High Lux SAD Lights

Sufferers of seasonal affective disorder have found relief successfully through the use of light therapy that closely mimics the natural light given off from the sun. Physicians and researchers tend to agree that the reason this method works so well is because of the inclination of the human brain to release certain “feel good” chemicals into the body when the eyes are exposed to the sun for regular intervals, most often daily.

Conventional household lighting will not suffice for the treatment of seasonal affective disorder because it lacks the sufficient intensity and luminance to be effective.

The luminance intensity of light is referred to as lux. Lux is the measure of how luminescent light is. A fluorescent bulb’s lux is a good indicator of whether or not it will be useful for the purpose of treating seasonal affective disorder with light therapy.

There are several recommended dimensions to gauge accurate dosing by and light intensity is only one of them, though when using light therapy as a treatment for seasonal affective disorder a relatively high intensity is typically needed to mimic the natural light given off by the sun.

The light intensity, or lux, recommended for light treatment is between 2,500 to 10,000 lux. This is the equivalent of an early morning to mid morning light. Comparatively, conventional household light bulbs emit approximately 50 to 300 lux.

Other means of gauging light dosing levels are light duration and the time of day of exposure.The time of day of exposure refers to the affect that light has on the human body in regards to what time of day it is exposed. For instance, the human circadian rhythm is affected by the manner of sunlight that is emitted during separate parts of the day. This makes sense, since early humans would set their entire schedule around the cycle of the Earth and the Sun by becoming energetic during morning light and increasingly calm as the sun sets. This time of day exposure can be used to manipulate and stave off the symptoms caused by seasonal affective disorder, particularly when a majority of the cause is from staying indoors too much.

Finally, light duration – the amount of time exposed to the light therapy or natural sunlight – is an important facet to consider during treatment for seasonal affective disorder. The current standard is generally 30 minute sessions of 10,000 lux. As expected, more time would be needed for less intensity.