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A few of you have expressed interest in a review of my much-needed Seasonal Affective Disorder light. Now that I’ve been using it for a little bit, I’m happy to oblige.
Choosing a lamp
After some deliberation, I chose the NatureBright SunTouch lamp. It has an additional feature for ion emission, which is supposed to be calming or… something. I haven’t tried that function because it’s really not my cup of tea. I just need the light.
At $39.99, it’s definitely not the cheapest model, though it’s far from the most expensive. I chose it because it was the best- and most-reviewed lamp on Amazon.
But if you can’t afford $39.99 right now, there are plenty of other, cheaper lights that were had many positive reviews. The main things to look for are:
- It’s specifically made to help with SAD
- It puts out at least 10,000 lux
- It puts out non-UV light.
It’s also best to check how close you’re supposed to be to the lamp. There are some that want you within a few inches, which could be difficult to manage (not to mention hard on your eyes).
The more standard range is about 12- to 16-inches away from your face. Yes, that’s still relatively close, but it’s better than 6- to 8-inches which was what a few lights called for.
Using the lamp
Do not put the lamp directly in front of you. It should be on the side so that you’re not staring directly at it.
According to all the literature it’s best to use the lamp first thing in the morning. I think that’s less about overall efficacy and more about the fact that people with SAD can have more grogginess. Sitting in front of the light tends to help you feel more awake, which should make it easier (and safer) to get yourself to work.
You should start using the light in smaller increments. Allegedly, 15 minutes is enough to get benefits. I allow 30 minutes just to be safe, but not everyone has that kind of time in the morning. So just keep it on while you eat breakfast/read the paper/scroll through social media. Or set it up at your desk at work — assuming you won’t be blinding your colleagues.
The results
So far I’m very happy with the light. I can definitely tell the difference.
It’s not that it’s made mornings easy,but they’re definitely easier. I think being up two to three hours before sunrise is always going to be hard on my system, but the light helps me feel more alert despite the darkness.
More importantly, I don’t feel quite so helpless in the face of… Well, everything.
The idea of errands doesn’t make me want to cry. I’m able to run anywhere from one to three a day without feeling like it’s the end of the world.
Junk food cravings aren’t as overwhelming. That’s not to say I’m eating terribly healthily. But that’s more about laziness than helplessness. Which is a huge difference, even if it doesn’t sound like it.
I’ve even been exercising a bit. In the past 10 days, I’ve done squats and lunges three times, dumbbells twice and a walking video twice. Before I got the light, just the idea of exercise made me want to cry. Now it only makes me want to cry while I’m doing it.
I can’t promise that a SAD light will make you exercise or cure you of chocolate cravings. But I can say that the NatureBright SunTouch has done wonders for me. If you struggle with seasonal depression, I’d urge you to look into a light therapy lamp for yourself.
Have you ever used a SAD light?
Catseye says
Thanks for the review. I can’t afford one right now but I’m definitely thinking about getting one. Well, I could prob afford one if I used the Christmas check from Dad but I REALLY need a new area rug in the living room and some new underwear. Either I’m really rough on undies or the Chinese don’t make them like they used to. ;o)
Abigail says
I vote for the second one! I hope you find an area rug you like… and a good lamp when the time comes. I really do love mine and highly recommend it, but I know that there are some good models that are closer to $30ish.
Donna Freedman says
Oh yes. Yes, I have. And yes, I do. In fact, I’m writing this reply alongside my SAD light.
It isn’t just Alaskans who suffer from seasonal affective disorder. I do think that lots of people who struggle with winter would benefit from using one of these lights.
My favorite example, told to me by a sleep disorders physician: Her husband attached a SAD light to the treadmill, so he could absorb its effects during his daily exercise regimen. Talk about multitasking…!
Donna Freedman recently posted…Some frugal Christmas parodies.
