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As the colder months approach us, more and more people are turning to their light therapy box. Are you starting to feel depressed, moody, or constantly drained of energy? You could be one of 10 million Americans that have seasonal depression. You, too, can be healed by light.
Let’s get the science straight.
1 lux equals 1 lumen per square meter. In other words, lux is the intensity of light in a specific area.
On an average Spring day, the sun radiates 10,000 lux. This is a healthy, happy dose of Vitamin D and sunlight. In the summer, the sun can be as strong as 100,000 lux. But winter — on an average winter day, the sun only gives us 1,000 lux and at night, any night, our bodies only receive 0.0001 lux.
Neglecting your body of sunlight can physically harm you! Light is essential to life.
That’s why places like Seattle, Portland, Alaska and much of Canada see a lot of people struggling with Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD). These places experience long periods of dreary weather, short days and even months of darkness. If you’re like most people, SAD symptoms start kicking in during the fall months and continue through the winter. The reverse, colloquially called “summer depression” is less common but still exists.
To be diagnosed with SAD, an individual must meet criteria for major depression coinciding with specific seasons for at least two years. It’s 4x more common in women.
SAD is commonly believed to be linked to the cold weather, but it’s actually a chemical imbalance in the brain triggered by the loss of daylight.
If you think you may have SAD, schedule an appointment with your doctor or psychiatrist. Light box therapy is a drug-free option, but more severe cases may require medication or other forms of therapy.
How does light therapy work?
When our eyes receive 10,000 lux of bright light, certain signals are sent to the brain that help level the amounts of melatonin and serotonin in our bodies. For a sun lamp to actually be used as therapy, the light needs to shine in your eyes. You don’t have to look directly at it, but make sure the light is very close to you and that your eyes are exposed to it. UV rays are filtered out, so there’s no need to wear sunglasses or sunblock.
Light therapy isn’t only for people with SAD.
The health benefits of UVB light are practically endless. Receiving daily sunlight helps maintain healthy blood flow. Light therapy helps with postpartum. Even without SAD, your mood will improve and you’ll have more energy — right away.
There are some fashionable glasses to help wake you up in the morning naturally, following your circadian rhythm. You can even use any of these therapy lights with a smart plug so it automatically turns on at a pre-specified time.
Sleep schedule and mental health aside, light therapy is very powerful against skin conditions like ecxema, psoriasis and vitiligo.
People who work at night, spend a lot of time indoors, or watch a lot of TV could be lacking the bright light our bodies need to thrive. As a result, we may oversleep, overeat, and feel lethargic or anxious.
We counter that with light box therapy. And with that…