feel depressed feel a bit brighter.

this research
Vitamin D vs broad spectrum phototherapy in the treatment of seasonal affective disorder. (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?db=pubmed&cmd=Retrieve&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=10888476) shows that people given relatively little Vitamin D3 in Baltimore, Maryland (a lot nearer the equator than UK) had a greater improvement in seasonal depresssion than did those with light therapy.

We know from Randomized comparison of the effects of the vitamin D3 adequate (http://www.nutritionj.com/content/3/1/8/abstract)that taking as much vitamin d as your body requires daily (http://www.ajcn.org/cgi/content/full/77/1/204)results in improved feelings of wellbeing and that such an amount is absolutely safe (http://www.ajcn.org/cgi/content/abstract/85/1/6) being less than half the proposed new safe upper limit.

Sadlight boxes work on the brightness of the light output and while full spectrum lighting may be more comfortable to sit in front of, it is the intensity of the light rather than the quality which is having the effect on the pineal gland. You have to realise that this is NOTHING to do with the Vitamin D effect from sunshine or tanning lamps which contain UVB rays which enable your skin to make vitamin D3. UVB is not part of the visible light spectrum and so any daylight simulation or full spectrum light source will not contain UVB rays (you'd have to wear sunglasses to use them if they did and that would defeat the object of the exercise)

In Vitamin d and rehabilitation: improving functional outcomes. (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?Db=pubmed&Cmd=ShowDetailView&TermToSearch=17507730) Holick suggests that "Vitamin D deficiency and osteomalacia should be considered in the differential diagnosis of patients with musculoskeletal pain, fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrome, or myositis. There is a need for better education of health professionals and the general public regarding the optimization of vitamin D status in the care of rehabilitation patients."

You can read more about Vitamin D and it's effect on health in this new paper by Holick about Vitamin D deficiency (http://www.uvadvantage.org/CONTENT/NEJournalofMedicine.pdf)

If you want to give light therapy a trial any bright light source will enable you to find out if you feel better using such a light. A Tasklight such as this 2D 38 watt £22.99 from Screwfix (http://www.screwfix.com/app/sfd/cat/pro.jsp?cId=101442&ts=53110&id=19417) will have a similar tube in it as a SADLIGHT costing five times as much. You won't get the fancy box or timer but it will do the same job. Start with 10-15 minutes of as bright as light as you can stand and increase to maybe 30-45 minutes if necessary. Generally morning sessions are more effective than afternoon but you may find you benefit from both.

There are one or two other common sense points that people may need to be reminded of.
Photochromic lenses (also known photochromatic, transition, transitions, reactolite, reactolites, sunsensor, or sunsensors lenses) darken as sunlight intensifies. These plastic lenses are clear indoors, but outside darken rapidly so that on a bright day the spectacles will effectively become sunglasses. No one with SAD should ever use these or they will not benefit from the power of bright light to directly suppress melatonin production.

Get as much natural sunshine as possible, when it's sunny spend as much time as possible outdoors.

When you are at home keep the curtains open and DON'T have net curtains.

Sit near a window as much as possible.

Be as physically active as possible. http://www.iris-spectacles.co.uk/images/pixel.gif (http://www.mentalhealth.org.uk/campaigns/mhaw/exercise-and-depression/)

But also remember that treating the symptoms is not the same as eliminating the cause. Raising your vitamin d3 status so that you are no longer vulnerable to Seasonal Light intensity related depression is better than simply treating the actual symptoms. Light therapy does work and ensuring your melatonin production is switched off will make you feel more alert but having an optimal vitamin d3 status will lift your feelings of well being to such an extent that you no longer find you are on the threshold of depression.

[Fen1]

I would not do without my daylight alarm clock. I have one that also dims at night, so very pleasant to fall asleep.
I got mine from: http://www.outsidein.co.uk/index.htm
You can also get a free month's trial with them to see if it suits. They are also usually cheaper to buy in Summer!

I suffered from horrendous SAD, but the daylight alarm made a tremendous difference. I've also recommended them to friends. One friend's husband (early starts, little natural daylight in the office) was adamant that the clock made no difference: you should have seen his wife's face! Before the clock: grousy in the mornings, tired in the evenings, grouse off to bed; with the clock: no problems getting up in the morning, still chirpy in the evenings - no grousing. I don't think an alpha male would ever admit that a lightbulb would have such a profound effect!