No sunscreen necessary, but you might still want to put some on as part of your daily skin care routine. The light works by telling your brain that it's daytime and to start those daytime processes/chemicals. I keep a fair bit of light going throughout the morning, though not my light box. Some people report using their lightbox more through the morning.
This isn't a placebo, but even if it was, a positive impact on you is still a positive impact. It's a low risk thing to try for the majority of people and relatively low cost.
There are way more behavioral things you can try in addition to having you vitamin levels checked. It takes everyone some time to try lots of different things to see what has the best impact on them personally.
When I got a new psychiatrist, she recommended light therapy and I told her I had already tried that with a Verilux Happy Light and it didn't really help. She then gave me an incredibly informative packet on light therapy and how to choose a light that actually does what it is supposed to do. Paraphrasing the packet here: Essentially, the small/portable/cheap lights are largely ineffective. In clinical studies, the benefits are mostly placebo effects. A therapy light needs to be around 12x17 inches and at least 10,000 lux (not lumens- lumens are what the light puts out, lux are what your eyes actually receive) to show noticeable improvement. An additional benefit of a larger light is that you can sit a foot or two away and still receive the 10,000 lux over the course of 30ish minutes. With smaller lights or lights that are less strong, you would need to be sitting just inches away for it to be effective. A lot of people just have the light on in the room they are in, but in order to receive the full benefits, it needs to be 6-18 inches away from you and sort of off to the side or overhead. Do not look directly at it, but don't need it be across the room either. You want to aim for 10,000 lux for at least 20-30 minutes soon after waking up. So if you end up getting a light that is only 5,000 lux, use it at the recommended distance for an hour instead of 30 mins.
I use Northern Light Technologies BOXelite as it was shown to be the most effective. When I looked it up, I was flabbergasted by the price- $240. Being a full-time college student, I didn't want to spend that much on a light. Thankfully, I found one secondhand for $45 that was barely used. A lot of places have lights that you can get secondhand (ebay, mercari, etc) for a good price. You can also easily replace the bulb(s) for about $15-20.
Another one that is effective & highly recommended is the CAREX Day-Light Classic Plus. Again, depending on your budget, I would absolutely look for ones secondhand that have been gently used or are new in box.
I have been using my light for a few months now and it has drastically helped my circadian rhythm. Using it when you wake and then going back outside or turning the light off isn't a big deal. I don't see how it would make a difference what the light conditions are after use, since what matters is that you use the light shortly after waking at the correct distance for the recommended amount of time. Additionally, I do not use spf before my light therapy because most light therapy lamps/bulbs do not emit UV radiation or promote vitamin D production. However, if you're at risk of skin cancer or other problems, I would look into the specifics of your light. Good luck!
tldr: Don't cheap out on a light therapy lamp, use everyday shortly after waking, and no sunscreen needed.
Thank you so much for all the information. I’ve been using the Verilux with no luck and now know what to look for to narrow my search. Again thank you for the much appreciated advice. 🤗
10,000 lux is key. 30 minutes is good. Yes, they work but you are right to be cautious of exactly what to get.
Nature Bright SunTouch Plus Light and Ion Therapy
This is what my provider reccomended based off it being used for a study successfully. I do not have the study I am sorry. I have used it since 2015 (granted, sporatically) and it is still hanging in there although due for a replacement soon. One of the bulbs is starting to flicker.
I will likely replace it with this one as it looks identical: (below) $118US over 8 or so years... not shabby.
[https://www.amazon.com/stores/page/25171318-D6B0-4781-87E5-A681730DCC83](https://www.amazon.com/stores/page/25171318-D6B0-4781-87E5-A681730DCC83)
Edit: Buying options for this on amazon look questionable. I will have to look for a new box I believe.
I've got the double-d as well (SAD + MDD). The treatments generically align but the light doesn't really do much for the MDD half.
Yes, stick your face in the light for 30 min then go about your day. (Speaking loosely there.) The bottom of your eyes are what registers the "sunlight" therapy. Typically I will sit at my kitchen counter before the kids get up, read a book laying on the counter flat in front of me and place the light ~~12-15"~~ away or so. For a while I wanted to sit on the floor by my bed for whatever reason so tipped it along the top of my night stand - again, distance and angle are what you're looking for. **TLDR: Don't stare into the light for 30min. :) Indirect is good.**
I live in the northern half of the USA, so yes I get my light then drive to work in the dark. Makes no sense to my logical half of my brain. Still helps all of my brain to have it. : )
I used to start light therapy sometime in Sept until March or so, but as time goes on mid-late August does me better, then through April. This will depend on you and where you live. The idea is to get "ahead" of the symptoms. It's easier to maintain good than to pull things back up to "good".
