<p>I just bought a light therapy box and started using it this morning. I always feel very ‘blah’ in the winter and have read wonderful things about light therapy. Not sure if I suffer from SAD but the symptoms seem to describe me in the winter. Tired, low energy, slightly depressed. I’ve looked into them many times over the years but didn’t buy one for a variety of reasons - cost, large size, etc.</p>
<p>I happen to see one on Amazon the other day and the price ($90) and the size were right. It had tons of great reviews. I decided to go for it. I bought a Nature Bright by SunTouch Plus. </p>
<p>I’m just curious if anyone has tried it and if so, what results have you seen? Any tips?</p>
<p>My daughters friend uses a caribbean light box that her psychiatrist had her get during her parents divorce. She swears it helps and she took it to college.</p>
<p>D has used one throughout the fall and winter for the last three years and she sees real results (as do we). She says it’s key to use it at the same time of day, every day, even if that means getting up earlier on weekends. And she notes that you shouldn’t be surprised if you feel a little nauseated the first week of use. </p>
<p>Have you had your vitamin D blood level checked?</p>
<p>Most people are deficient to begin with, and it gets especially bad in the winter when we get no sun to speak of. Vitamin D is know to affect mood and depression.</p>
<p>Google “vitamin D SAD connection”, there are tons of articles and a lot of research about this.</p>
<p>I use light therapy! Mine is like a floor lamp. I use it for 1/2 hour every morning while having a cup of coffee and read the newspaper. Have had the 3 best winters in my life because of it.</p>
<p>My vitamin D level is normal - just had it checked but I do also take a supplement. </p>
<p>HarrietMWelsch - thanks for the tip about feeling nauseous. Actually, I had a slight headache and eye strain after using it the morning, so I googled it and found out it’s not uncommon to experience nauseous, headache or eye strain the first few times you use it. Also read it might be better to place it slightly above eye level, so the light is down on you like the sun.</p>
<p>My wife uses a light therapy box every winter. She definitely does have SAD and it has been a real life saver for her. The rest of the family can tell if she hasn’t been using her light. I think she uses it for about 30-45 minutes every morning. As I recall it took about a week of using it for her to start noticing its affect.</p>
<p>Our pulmo/sleep specialist prescribed it for S to help him with getting up in the winter & “resetting his clock.” It was somewhat helpful but he said it was like a sledgehammer & just too much & too bright. We bought it from Costco.com & have since given it to my niece who loved it in OR, which has a LOT of overcast/cloudy days. We bought S a desklamp that was supposed to have full-spectrum light (it died in less than a year but wasn’t very expensive–S dumped it & didn’t replace with full-spectrum lighting–not needed in LA).</p>
<p>The pulmo/sleep specialist said it has been very helpful for SOME patients. We tried to get insurer to cover but it was ruled as experimental & not reimbursable. :(</p>
<p>Go slow. Start with a short amount of time and work your way up. Too long can literally send you into overdrive, which may sound like a good thing, but it really isn’t.</p>
<p>At first, mine was placed too close to my eyes. I had to experiment with it to get just the right distance from my face. It has saved my life. I highly, highly recommend it.</p>
<p>THANK YOU!!! That was on my “to do” list for yesterday and I totally forgot! I want to get one for my daughter because I think being in Chicago has brought out the SAD in her more than in NY. I’m signing off CC and googling Light Therapy Lamps. Also, thanks for the tips, I’ll pass them on to daughter.</p>
<p>Sent daughter an email about SAD and light boxes and she called to say it was too weird and she couldn’t see herself doing this in front of her roommates and she doesn’t have 30 minutes each day to sit in front of a lamp, etc. etc. I tried to explain the benefits and why I thought she should try it but I don’t think it’s going to happen this year. Too bad I didn’t think of it when she was home, although she didn’t need it at home. Oh well, she’s a big girl, it’s her decision.</p>
<p>MY understanding is that the lamp, which can be used like any other lamp, its just looks a little funny, has to be used starting in the early fall to really get the benefit through the winter.</p>