Best of 2010: SAD LIGHT REVIEW: LUMIE DESK LAMP
Posted on | March 28, 2011 | No Comments
I suffer from S.A.D. like a lot of others, and I don’t have the room for a larger light box. Working in an office makes it difficult for me to find the space to store a light box, and my apartment at home definitely doesn’t cut it. The Lumie Desk Lamp is the ideal compromise: it acts as a desk lamp and takes up the same amount of space, and it also doubles as a S.A.D. treatment lamp due to its bulb.I ordered mine for £170. I decided that being tired all of the time was annoying and that any method of treatment was better than nothing.
Initial Impression
Once I received the lamp I plugged it in, put in the bulb, and turned it on. It worked perfectly, requiring no configuration and starting right up. I wish that my car was as reliable.It is actually fairly attractive for a desk lamp, and it has a flexible neck that allows you to bend it and point it in whatever direction that you want. The lighting that comes from it is bright enough that I’m able to work underneath it, and I don’t find it so overwhelming that I have to restrict my usage with it.
Usage Impression
The recommended usage for the Lumie lamp is 90 minutes a day. At first, I had no idea how the heck I’d work that out because I don’t really sit anywhere for 90 minutes a day except for my office. Then it hit me: put it in the office! Replacing the lamp I used to have, the Lumie does a fine job. And, the best part of all of this is the fact that I feel better as well.
The spurts of feeling tired all of the time are gone, I feel perky and attentive, and I even find that my skin seems clearer. I don’t know if that last benefit is the result of the Lumie, or of my skin just tired of having the occasion spot of acne, but I’ll credit the Lumie either way since I’m quite happy with it!
Overall
This was a great purchase and despite the fact that this was possibly the most expensive desk lamp ever (£170) it is still a great value as far as I’m concerned. This lamp comes recommended from friends of mine, and now I also share in their opinion. A must buy for S.A.D. sufferers!
Best of 2010: TOP THREE SAD RELATED PRODUCTS
Posted on | March 12, 2011 | No Comments
Seasonal Affective Disorder, or SAD, is a complaint related to chemical imbalances caused by the short, dim days of winter. Around 1% of adults in the United States, and a higher percentage in the more northerly nation of the United Kingdom, are subject to this mood-lowering, energy-sapping syndrome. Fortunately, however, there are many fine products on the market today to overcome these problems and let you achieve a brighter future, both figuratively and literally, in just a week or two.
Stimulating the eyes’ inner ganglia with bright but mellow light, of the same spectrum as daylight, for anywhere from thirty minutes to an hour daily has a clinically studied positive effect on your outlook, mood, and energy levels. You will sleep better at night, awaken faster in the morning and feel more refreshed, and have higher levels of optimism, sexual interest, and general feeling of wellbeing, despite the dark conditions outdoors.
Among the three most useful SAD-related products to someone who is determined to vanquish their winter blues and rise to springtime levels of perkiness throughout the year are the Luxor SAD Therapy Lamp, a book entitled Seasonal Affective Disorder: Practice and Research, and the Verilux Natural Spectrum Desk Lamp.
Manufactured in Canada and the United States by Northern Light Technologies, the Luxor SAD Therapy Lamp is a plain, straightforward, useful lamp with a striking pyramidal design that matches any modern décor – and likely would not look out of place in the palace of Louis XIV, either. Protected by a very solid five-year warranty, manufactured in North America with good materials and high standards of craftsmanship, this light provides 10,000 lux with UV blocking to keep you safe. The Luxor can be used for either half an hour or an hour each day, depending on the distance you position from yourself while it is being used.
The book Seasonal Affective Disorder: Practice and Research by Timo Partonen and S.R. Pandi-Perumal is a comprehensive guide to current research, diagnosis, and treatment for seasonal affective disorder, gathering together a large number of articles written by experts on the subject. The account presented is both informative for health care professionals, and accessible (in many places at least) to the average reader who wants to find out more about their SAD and how to vanquish it once and for all. Within the three-hundred twenty-five pages of this tome, you will find out everything there currently is to know about SAD, from concrete, proven portions to hazy guesses that fill in parts of the picture but may or many not be correct.
The Verilux Original Natural Spectrum Deluxe Desk Lamp, a steel gooseneck lamp designed for reading, fine work such as sewing, miniature painting, or the like, provides natural-spectrum light for indoor work. The mellow, but clear, white glow is flicker-free and buzz-free thanks to several stabilizing technologies used in the device’s construction. There is a two-way brightness control for different tasks, and a light diffuser built into the lamp forestalls eyestrain. Warranted for three years with a limited warranty, the Verilux is a good choice for everyone who wants to read or do fine work indoors.