Abigail says
That’s brilliant. So to speak. I think a lot more people don’t realize they’re experiencing SAD. They ascribe being blue to the bad weather or holiday stress, so here’s hoping more people give these a shot.
teinegurl says
Yes I was curious if this could help my BF. He told me he has sadness around the holidays “holidays blues” not diagnosed by a doctor but I noticed a huge difference in his personality say after Thanksgiving. Seemed to be a bit more grouchy, more down and very closed off. I tried to provide distractions and get him excited for the holidays and thankfully with New Year’s Eve a couple days away which he seems excited for he’ll get back to his old self. I live in Hawaii so we get plenty of sunshine so im not sure it will help but I did notice using a diffuser seems to help relax him and ME.
Abigail says
Well, when he’s more relaxed, you’re more relaxed right? Like I said, there are more affordable models if you want to do this more as a test/think he might be a little resistant. You should be able to get a decent model for $25 to $35. All his symptoms definitely sound like a more male pattern of depression. I was told recently that some men exhibit depressive symptoms more as aggression and/or irritabilily, in addition to the normal sadness; so your description matches up pretty well with that.
Jean says
I live in SE MN and my doctor told me everyone in the upper Midwest should be taking 5000IU of Vitamin D daily and had a 10,000 LUX SAD lamp. Using both of those has helped my sleep pattern immensely – no more waking multiple times a night and I can go back to sleep when I do wake up. Will not be without either again!
Abigail says
So glad it helped! A good night’s sleep is ridiculously integral to easing depression. When you’re exhausted everything just seems infinitely worse and destined to stay that way.
Impossible Girl says
As the risk of sounding biased (since exercise is literally my livelihood), I am sure the additional movement is helping as well, all those endorphins, better sleep, etc. It’s a nice little cycle you have got yourself into! I take a D supplement and have considered a lamp, especially for after the first of the year when the “ugh 3 more months of this” feeling sets in. I used to do the tanning bed thing when I was young(er) and stupid(er) and that definitely helped but the risks outweigh the benefits by far.
Abigail says
Yes, exercise will help, but the actual movement only started 3 days ago. And trust me when I say 3 minutes of swearing/lunges was not enough to improve my mood. Did I mention the swearing?
But seriously, the exercise will add to the positive effect. If I could have managed exercise without the lamp, that would’ve been the first thing I did because of the natural mood boost that (eventually) results from all that activity. And sweating. And yeah, more swearing.
Eating better will also help my mood… If I ever get around to it.
Impossible Girl says
The swearing helps! Seriously, when the exercise gets difficult or places start burning, swearing/grunting will get you through it. When you see those meatheads at the gym (full disclosure, I am also one of those meatheads) grunting, it is because the forced exhalation of air provides a physical, as well as psychological “push” to your muscles to finish the move. Cussing also provides a mental push, it gives physical form to your hard-to-see pain and helps your brain relieve some of that stress and keep going when you think you can’t. One of my fellow PTs literally wrote a paper on this, lol.
So don’t feel bad about the bad words, they are actually helping you work out!
Abigail says
Haha, I love that he/she wrote a paper on it. My old personal trainer definitely taught me to exhale as you’re asking your muscles to do the most work. Tightens them up for a bit of extra workout but mainly pushes you through that exercise. And yes, swearing is huge in exercise. Even if it’s just in my head, I need to be able to let loose about how much it sucks. But the benefit to doing videos is that you can tell the woman on screen whatever you want.
Marcia says
I purchased the same lamp for my Megan, it does work wonders, she has had it just 2 years now. It has been helpful and a smart purchase overall. I am really glad you are feeling better!
Abigail says
Glad to hear it has some staying power. It seems pretty durable, but you never know with these things…
Lizzy says
Thank you for this post!! I am from sunny south Florida, and I moved to the mountains of North Carolina last year. While I love my new home, I find the dark winters a struggle.
Abigail says
Wow, yeah that’s quite a climate change winter-wise. I hope this post convinces you to get one for yourself. They really can be a godsend.
