rheanna

EoR,

From what I've read, the ability to simulate daylight wavelengths is important, but not as important as the QUANTITY of light. This means at one foot (30 cm) away from the light you're getting A LOT (I'm not a math genius so the exact mathematics escapes me) and at two feet away it's actually A LOT LESS then half as much. Light is measured in units called lux which is how much light is present at a given distance from the source, and the quantity of light drops off by the inverse square of something something linear distance something. Ahem. It's obvious I'm not mathematically gifted. So you need to sit (or stand if you're doing exercises which I did for a while) pretty close to the light source to get any benefit from it, but it can be off to the side and you don't have to look directly at it for the effects to enter your eyes.

Some people are concerned with damage to their eyes, especially when the wavelengths contain too much blue. If the light source is covered by a diffuser screen, then your eyes are not in danger from the light source. I've heard different numbers on how much lux you need to have an effect, but somewhere between 10,000 and 25,000 seems to be in the ballpark. If you buy flourescent light fixtures from the hardware store, the length is an indicator of the amount of light it puts out. (Total length counts -- several shorter ones = fewer longer ones.)

The fact that you have to be pretty close to get the maximum effects means that the light bulbs have to be a cool variety like flourescents, not a hot variety like old-fashined light bulbs or halogens. I've burned my skin by being too close to halogen lights, so my DH made me a set-up with flourescent light fixtures from the hardware store. This can be a lot cheaper than the official SAD ones, but you have to have some engineering skills to come up with a way to attach the lights to a table or floor stand.

My DH got two fixtures (complete with diffusers, ready to be installed onto a ceiling for its original purpose!), each with two flourescent lights 22-23 inches (56-58 cm) long -- so 4 flourescents total. We use ordinary flourescents, not the more expensive daylight simulators and they seem to work fine. He attached the fixtures to a long narrow wooden framed artist's canvas. I set it up on an easel or prop it up beside me on the couch and bask. It takes somewhere between 15 minutes and an hour before suddenly the heavenly glow turns irritating and I know I've tanked up enough. It really helps. I had SAD every winter in "sunny" California and now that we're in the frozen tundra north of Germany I REALLY have a problem in winter. We don't actually get a lot of snow up here in the north, but when we do my mood lifts -- the snow reflects A LOT of light.

Other people feel more comfortable buying the "official" light therapy boxes. I would suggest that you read up on SAD and light therapy from reputable medical sources before you spend much time with the websites and advertisements from particular brands. Each will of course declare that it's the best, but knowing something about lux and types of light will give you some knowledge to compare the brands. And think about where you would be using it for up to an hour per day, so you can decide if you want a desktop model or one that can be set up on a stand next to the couch.

Time of day: it's recommended to use the light therapy in the morning to get rid of the sleepy-time melatonin, but if you're not a morning person, sessions in the evening also work. It's like exercise -- the "experts" say we "should" be exercising in the middle of the afternoon in order to get a "real" benefit from it -- but people in school or with jobs are not in a position to take their breaks just anytime they choose, so they do their exercise when they get a chance. Anytime is fine.

Good luck on finding a non-medical way to balance your life.

--Rheanna