Best of 2010: NORTHERN LIGHT TECHNOLOGIES LUXOR SAD THERAPY LAMP
Posted on | March 6, 2011 | No Comments
With a pyramidal design reminiscent of those famous Luxor monuments of the Egyptian Pharaohs, the Northern Light Technologies Luxor SAD Therapy Lamp brings the invigorating effects of 10,000 lux illumination to nearly any place where there is room to set it up – from the office desk to the living room coffee table, from the dining room to the kitchen counter. A stark white pyramid of frosted glass, the lamp emits the light needed to banish the chemical cobwebs of winter gloom.
SAD, or Seasonal Affective Disorder, is an affliction caused by insufficient stimulation of the eye’s photosensitive retinal ganglion cells by the weak, brief daylight of winter. This, in turn, causes the chemical balance of the body to shift, prompting depression, making it hard to wake up fully in the morning, and triggering a desire to eat excessive amounts of carbohydrates, meaning that you risk emerging from the winter season both melancholy and overweight if SAD is left untreated.
If the ganglion cells are excited by light as strong as that of a summer day, however, the body will produce chemicals that will boost your energy levels, lift your mood, and make you more alert and wakeful – and simultaneously less likely to suffer from insomnia.
The Luxor SAD Therapy Lamp is one of a number of excellent phototherapy devices available on the modern market, and stands out from them in several different ways. Its intriguing design is a striking conversation piece and fits nearly any décor, unlike many more “industrial-looking” phototherapy lamps. The glass of the pyramid’s walls blocks all ultraviolet light, ensuring that your skin is fully protected from these potentially harmful illumination byproducts. The lamp also provides fully-effective phototherapy at less cost than some more elaborate systems.
You can adjust the effect of this Northern Light Technologies product by moving it closer to you or further away. If you want a fairly brief, intense session of phototherapy, move it close in – about 7” away from you – for a thirty minute treatment, or push out to 12” distant in order to enjoy a prolonged, hour-long session.
For those to whom the location of where a product is made is important, the Luxor lamp is made entirely either in Canada or the United States. This means, of course, that you can expect high quality – as witnessed by the lamp’s robust 5-year warranty – as well as knowing that your purchase is stimulating the “local” economy and thus ultimately feeding back into better economic conditions for you and your fellow citizens.
If you are looking for a good solution to depression and even insomnia, then the Luxor SAD Therapy Lamp provides you with an affordable, attractive, and effective lamp that you can use at any time of year to positively impact your body’s hormonal balance.
The crisply modern design means that few employers will object to it being used in the office, while in the home it will provide you with therapeutic effects while you are eating, reading, or working on your computer. Purchasing this item will set you on the road to better-balanced brain chemistry, a lighter mood, and more energy without breaking the bank.
Best of 2010: HOW TO MAKE A SAD LIGHT BOX
Posted on | February 28, 2011 | No Comments
SAD stands for Seasonal Affective Disorder. It is also known as the winter blues. It is often a serious condition that leads to depression and in some cases, suicide.
SAD is caused by lack of daylight and affects women more compared to men.To combat Seasonal Affective Disorder, SAD light boxes are used. A SAD Light Box is a powerful light source that gives out light which is much brighter than a normal bulb. The level of light is comparable to that of daylight. Most SAD patients report an improvement on using a SAD light box and many recover totally.
SAD light boxes are often considered the best and cheapest treatment for Seasonal Affective Disorder.SAD light boxes are often quite expensive, but you can make one at home if you wish. This is how –You will need – several long fluorescent tubes, a box (which is light in weight, about two feet long and 6 inches deep), electrical wire, electrical fittings, carpentry equipment if box is of wood, and a protective screen (transparent) for the front face.
1. For the light source, you have to use the long fluorescent tubes. The fluorescent tubes use only about a fourth of the electricity compared to standard incandescent light bulbs, and they last much longer.
2. You must ensure that the total light produced by these tubes is a minimum of 10,000 lux (of light intensity). Less intense light may not be that effective in treating SAD.
3. You have to fit an adequate number of lights in the box in such a manner that they produce 10,000 lux light intensity on your face at a distance of about 2 feet. It will not be comfortable if you have to keep your eyes at a closer distance.
4. Ensure that the box is well balanced. You wouldn’t want it to fall when you are lying down and enjoying the light on your face.
5. Ensure that the SAD light box is well insulated and the wires do not expose users to any harm.With just these standard material, you can get your SAD light box ready and running in no time.
