Was wondering if any of you or your kids have SAD and have used these lights. One of my sons finds that his mild depression gets worse in the winter. From what I am reading, it seems like the lights need to be used first thing upon waking which may be a problem for him since he has to be at work very early in the morning and may not have 30 minutes to sit in front of the light at that time of day.
What type did you/your kid get? Did it get used? Did it help?
Thanks!
I have SAD, but my lightbox is over 20 years old. It helps me immensely. Thirty minutes or more in the deepest winter seems critical. My daughter has a small desktop HappyLite for school; she has not been officially diagnosed but suspect she experiences SAD, too. I have not used these lights recommended by Wirecutter: https://thewirecutter.com/reviews/best-light-therapy-lamp/ Wishing you and your son the best!
One of my favorite topics!
I suggest reading at www.cet.org. It is an excellent research-based resource, including a section on recommended products.
I used to use a light box but I have since switched to a daylight dawn alarm plus negative ion generator.
Both of these (proven effective) options are passive. That is, use them while you are asleep. So easy!
I have also found that it’s important for me to get ahead of the season. In Chicagoland, that means starting treatment mid-September so October is a smoother transition & I’m not a mess by time November rolls around.
I have a small table at the foot of my bed where the negative ion generator sits. It is supposed to be placed in an area with some feet of clearance all around it.
The newer model on cet.org is +$200 but I did not hesitate to replace the older model I had when it finally konked out.
Other tools in my tool box is getting outside and walking the dog every day, and regular exercise (hiking & weight training). Good self-care helps so much, but it’s also hard to get going if you are depressed.
I hope this helps!
Yes to walking daily! Also, I have a very old dawn simulator that attaches to my bedside lamp. The other thing that helps is cutting my sugar intake.
Thanks! I looked up the dawn alarm lights but seems like they are just to wake you up with light rather than sound? Not sure that would as well for 20-something guy that seems able to sleep the morning away, even with light coming in.
I will get him a light and see if that works, but also look into the negative ion generator.
I have an older version of the dawn alarm that used to be the recommended set-up at CET. I think I’ve had it for nearly 7 years now.
I have a control box (timer and dim control) connected to an extremely bright halogen lamp. It is VERY difficult to avoid the bright light in the morning as it slowly gets brighter and brighter. I mean, I’d have to put a blanket over my head to shield my eyes from it. It’s that bright. I wake without a sound alarm every morning.
The smaller, less bright dawn alarm lights now sold on CET are not nearly as bright.
At one time, I moved the halogen lamp set-up into one of my kid’s rooms for her to try, and I used the table top version now sold on CET. It’s easy to turn your head and avoid the light with those. JMO.
When she went off to college, I took the halogen lamp set-up back!
The negative ion generator was a complete game changer, for me. If I had not read about the research results at CET, I would never have believed something like that could work to elevate mood. Sounds like pure quackery.