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Short days, long nights. COVID. Politics. A recipe for Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD). Would light therapy brighten your winter?
By
Published: Oct 28, 2020
Category:
Health
Days are shorter, nights longer. Then there’s COVID-19, sure to spike with the cold and more indoor contact. At the same time, because of the cold, we’ll enjoy less contact with friends and family and an even more diminished social life. And then there’s the aftermath of the election.
A perfect storm.
If you are medicated for depression — or even tend toward depression — you are a candidate for Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD). The science is straightforward: the later dawn screws with your circadian rhythms and your sleep pattern. It’s like taking a long overnight flight and waking up in Paris — a nice idea for one night, less joyous if you’re taking that flight every night in the winter.
One cure is to decamp to a Caribbean island. A more practical response is a morning session of light therapy.
The Washington Post reports that 6 percent of the U.S. population suffers severe symptoms of SAD and 14 percent for mild symptoms. One response is greater exposure to sunlight: “running errands during daylight hours or spending 10 minutes drinking coffee by the window.” Another is light therapy.
A good light therapy device delivers 10,000 lux. You sit a few feet away from it first thing in the morning for 20 minutes or so — like while you check your mail or do whatever while you have breakfast. That’s it. You won’t tan. You should be.. brighter inside.
I am a huge fan of The Wirecutter. It endorses light therapy. And recommends two devices.
I do not share The Wirecutter’s enthusiasm for either of them.
The Wirecutter favorite: Carex Day-Light Therapy Lamp. [To buy it from Amazon, click here. But BEFORE you buy it, read the one-star and two-star reviews. I see a sometimes defective product, dodgy customer service.]
First runner-up for Wirecuttter: Northern Light Technologies Boxelite Light Therapy Box. It’s more expensive, less boxy, sleeker. [To buy it from Amazon, click here. Again: BEFORE you buy it, read the one-star and two-star reviews.]
HEAD BUTLER’S CHOICE FOR LIGHT THERAPY: Verily HappyLight Lucent Light Therapy Lamp. [To buy it from Amazon, click here.]
