AKICOLJ: Full-spectrum lighting?

[oyceter]

Does anyone use full-spectrum lighting to combat SAD? If so, what do you use and how effective have you found it to be?

I'd particularly love something that I can use as a reading light, something compact, and something that automatically turns on at whatever hour of the morning so I don't have to buy one of those switch plug things that does it.

Comments

[littlebutfierce]

Phredd had an alarm clock like that, which he also used as a reading lamp. When the alarm still worked (it broke, or he broke it? can't remember) the light would turn on & gradually start getting brighter over maybe an hour. He said it helped him a lot... sorry that I can't get you a brand name or model name though!

[buymeaclue.livejournal.com]

Oh, man, thank you. I will watch this with interest.

[katie-m.livejournal.com]

It doesn't meet pretty much any of your requirements (other than the reading light thing a little bit, since, uh, sure, it's light, you could read by it...) But I use the SunLight, Jr. (http://www.sunbox.com/Products/10000LuxBright.asp) The first year I had it I tried to use it at home as directed--there's a whole thing about how much time you have to sit in front of it, and the angle from which the light should hit your eyes, and yada--which was a big failure, so the second winter I brought it in to work and plopped it down next to my computer. This worked a lot better; I wouldn't say that I was suddenly brimming with cheer instead of downhearted, but it did keep me more alert and made me feel less like all I wanted to do in the world was climb under my desk and take a nap.

I do have to explain it to people a lot, though. "Wow," they say, "that light is very bright!" Yes, I say. Yes it is.

[vee-fic.livejournal.com]

Mine is "Blue Max Lighting", in a quasi-desk, quasi-industrial design and a 70-watt bulb. Like Katie, I've found I'm better off the more I'm exposed to it, and I tend to respond better when I have morning exposure (evening exposure just makes me wired and unable to sleep). So right now I am getting up in the morning and checking email under it (20 minutes); I haven't tried the switch-plug option but that might be next.

If I find myself going more zombie in the next month, it's coming in to work with me.

[rilina.livejournal.com]

I have the GoLite P1 (http://apollohealth.com/golite.html). I used it sometimes when I lived in Boston; I think it helped a little. I haven't felt the need to use it yet here, so if you'd like to borrow it to do a test run, you are welcome to do so.

[oyceter]

Oh really? That would actually be awesome! I'm down again this weekend as well.

[rilina.livejournal.com]

I have a friend visiting Saturday evening, but am free Friday night (except not too late, cause I work Saturday during the day) and Sunday in the afternoon, if you want to meet up.

[jinian.livejournal.com]

I note, as I do whenever the topic comes up, that the study I was in found no difference between full-spectrum and brightly bright fluorescent. I do have a light box, the spendy but awesome Sun Ray II (http://indoorsun.stores.yahoo.net/sunrayii1.html), that I use at home, and a wee Golite in my office in the hole in the ground (where I rarely am). And knowing I had this to worry about has allowed me to successfully angle for window seats almost anywhere I've worked, which helps most of all.

[buddleia.livejournal.com]

I bought my dad the Lumie bodyclock sunrise lamp a while ago (he hates Winter and is borderline for SAD). It comes on slowly in the morning and is kind of cool. But, he's a useless bugger and I doubt he's used it yet so that's no use at all, sorry.

[oyceter]

How brightly bright qualifies? And how does the Golite work for you?

[ginny-t.livejournal.com]

I also have a sunrise lamp. I find it's a much nicer way to wake up in the morning.

I have a full-spectrum fluorescent bulb in the floor lamp beside my desk. I picked it up for $30 at a big health food store at least a year & a half ago (maybe two & a half, actually), so I'm pleased with the purchase.

I feel that they help. I can't say for sure, though.