With fall and winter approaching, we can look forward to delicious seasonal food, the holiday season, and a cozier wardrobe. Even though the colder seasons can bring us lots of joy, it’s also the time of the year when it can feel like you hardly see the sun. With limited sunshine hours, people who work a typical 9-5 may not even see the sun on their normal work days.
Lack of sunlight can cause some people to develop a mood disorder called seasonal affective disorder (SAD). This type of depression usually affects people in the earlier months of fall and lasts until spring or summer, when it’s easier to get more sun exposure. SAD can make a person feel sluggish or agitated, frequently distracted, hopeless or worthless. But there are treatment options.
One of the easiest treatments for SAD is light therapy. Light therapy exposes you to artificial light to mimic sun exposure. During the therapy, you will sit near a light therapy box in the morning or early afternoon to help treat your SAD symptoms. The Circadian Optics Light Therapy Lamp is a great option for those interested in light therapy. As seen on Shark Tank, this therapy lamp is not only effective at mimicking natural sunlight, but its sleek modern design is perfect for any desk or nightstand. Read on to learn more about how this lamp works to improve your mood.
How Does It Work?
So you need sunlight to feel good. But why? Sunlight helps regulate the circadian rhythm. This is the cycle your brain follows to know when to sleep and when to be awake. Sunlight interacts with the back of the eye and sends a signal to the brain to regulate our bodies’ internal clock. The colder months tend to be darker and can easily throw your circadian rhythm off. Dim lighting and long exposure to bright computer screens can also contribute to a poor sleep schedule. By using the Circadian Optics Light Therapy Lamp in the morning, you’ll be able to signal to your brain that the day has started, even if it’s dark outside.
Circadian Optics recommends using the lamp for 30 minutes a day in the morning or early afternoon to simulate morning sun exposure. Doing so will make you feel more awake faster, increase your focus, improve your mood, and regulate your sleep schedule. To make sure you’re getting the full effect, it’s recommended that you place the light therapy lamp 16-18” from your face. Putting the lamp next to your keyboard is a great way to get some therapy in while you work.
Light Therapy Lamp Features
Here’s some more information Circadian Optics provided on one of their best-selling lamps:
- The sun lamp is free of unwanted UV rays.
- This therapy light provides the recommended 10,000 LUX (“lux” is a measure of light intensity received on your eyes) of brightness
- The LED natural light lamp lasts approximately 50,000 hours — a longer life than fluorescent bulbs — and produces uniform, dot-free light that has the same quality of the noonday sun (5500K).
- The lamp’s quick, one-touch operation makes it simple to use. No complicated settings to mess around with. 3 levels allows you to customize the brightness for the best efficacy and comfort.