Seasonal Affective Disorder - Light Therapy at MEF

Studies of light therapy for SAD go back to the 1980s, but many have been small, short, or flawed in significant ways. Still, there’s enough wheat amid the chaff to safely say that light therapy does help some people with SAD. Most studies have found it to be more effective first thing in the morning than later in the day.

Some SAD light boxes look like medical equipment, while others are more like regular table lamps. The prices vary, but from our quick look online, it seems you should expect to spend in the range of $100 to $200. Professional groups and government agencies have endorsed light therapy, but your insurance company may balk. If you are counting on coverage, better check first.

You can start gradually, but most studies suggest SAD sufferers need about 30 to 45 minutes of exposure to a 10,000-lux light source daily for light therapy to be effective. Lux is a measure of light intensity; 10,000 is about the intensity of light from the sun at dawn. In most homes in the evening, 300- to 500-lux light is the norm.

Exposure to such bright light has caused some concern about eye damage. Some companies sell light boxes that don’t emit light in the blue part of the spectrum, because blue light is believed to be more damaging to the retina. Others sell equipment that uses LED lights that can be calibrated to emit light in the range of the spectrum that the companies contend is more effective at resetting circadian rhythms. Most experts say regular fluorescent lights — as long as they have an ultraviolet (UV) filter — are safe and effective.

The special light at Main Event Fitness literally energizes the human system by interaction with our light receptors…an advantage for everyone year round, but particularly on the dreary days of the year. In fact, Germany has even banned ordinary cool-white fluorescent lighting in both schools and hospitals for its harmful effects. Ordinary fluorescent lights can emit X-rays, radiation, and radio waves – emissions that can decrease productivity and cause fatigue, confusion, eyestrain, irritability, depression, and hyperactivity in children.