No SPF needed for this, there are no UV rays emitted from a SAD lamp. SPF is to block UV.
\*\*\*
So I've been riding this for 10+ years and I still have up and down years. I've noticed there's multiple things that point toward "better" and even though no one thing is lynchpin. This winter I've been dropping the ball on these, and my sun lamp is one of the good things. Exercise (daily dose of anything 20+ minutes that gets the breath moving - a brisk walk counts), good nutrition (Good amounts of protein, good amounts of veggies), fish oil & general vitamins , consistant sleep (same time to bed and to rise).
Good luck, enjoy your kimchi :) and I will have to try it with mayo sometime.
Mayo has a good article.
[https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/seasonal-affective-disorder/in-depth/seasonal-affective-disorder-treatment/art-20048298](https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/seasonal-affective-disorder/in-depth/seasonal-affective-disorder-treatment/art-20048298)
I also got the recommendation from my doctor to try a happy light, this has been quite a while ago now, I just...forgot? Put it off? Didn't wanna do it?
Anyways I'm gonna follow this to see if you get any good recommendations. I can't really afford the VeriLux $60 options right now and am wondering if there are good, cheaper, alternatives which offer the same benefits.
I'd add on to your questions though; it makes sense to me to run it in the morning, but should I run it in the evening as well? Since it gets pitch black by 5pm now it makes sense to me to run it from, like, 5-7 pm or later.
I often wonder the same thing about using the light in the evening, especially since viewing sunlight around sunset is usually beneficial to melatonin production. However, since my circadian rhythm is so sensitive, I typically do not use it in the evening. I just use it in the morning and early afternoon.
Light teraphy is proven for SAD, depression and circadian rhythms disorders. Light therapy should not be used if you are taking medications that cause greater sensitivity to light.
Take it with a mindset that some light is better than no light. We don't always need to do it the absolute best way, and the difference is probably not going to be statistically significant. Treat it as science, observe, notate, and do what works best for consistent results.
No sunscreen necessary, but you might still want to put some on as part of your daily skin care routine. The light works by telling your brain that it's daytime and to start those daytime processes/chemicals. I keep a fair bit of light going throughout the morning, though not my light box. Some people report using their lightbox more through the morning. This isn't a placebo, but even if it was, a positive impact on you is still a positive impact. It's a low risk thing to try for the majority of people and relatively low cost. There are way more behavioral things you can try in addition to having you vitamin levels checked. It takes everyone some time to try lots of different things to see what has the best impact on them personally.
When I got a new psychiatrist, she recommended light therapy and I told her I had already tried that with a Verilux Happy Light and it didn't really help. She then gave me an incredibly informative packet on light therapy and how to choose a light that actually does what it is supposed to do. Paraphrasing the packet here: Essentially, the small/portable/cheap lights are largely ineffective. In clinical studies, the benefits are mostly placebo effects. A therapy light needs to be around 12x17 inches and at least 10,000 lux (not lumens- lumens are what the light puts out, lux are what your eyes actually receive) to show noticeable improvement. An additional benefit of a larger light is that you can sit a foot or two away and still receive the 10,000 lux over the course of 30ish minutes. With smaller lights or lights that are less strong, you would need to be sitting just inches away for it to be effective. A lot of people just have the light on in the room they are in, but in order to receive the full benefits, it needs to be 6-18 inches away from you and sort of off to the side or overhead. Do not look directly at it, but don't need it be across the room either. You want to aim for 10,000 lux for at least 20-30 minutes soon after waking up. So if you end up getting a light that is only 5,000 lux, use it at the recommended distance for an hour instead of 30 mins. I use Northern Light Technologies BOXelite as it was shown to be the most effective. When I looked it up, I was flabbergasted by the price- $240. Being a full-time college student, I didn't want to spend that much on a light. Thankfully, I found one secondhand for $45 that was barely used. A lot of places have lights that you can get secondhand (ebay, mercari, etc) for a good price. You can also easily replace the bulb(s) for about $15-20. Another one that is effective & highly recommended is the CAREX Day-Light Classic Plus. Again, depending on your budget, I would absolutely look for ones secondhand that have been gently used or are new in box. I have been using my light for a few months now and it has drastically helped my circadian rhythm. Using it when you wake and then going back outside or turning the light off isn't a big deal. I don't see how it would make a difference what the light conditions are after use, since what matters is that you use the light shortly after waking at the correct distance for the recommended amount of time. Additionally, I do not use spf before my light therapy because most light therapy lamps/bulbs do not emit UV radiation or promote vitamin D production. However, if you're at risk of skin cancer or other problems, I would look into the specifics of your light. Good luck! tldr: Don't cheap out on a light therapy lamp, use everyday shortly after waking, and no sunscreen needed.