It’ll be as effective as a professionally made light box, as the only important thing is the intensity of the light. So get the stuff and make your own light box. Even making one of these yourself can be a cure for Seasonal Affective Disorder.
Originally published here.
Best of 2010: SAD Daylight Calculator
Posted on | February 18, 2011 | No Comments
Our free online tool helps you calculate how much daylight you are likely to receive in a given year based on your location.
Simply drop the pin into the map and get a Seasonal Affective Disorder Probability Reading.
Seasonal Affective Disorder Tool
Best Of 2010: OUR BESTSELLING LAMP – THE NATUREBRIGHT PER3 DELUXE LIGHT THERAPY LAMP
Posted on | February 8, 2011 | No Comments
Understandably a bestseller, the NatureBright PER3 Deluxe Light Therapy Lamp wraps a handful of extremely useful functions up in a single light, compact, elegant steel-blue package which somewhat resembles a gooseneck lamp – although the “neck” is smooth and one-piece, moving on a pivot, rather than being made up of many articulated sections. The slim lamp is 20 inches tall and weighs four pounds, making it easy to set up in countless different situations.
The PER3 Therapy Lamp makes use of super-bright LED (light-emitting diode) technology to supply you with light at the spectrum of natural daylight without many of the problems associated with tube-based phototherapy lamps. For example, there is no flicker, which tends to produce eyestrain, and the LED light creation process produces absolutely no ultraviolet (UV) rays. The energy efficiency of LEDs is legendary, and as a result, this lamp uses only a tenth the power which an equivalent incandescent lamp would.
The NatureBright PER3 can operate as a dawn and dusk simulator. Awakening and falling asleep gradually, rather than abruptly, are believed by many health scientists to be key in maintaining good hormonal balances, sleeping patterns, and positive emotional states, just as much as bright light therapy itself. It is certainly a more pleasant experience to be eased back to wakefulness by slowly-growing light, and this lamp can provide that event reliably every day.
The dawn and dusk simulators are fully programmable, allowing you to choose both when you are awakened and how long and gradual the rousing process should be. The twilight-simulation waning of the light in the evening is soothing and comfortable, and tends to produce natural antidepressant effects as well.
The lamp also provides full, bright light therapy of the standard kind, with the addition of ultraviolet-free safety and flicker-free, easy-on-the-eyes operation thanks to its clustered LEDs. Fifteen to thirty minutes will boost energy and sharply lessen various detrimental effects of short winter days, menstruation, jet lag, and even just general work-related tiredness or depression.
Finally, the NatureBright Therapy Lamp offers you functionality as a regular reading lamp, to be used at your bedside or near your favorite chair in the den. The clear, clean, full-spectrum natural light it offers illuminates your page (or computer keyboard) clearly and thoroughly without producing glare, thus allowing you to read without the letters swimming before your eyes even when you are tired.
Thus, it becomes clear why this lamp is a popular best-seller – and why you should buy it for yourself today, or as a gift for a sufferer from SAD, a traveler, or a reader whom you know. With its easy portability – able to fit into many containers such as duffel bags and the like – stylish appearance, safe and effective LED light (which will last a total of 100,000 hours), and multiple uses (dawn and dusk simulator, reading or computer lamp, and phototherapy device), this lamp is a must-have for anyone who wants to improve their sleep patterns, winter mood, and energy levels throughout the year.
Originally published here.
Perk Yourself Up with the NatureBright SunTouch Plus Light and Ion Therapy Lamp
Posted on | January 31, 2011 | No Comments
Vanquishing the winter glums has never been easier than today, when a whole series of phototherapy devices – including the NatureBright SunTouch Plus Light and Ion Therapy Lamp – is being produced to lighten your mood. Improving the chemical balance of your brain and body even when the days are at their shortest is what these lamps are meant to do, and in the main, they perform their function very well.
The SunTouch Plus is a conveniently small device that will bathe you in comfortable-toned 10,000 lux light, modulated to provide the best possible therapeutic effects while minimizing eyestrain. This clear radiance will stimulate your body to its summer energy levels and make you feel frisky and upbeat even when the snow is flying, while it will also help to prevent the carbohydrate craving that prompts so many to gain unwanted weight during the winter. The lamp’s 17,000 Kelvins mimics the illumination qualities of sunlit blue sky, activating the retinal ganglion cells that govern the circadian rhythms of the human body.
The SunTouch Plus provides the same stimulation as spring light, according to the manufacturer, and many studies have proven the effectiveness of phototherapy at restoring the correct hormonal balance at any time of year. The device is mostly meant to defeat SAD – seasonal affective disorder – caused by the body releasing chemicals in response to winter dimness which prompt depressed mood, lethargy, compulsive eating, and difficulty waking up in the morning. However, all types of depression, including mood swings caused by menstruation, are alleviated by a good phototherapy lamp such as the SunTouch.