Kat says
The recommendation for using it early in the morning is to help with sleep cycle regulation. It’s the same reason some doctors will tell some insomnia sufferers to avoid manmade light after a certain point. There’s some research that shows camping for as little as three days can reset sleep cycles in people who demonstrate issues with their sleep being effected by modern life. Again, that’s not all insomniacs. Some of us could camp away from manmade light for a month and still not sleep well (there are a lot of factors and some of them are genetic- there’s even one very, very unlucky family that suffers from genetic terminal insomnia).
One quick thing- with SAD being a topic, it is a good thing to check in with your doctor about the research on a regular basis. It’s especially important to check if your doctor is keeping current. I say that because some doctors don’t and that can prove really freaking dangerous. How? There was a big push towards vitamin D a few years ago. While a lot of people do test as deficient in it (we aren’t drinking as much milk as we used to, so the fortifying of dairy isn’t as effective as it once was), there was some initial research that showed bigger doses might be beneficial. A lot of doctors jumped on this and started recommending higher amounts to their patients. As in, INSANE amounts as a constant supplementation (not as an initial boost to correct a deficiency seen in a blood test with retesting and adjusted amounts based on further testing). Later research proved that these levels did not, in fact, help. There is further research currently being conducted to see if the overuse has caused long term issues or if it’s just a wash. That’s separate from the fact that vitamin D, like just about every substance on this earth, can be toxic in large enough quantities.
Abigail says
Funny you should mention vitamin D. My bloodwork came back and the levels of vitamin D were ridiculously low. Like, the lowest the nurse practitioner thought she’d ever seen. I’m going on a crazy high prescription dosage — but just for 13 weeks. Then I’m supposed to go to the over-the-counter stuff. But I’ll be sure to check up on those doses before I figure out which levels to go to.
It’s probably just because I spend so little time in the sun and I don’t drink milk or eat cereal (which is the way I used to get milk in my diet). In fact, my body is weird. Two sips of milk used to give me a stomachache. But I never had a problem taking in milk with a bowl of cereal.
Kat says
I hope the 13 week course helps. A lot of people are turning up deficient because cereal and milk are becoming less popular options. There are also a lot of people who experience varying degrees of lactose intolerance and other dairy related issues. People who have everything from acne to migraines are being told to try cutting out dairy to see if it helps the issue. I was so glad when it didn’t… I love good cheese too much.
With having a lower vitamin D count, it’s good to remember that you’re not just limited to supplements, dairy, and fortified cereals. Eggs have a lot of vitamin D (it’s in the yolk), so does oily fish and even some mushrooms. Beyond that, any dairy product in the US has the vitamin D fortification- yogurt and cheese included. Oh, one thing to keep in mind, even if your doctor forgets to tell you (they often do)- take the big, honking supplement with food that contains fat. Vitamin D’s a bit of a weirdo- our bodies don’t need fat to put it to good use but we do need fat to absorb the stuff. Most people can get away with stored body fat but things like medications or other factors can make this not the case (since you have very low levels, best to err on the side of caution). There’s some theories being tossed around that part of the reason vitamin D levels have decreased is the increased popularity of nonfat dairy products (there were results from other studies that showed you need at least some fat to absorb other nutritional benefits of milk, hence why “health” ads say low fat or skim milk). Oh, and if you choose to go with fish oil supplements… go for wild caught, cold pressed salmon oil capsules (I know Trader Joe’s sells them) and keep them in the fridge.
Rae says
Just wanted to drop you a note of thanks: I really needed to get a SAD light but I wasn’t able to make a decision. It was just too overwhelming to try to figure out what unit was good enough but mot too expensive etc. You made my life a good bit better with this review 🙂
Abigail says
I’m glad I could help! I agree the choices felt pretty overwhelming. That’s why I decided to go with the one I did: the most reviews were on there and it seemed to be the best-reviewed too. Sometimes it’s okay to follow the herd, especially when it comes to reviews