Tchibo SADLight now £39.99

Ted_Hutchinson

[font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica] Well-Being Light
Anyone who has suffered from [/font] Winter depression this winter may want to consider getting one of these for use as soon as the nights start drawing in next Autum. Preventing or reducing the impact of Seasonal Depression is worth the effort and these smaller lights are now at a bargain price and there is no guarantee Tchibo will repeat the offer next winter.

Although 10.000 lux is the recommended power many find in practice the most powerful lights are too bright for comfort and simply have to move further away from them, so getting a lower powered light and sitting/lying closer to it will be just as effective. At this price you could have one by the bed and one on your breakfast table and still save money on the overpriced overhyped Sadlights.

Cat72

Hi

Thanks for the post. The onlything that bothers me is which lights are any good, as there seems such a wide vairety in price etc. I would love to buy one as my depression becomes a lot worse when I am not in the sun, but am very scared of wasting my limited money. What is the differance between these and normal lights ? and what ones would people recommend.

Js_Other_Half

I have the Tchibo light sitting on my pc desk - as Ted says it's not bright enough to flinch from.

Lindsaye_2

Tchibo stuff in my experience is great value, so what you may pay £50 (original price I think) would be £100 somewhere else. Sad but Tchibo's wednesday newsletter and new shopping experience lights up my day (at work!). https://www.tchibo.co.uk.

I first saw them in Germany, they sell stuff in their coffee shops, one opened in Southampton and then closed due to bad location they choose but it was great for me.

Ted_Hutchinson

Cat72 wrote:

Hi

Thanks for the post. The onlything that bothers me is which lights are any good, as there seems such a wide vairety in price etc. I would love to buy one as my depression becomes a lot worse when I am not in the sun, but am very scared of wasting my limited money. What is the differance between these and normal lights ? and what ones would people recommend.

I haven't personally used a Tchibo lightbox but I have used other makes. The research shows it is simply the brightness of the light which has the effect so although you may prefer the quality of "Full Spectrum" natural daylight bulbs they are no more effective than other lights of that power output.
The power of light source decreases exponentially the further you are from the light source so being able to have the light near you is more important than having the most powerful light. One manufacturer makes a headset where small torch bulbs are aimed from a headband so getting a low power light really really close to your eyes but they aren't comfortable to wear and are somewhat dangerous to walk around with so don't save time.

So getting a really quite powerful light which you could use on your bedside table or have on your desktop will be more effective than a larger, much more expensive larger light which you will have to sit further away from as too bright a light simply isn't comfortable to endure.
If the price of this is too much you might find using a couple of powerful reading lights directed to your eyes rather than down on the desk would also work.
But you might also find the £5 off voucher from
here voucher helpful.

Bennifred

I am an SAD sufferer, and every winter until two years ago I ended up on antidepressants. I decided to invest in some sort of light therapy and chose the visor version. Well, it works for me! I agree with Ted that you wouldn't want to be doing a lot of walking around, but I wear it straight after getting up, all through the winter, get my breakfast, have a look at the paper, watch a little breakfast TV etc for a total of about 30 mins and that's me ready to face the day. The thing I think it helps most with is regulating my sleep patterns, which were haywire previously. I also use a sunrise alarm clock (year round). I'm not saying that I don't have any symptoms at all now, but they are very managable and at least I'm spared the antidepressants and their attendant side-effects! My G.P. suggested I take a tropical holiday Xmas/New Year time ha! ha! but for some reason didn't want to give me a prescription for that :rolleyes:
Sorry - got a bit off track there - but lights are good!

Savvy_Sue

I've been toying with the idea of getting something like this for years but reading Ted's second post has decided me against it. I would say I used to be more depressed in the winter, but I feel I have been much better for the last year or so, and I have just worked out that it may be because we have better lighting now. We 'inherited' a bright reading light with one of the fancy daylight bulbs, and I sit under that when I'm reading in the lounge. Plus my F-in-L rigged up a bedside reading light for me which is basically one of the lights you'd put under a kitchen cabinet fixed to a wire frame which hangs over the headboard. I nearly always read at night so I get a dose then as well. And when I'm reading in the dining room I have a little reading light which always sits next to me on the table, so I get a blast from that as well!

The only reason for all these extra lights is that I've developed that middle aged myopia (you know, where your arms aren't long enough any more!) so I either need my glasses or much better lighting. Lighting is easier to find: it tends not to move from the place you last left it, and it's more visible than a pair of glasses.

So thank you Ted for saving me £40, but for those without good bright lights I'd say "Go get 'em!"

Ted_Hutchinson

amghiggs wrote:

My G.P. suggested I take a tropical holiday Xmas/New Year time ha! ha! but for some reason didn't want to give me a prescription for that :rolleyes:

I tried going away in the winter one year but found going from very depressed at home, feeling incredibly fine while away, and then suddenly returning to UK gloom produced such a violent mood swing that I haven't dared repeat it. While I think it would be a good idea to go away for the winter (I know someone who spends each winter in Australia) I found the normal 2 week break produced a such violent mood swing it was counterproductive to the purpose of the break.

Ted_Hutchinson

Savvy_Sue wrote:

The only reason for all these extra lights is that I've developed that middle aged myopia (you know, where your arms aren't long enough any more!) so I either need my glasses or much better lighting. Lighting is easier to find: it tends not to move from the place you last left it, and it's more visible than a pair of glasses.

So thank you Ted for saving me £40, but for those without good bright lights I'd say "Go get 'em!"

All this talk of lights shouldn't obscure the fact that GOING OUTSIDE into the daylight early morning to midday will give you exposure to brighter light and help restore your natural melatonin/seratonin cycle. Going outside is free and healthy. I strongly suspect that many old folk are depressed (although this may be diagnosed as other things) by not getting outside during the brightest part of the day so not only do they lack vitamin D (causing osteoporosis) but the beneficial effect of bright light through the eyes directly onto the brain, isn't reproduced by the lighting available in most old people's homes.

chipotle_2

Ted
Going outside makes no difference on a GREY British day of which we have aplenty whether you are old or young, I think... I have had a SAD light for 3 years now and use it every winter. I am definitely not depressed, I am an outdoors person and under 40, but find the lamp is still great help. Mine came from Boots and is a Phillips, dear but worth it.

Best

Chipotle

Ted_Hutchinson

chipotle wrote:

Ted
Going outside makes no difference on a GREY British day of which we have aplenty whether you are old or young, I think... I have had a SAD light for 3 years now and use it every winter. I am definitely not depressed, I am an outdoors person and under 40, but find the lamp is still great help. Mine came from Boots and is a Phillips, dear but worth it.

Best

Chipotle

I appreciate that it can be pretty dismal under grey clouds in winter but going outside usually also involves exercise and this is another proven therapy for depression and everything you do to supplement your reserves will be beneficial, so I stick by my post and suggest you use your lightbox and supplement it by taking exercise outdoors during whatever daylight there is. But make sure you are not wearing tinted glasses (lightbox or outside) otherwise your defeating the purpose.