Safety and convenience are two of the main feature of the NatureBright SunTouch Plus. Studies at the University of Texas have shown no ill effects on the retina, which is the main risk associated with phototherapy devices, and the lamp produces no ultraviolet light. The device is fitted with an adjustable timer, and comes with instructions on how best to use the lamp. Thanks to its small size and light construction, the SunTouch Plus is also eminently portable.
Light is not the only refreshing thing produced by this creation of NatureBright, however. The lamp also emits negative ions, which are similar to those found near waterfalls and other areas where aerated water is common. These also help to shift human hormonal balances in a positive direction – and to keep your options open, the lamp is designed so that you can switch the ions on and off as desired. You can experiment by turning the ions on and off, and finding the combination which has the best effect on your mood and sleep cycle.
By buying and using the NatureBright SunTouch Plus Light and Ion Therapy Lamp, you quickly gain control over your hormonal balances in any season, improving your mood, making your sleep both briefer and more restful, and giving yourself an extra jolt of energy in a completely safe, comfortable, natural way. The lamp’s effectiveness is backed up with a 30-day money-back guarantee and a 2 year warranty against defects. You owe it to yourself to keep your mood good and your body functioning well year-round, and the double therapy offered by this device will do just that.
Rio Low Energy SAD Light
Posted on | January 24, 2011 | No Comments
For those who want a versatile phototherapy lamp that gives high-quality light at a fairly low cost, the Rio Low Energy SAD Light is a very affordable model at just £50, but provides a phototherapy experience similar to that of many more expensive lamps. This small, oval, upright lamp can stand anywhere – your desk, next to your computer, on your dining room table – to provide the gloom-banishing beneficence of 10,000 lux natural-spectrum light (free from UV), similar to daylight.
The core of the system is an unusual arrangement of 72 light-emitting diodes, or LEDs, which take the place of the usual tubes. These diodes use a low amount of energy but furnish high-intensity light, and because of the engineering involved in this type of light, it was possible for the manufacturer to design the lamp in such a way that it can be fine-tuned for different purposes. You can set the device up so that it gives enough light for reading or fine work, or you can go all the way for the full glow of a phototherapy session.
Because the light is supplied by light-emitting diodes, and because there are many of these, the light level provided can be adjusted through a whole range of intensities. There is a “soft start” mode, and the lamp can either be left on constantly (until it is manually shut off) or you can make use of the fully-adjustable self-timer, which can be used for any light duration up to a full hour.
The use of a cluster of dozens of high-intensity LEDs in place of the usual tubes ensures that the Rio SAD Light completely avoids several of the main problems to be found in other lower-cost phototherapy lamps. There is no hum or buzz with operation, since there is no tube to vibrate as energy is passed through it, and the lamp is pleasantly silent even when it is shining at full strength. There is also no flicker to the light – it is steady and pure, lessening eyestrain. The light can be set to fade in and fade out, so that your eyes adjust to the lighting conditions during and after its use.
The lifespan of this product is five years – although this is a decent time, you should note that the LEDs will eventually burn out and cannot be replaced like a light bulb can.. Weighing in at a bit more than half a kilogram (six-hundred forty grams, to be precise), the Rio Low Energy SAD Light is eminently portable, and can be taken back and forth between work and the home conveniently, as needed.
Small, lightweight, affordable, yet more adjustable than most phototherapy lamps and offering as intense a mood-elevating effect as the larger types of lamp, the Rio SAD Light is very popular with those who have tried it and made it the centerpiece of their daily SAD treatment. If you try it, you will probably not be disappointed – and, in fact, will likely be surprised at how much silent, natural-spectrum effectiveness can be packing into such a small device.
Treatment on the Go with Northern Light’s Feel Bright Light Visor Lamp for S.A.D.
Posted on | January 17, 2011 | No Comments
The Feel Bright Visor Lamp for S.A.D. is a clever device for conquering the winter blues, for those who need to receive treatment when they are on the move. Many people nowadays have sedentary occupations, allowing them to use an immobile lamp to provide their bodies with the light necessary to stave off seasonal affective disorder. Confined to cubicles or other office spaces, it is easy to set up a large, fixed lamp that will remain in its place for many months or years.
A sizeable minority still have occupations that require them to move from place to place throughout the day, or who work in places where a lamp cannot be set up, such as in the control cabin of a crane or the cab of a snowplow. There is no reason why these more active workers need to be deprived of winter phototherapy, however, thanks to the ingenuity of Northern Light.