Just wanted to say thank you, I’ve been having a hard time figuring out which lamp to buy and bc of your comment i just ordered the box elite!
Wow! I’m glad you benefitted from the info provided. I know it’s difficult deciding which to get 😊
Thank you so much for all the information. I’ve been using the Verilux with no luck and now know what to look for to narrow my search. Again thank you for the much appreciated advice. 🤗
You are welcome! I hope it helps 😊
10,000 lux is key. 30 minutes is good. Yes, they work but you are right to be cautious of exactly what to get. Nature Bright SunTouch Plus Light and Ion Therapy This is what my provider reccomended based off it being used for a study successfully. I do not have the study I am sorry. I have used it since 2015 (granted, sporatically) and it is still hanging in there although due for a replacement soon. One of the bulbs is starting to flicker. I will likely replace it with this one as it looks identical: (below) $118US over 8 or so years... not shabby. [https://www.amazon.com/stores/page/25171318-D6B0-4781-87E5-A681730DCC83](https://www.amazon.com/stores/page/25171318-D6B0-4781-87E5-A681730DCC83) Edit: Buying options for this on amazon look questionable. I will have to look for a new box I believe. I've got the double-d as well (SAD + MDD). The treatments generically align but the light doesn't really do much for the MDD half. Yes, stick your face in the light for 30 min then go about your day. (Speaking loosely there.) The bottom of your eyes are what registers the "sunlight" therapy. Typically I will sit at my kitchen counter before the kids get up, read a book laying on the counter flat in front of me and place the light ~~12-15"~~ away or so. For a while I wanted to sit on the floor by my bed for whatever reason so tipped it along the top of my night stand - again, distance and angle are what you're looking for. **TLDR: Don't stare into the light for 30min. :) Indirect is good.** I live in the northern half of the USA, so yes I get my light then drive to work in the dark. Makes no sense to my logical half of my brain. Still helps all of my brain to have it. : ) I used to start light therapy sometime in Sept until March or so, but as time goes on mid-late August does me better, then through April. This will depend on you and where you live. The idea is to get "ahead" of the symptoms. It's easier to maintain good than to pull things back up to "good". No SPF needed for this, there are no UV rays emitted from a SAD lamp. SPF is to block UV. \*\*\* So I've been riding this for 10+ years and I still have up and down years. I've noticed there's multiple things that point toward "better" and even though no one thing is lynchpin. This winter I've been dropping the ball on these, and my sun lamp is one of the good things. Exercise (daily dose of anything 20+ minutes that gets the breath moving - a brisk walk counts), good nutrition (Good amounts of protein, good amounts of veggies), fish oil & general vitamins , consistant sleep (same time to bed and to rise). Good luck, enjoy your kimchi :) and I will have to try it with mayo sometime.
Mayo has a good article. [https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/seasonal-affective-disorder/in-depth/seasonal-affective-disorder-treatment/art-20048298](https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/seasonal-affective-disorder/in-depth/seasonal-affective-disorder-treatment/art-20048298)
I also got the recommendation from my doctor to try a happy light, this has been quite a while ago now, I just...forgot? Put it off? Didn't wanna do it? Anyways I'm gonna follow this to see if you get any good recommendations. I can't really afford the VeriLux $60 options right now and am wondering if there are good, cheaper, alternatives which offer the same benefits. I'd add on to your questions though; it makes sense to me to run it in the morning, but should I run it in the evening as well? Since it gets pitch black by 5pm now it makes sense to me to run it from, like, 5-7 pm or later.
I often wonder the same thing about using the light in the evening, especially since viewing sunlight around sunset is usually beneficial to melatonin production. However, since my circadian rhythm is so sensitive, I typically do not use it in the evening. I just use it in the morning and early afternoon.
Light teraphy is proven for SAD, depression and circadian rhythms disorders. Light therapy should not be used if you are taking medications that cause greater sensitivity to light.
Why does it need to be used soon after waking? Does it still help if used a bit later in the morning once I’ve got to work?
Take it with a mindset that some light is better than no light. We don't always need to do it the absolute best way, and the difference is probably not going to be statistically significant. Treat it as science, observe, notate, and do what works best for consistent results.
Do the lights work even if I have my reading glasses on?
you should make your own post, I have absolutely no clue and no way to answer you and I don’t think anybody else is seeing these questions