SAD and Light Therapy?

[DoeWDW]

Anyone here have Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) and use light therapy? I'm interested in what type of light or light box you're using and how much time per day do you use it.

This may be an option for me to help beat my own Winter Blues.

 

[Christine]

Doreen,
I tried this about 2 "winters" ago and I found the light very stimulating and I could not keep it up. It made me not sleep at night and I can't handle that.

Fortunately, my doctor owns two light boxes and he lends them out to patients to try and if they find it works, they can then shell out the bucks for it.

I can't remember what he had but it was one of the popular brands and is ordered through a company in Gaithersburg, MD.

 

[jajuan]

Funny...seconds before I saw this post, I was thinking how much I dislike fall and winter and I am so sad that it is getting darker earlier. I would love to hear more on this subject.

 

[Brianne]

I suffer from it, to the point that we ended up moving (I do miss the snow sometimes still *sigh*).

Light boxes can get really pricey--into the thousands range. You'd probably be better off looking into renting one or looking on the internet.

My doctor told me that a cheaper way to deal with it would be to use a tanning booth. I wasn't too crazy about the idea so I never did it, but I figure someone could use the information!

 

[septbride2002]

I've heard of the tanning booth things as well. Maybe a 10 minute visit once a week would be the ticket for ya Doe!

~Amanda

 

[Tigger&Belle]

Doreen,
I
I can't remember what he had but it was one of the popular brands and is ordered through a company in Gaithersburg, MD.

MIne is a Sun Box (www.sunbox.com). It's probably made by the Gaithersburg company. My DD got one from a friend who worked for the company and we bought another one from them.

I don't normally use it. It's in my bedroom and during winter I try to turn it on if I'm upstairs doing laundry, etc.

The key is to not use it late in the day. One time my DD was not thinking and had hers on in the evening. The next morning she commented that she couldn't sleep that night. Well no kidding!

 

[sweet angel]

Funny...seconds before I saw this post, I was thinking how much I dislike fall and winter and I am so sad that it is getting darker earlier. I would love to hear more on this subject.

I've said for years that I think I have mild SAD. THankfully, it's not bad enough to warrant light boxes -- yet.

 

[mickeyboat]

I firmly believe DH has SAD, but he refuses to do anything about it. Maybe this winter I will get one of those light boxes and chase him around the house with it. Then again, he might like that a little too much!

Denae

 

[hydster]

I've suffered with it since the birth of my oldest child or at least that is when I started really noticing it. I have a light box that I bought at Costco. It's a go lite light therapy and I love it. I paid about 139 dollars for it but both my dh and I use it starting at daylight savings and continuing until Easter. We use it for 5 min in the morning and 5 min at night every day. It doesn't seem to keep us awake.

http://www.costco.com/Browse/Product.aspx?Prodid=10040013&whse=BC&topnav=&cat=4506&hierPath=683*

Feel free to pm me if you'd like

 

[Cindyluwho]

I don't have a light box but I use an "artificial sunrise" light in my bedroom. I set the clock for 6:15. At about 5:45am the light starts to barely come on, very gently. It keeps getting brighter and brighter until is maxes out at 6:15, just like a regular sunrise. You don't even have to wake up for it to set your "brain clock". It makes a huge difference! I love it.