Costing a bit over $300, the Feel Bright Light Visor Lamp for S.A.D. is a marvel of miniaturization, packing a completely effective phototherapy treatment into a small device that weighs only 2 ounces. The lamp is arched to fit neatly onto the underside of a cap’s bill or visor, so that you can make use of it as part of your headgear, removing the need to carry a heavy lamp to your workplace and the necessity to stay in one spot. Wherever you walk, the Feel Bright accompanies you, shedding its intense, mood-elevating glow directly on your face and upper body.
This portable, hat-mounted lamp can provide either 8,000 lux or 12,000 lux light, and can switch between the two modes in an instant with the press of a button. The blue-green light emitted by the lamp is effective and safer than blue light. For your further safety, the device emanates no ultraviolet (UV) light, and generates no heat – both excellent features for a lamp which is located only an inch or two from the sensitive skin of your face.
Although the Feel Bright Visor lamp is said to work with any visor or hat, its shape clearly suits it best to being attached underneath the bill of a baseball cap. Since the baseball cap is such a universal piece of headgear in the United States, to the extent of being almost the only hat seen upon the brow of Americans, this is unlikely to be a problem for most users. But this fact should be noted by those few who wear other kinds of hat.
The lithium polymer battery that powers the Feel Bright lamp – which can be easily recharged from household current – holds enough charge for two hours of continuous operation. The built-in automatic shut-off breaks this up into four half-hour periods of treatment, which is the recommended time for this type of phototherapy.
With the ability to accompany you anywhere, its astoundingly light weight of 2 ounces, and the option for several different lux settings to meet your anti-S.A.D. needs, the Northern Light Feel Bright Visor Lamp is a depression-vanquishing, energizing health accessory that you cannot afford to be without if your work keeps you active and on the move. A five-year warranty and a thirty-day money back guarantee help to reassure you that the purchase of this device is money well spent.
Vanquish Eyestrain with the Verilux Original Natural Spectrum Deluxe Desk Lamp
Posted on | January 10, 2011 | No Comments
The Verilux Original Natural Spectrum Deluxe Desk Lamp addresses the need for clean, mellow indoor light with a steel gooseneck lamp that is easy on the eyes will still giving crystal-clear illumination for reading, crafts, art, and fine work of all kinds. Although the bulb is only 27 watts, its design and light spectrum provides the same light level as a 100 watt or 150 watt bulb, depending on the setting you choose. The adjustability of the light level is convenient since you can match the radiance to the demands of the task in hand.
Glare is eliminated by a parabolic light diffuser which is a proprietary invention of the Verilux company. This is a huge advantage for the lamp, since so many other lights, though providing clear illumination, also strain the eyes after a time. The risk of eyestrain is not totally eliminated with this desk lamp, but it is definitely much reduced.
The bulb used in the Natural Spectrum Deluxe Desk Lamp provides the same spectrum of light as natural sunlight, as its name implies, albeit at a much lower intensity. Since our eyes evolved to see best in this spectrum, and artificial lights of another spectrum have existed for only a little more than a century, human vision works best and most comfortably in the range of light provided by this lamp. Furthermore, the bulb lasts a full 10,000 hours.
Bright lamps of this kind traditionally suffered from buzzing noises or flickering during operation, but the Verilux Original neatly avoids both of these problems by making use of modern technology. The potential for buzzing is quashed by the lamp’s electronic ballast, while a special “Flicker Elimination Technology” ensures that the light is steady and clear.
From a decorative standpoint, the Natural Spectrum Lamp is a fairly sleek, if plain, gooseneck lamp, elegant mainly through its well-proportioned functionality. Unlike Henry Ford’s famous dictum that customers can have any color they want as long as it is black, however, the lamp comes in four different colors – ivory, pink, dark grey, and dark brown – so that it can be matched to an array of different décors. This is not an issue for all purchasers, but if you are interested in the aesthetic as well as the practical aspect, there are a few options at least for different rooms.
With a three-year limited warranty and a tough, metal construction that is likely to last far beyond that time, the Natural Spectrum Lamp is a highly useful item for those who read, do fine work such as painting or carving, or who need a light to illuminate their computer keyboard without the risk of glare. The area illuminated with clear, natural light is fairly small, so you will not disturb other people in the same apartment or house if you work with it at night.
With its versatility, clear natural light, and quiet, flicker-free operation, the Verilux Original Natural Spectrum Deluxe Desk Lamp is a welcome addition to your workspace, and one that you should not be without longer than needs be if you need clean light for fine work or sewing.
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