by Estee Taschereau
Winter blues is a real thing. Seasonal depression affects thousands, and many do not understand the cause or treatment. What are the symptoms of seasonal affective disorder? Low energy, sleep disorders, a bad mood, depression, and a low energy level.
Seasonal affective disorder is also know as S.A.D., and occurs when the days shorten and darkness prevails. Areas with a higher number of cloudy days, such as Seattle, Washington, may influence the number of cases of seasonal depression.
Most of us work a 9 to 5 job, and during the winter months we do not receive enough natural light. Working in an office building often translates to fluorescent lighting and insufficient sunlight. Weather conditions don’t promote spending time outdoors. How does this affect us? We react with a bad mood, fatigue, and an inability to concentrate. What causes these mood swings and energy drops? Melatonin, a natural substance produced by our brain.
Therapeutic bright lights are a common treatment for seasonal depression. These units use specially designed ballasts, the brains of the lighting unit, and lights to produce a high quality low cost light that is sufficient to influence the brain and the release of melatonin. Light flips the switch for our melatonin production, turning it off during the daylight hours.
A quality bright light unit will give sufficient light to stimulate the brain and turn off melatonin production. Compared to incandescent bulbs, the better light box emits the equivalent to 100- 100 watt light bulbs. This is a safe quality of light, and is far less than the naturally occurring daylight on a sunny day.
Our typical home lighting does not provide the amount of light that we typically need to signal the body to decrease our melatonin production. While some of us do not notice the affects, many of us experience lower energy during the daytime when we should be awake and alert.
What are the typical affects of using a therapeutic bright light? Most users state an increase in their energy throughout the day, and even more restful sleep the following night. In addition, their mood evens, and the depression decreases.
If you are considering using therapeutic bright light therapy to improve your mood and energy level there are a few concepts to consider. The type of unit you purchase should be considered, with an output of light that is sufficient to stimulate the brain. Inexpensive units may not provide a sufficient amount of light. You should also check with your doctor or eye care specialist, as light therapy should not be used if by those with certain eye conditions.
You can use therapeutic bright lights as a part of your usual routines. Read the paper or a book during your session, or use it as a quality light for applying makeup or shaving. Use it while eating your breakfast, and think about how much higher your energy will be throughout the day. Brighten up your day with therapeutic bright lights.
Author Estee Taschereau has teamed with physicians and medical supply companies to promote bright light therapy as one of the treatments of seasonal depression. Depression can be related to a spiritual loss as well, find out more during a private intuitive phone consultation with the author.
Similar Wikipedia Articles
Similar Products
 |
Sun Alarm Ultima :: Amazon Now known as the Sun Alarm Ultima, this beautiful sunrise alarm clock, with its sleek compact design, digital display, AM/FM radio, snooze b |