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Mental Health Product Advice: SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder) Desk Light/Lamp for Work Use

Rybee

Rybee

Bluelighter
Joined
May 29, 2013
Messages
1,305
Hey BL'ers <3,

I just to be clear from the off, I definitely wouldn't say that I suffer from SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder) as I think it's a horrible condition to suffer from and wouldn't want to take anything away for the people amongst us who genuinely do suffer from it. Just in the same way that a ridiculous amount of people really trivialise OCD by claiming things such as: 'Oh can you make sure that you properly wash the dishes after you've eaten? Sorry, but I'm SO OCD about having clean dishes to eat off of' ... Like, who the fuck wouldn't prefer to have clean dishes to eat from!? Bleurgh! Sorry, but that just really bugs me!

Anyway, I'm from England and our winter days and nights are pretty cold, dark and moody and I used to hate waking up, never really feeling refreshed, even after a good long night sleep. So ~6 months ago I started using a 'Lumie SAD Alarm Clock' and I feel so much better from using it and now feel much more refreshed and alert in the mornings. When I'm at home in the evenings and weekends, I often turn on the alarm clock's SAD light because it's nice and bright and really illuminates my bedroom - much better than my ceiling lights do anyway.

So, I started a new job last month and my desk is in the middle of the office away from the windows any natural sunlight and it's pretty dimly light where I'm sat, and I've found that I'm really feeling tired and fatigued in the afternoons and often reach for a Red Bull to perk me up. I don't like doing that as it's not particularly health when drunk everyday and makes me a little cranky/anxious/jittery. So I thought about buying an SAD light to use during my working hours to brighten up my desk area and hopefully perk me up a little bit. Now, I would just use a normal desk lamp, but I don't think they really give off that vibrantly stimulating bright white light that SAD lamps do? The problem is, I have absolutely no idea what would best serve my needs and what brands are reputably good?

I love my alarm clock, so I looked at Lumie's lamp range but they're £100-£150 for a basic desk lamp which seems a little crazy to me and I don't think I can really justify spending that much when I don't actually have SAD. I guess I'm after a desk lamp that has a surface area of ~8"x10"? Nothing too big that will take up too much room, but nothing too small rendering it pointless. I've looked around on Amazon for other brands, and I've found some lamps as cheap as £20 which makes me a little skeptical? I know most SAD lamps will only be a plastic lamp with a basic filament light bulb or some LEDs in, but I'm more concerned about the quality of light that it actually gives off.

The Question!
So on that note, does anybody know of any reputable brands that make such lights that I should be on the lookout for? I'm willing to pay more for a better product, but £100-150 for a desk lamp just seemed a little much? Unless somebody who actually uses them can tell me that you really do get what you pay for and that in this instance, it's worth paying more for a quality product? Sorry if this seems like such an easy/absurd question, but I don't want to pay out £100 for a randomly branded SAD desk lamp that's light actually gives off no real benefits in terms of light-induced stimulation, than a £5 desk lamp would?

Thanks, Rybee :)
 
neversickanymore said:
I have been using the philips go light for two winters now and am very happy with it. I also no longer experience SAD:) and my circadian rhythms for my sleep are greatly improved :)
Click to expand...
Hey nsa, thanks for the recommendation. Quick query though - the Philips range all seem to emit an electric blue light, as opposed to a bright white light? Is this down to reducing glare and making it easier on the eye? I didn't really think about eye strain or anything... That's why I wanted some info from those of you in the know!

Also, philips' products specifically say 'not for use for those with bi-polar' - is this the same for the blue light and the white light products?
 
P.S. would it be safe for me to keep one of these turned on at my desk for ~8 hours per day, or will that be deemed dangerous due to too much exposure?
 
angeleyes said:
I'd be interested to hear a bit more about your experience with this NSA if you get some time :)
Click to expand...

Rybee said:
Hey nsa, thanks for the recommendation. Quick query though - the Philips range all seem to emit an electric blue light, as opposed to a bright white light? Is this down to reducing glare and making it easier on the eye? I didn't really think about eye strain or anything... That's why I wanted some info from those of you in the know!

Also, philips' products specifically say 'not for use for those with bi-polar' - is this the same for the blue light and the white light products?
Click to expand...

Rybee said:
P.S. would it be safe for me to keep one of these turned on at my desk for ~8 hours per day, or will that be deemed dangerous due to too much exposure?
Click to expand...

I experienced significant SAD symptoms from at least puberty and on for many years. In more detail seasonal depression and a very hard time or inability to get out of bed. I think it was kinda like I was sorta hibernating.

It really made certain times with work and school really rough. I found myself wanting to sleep like 16 hours a day and was also depressed.

So I also have a really weird natural circadian rhythm which combined with a latent sleep phase.. so if left untreated my genetic determined sleep schedule would be to rise between 11 am and 2 PM and then go to sleep around 2 to 5 am. From the sleep studies it then used to take me a very long time to reach REM sleep phase. Needless to say this does not always work out that well with responsibilities and such.

To call me a morning person is about the biggest lie imaginable. For most of the day i have a heart of gold. But my relatives, my son, my women, and my dog certainly think twice about rousing me. Im just really not myself when first awakened early.

So a sleep specialist neurologist suggested I try one of these blue lights. I have to say I was kinda like.. yeah sure this mojo voodoo light is really going to make any difference.

Well silly me it worked like a charm.

The reason the blue spectrum works is that there is a receptor in the eye that this activates. It the receptor that determines the circadian rhythm off the light it is shown from the natural world.

So we are able to fool the brain into thinking is the middle of summer by unnaturally inducing this spectrum by using the light.

I would usually wake up very unhappy. I would feel awful and agitated. Light would generally not be a pleasant thing to my eyes. So i was thinking this would be bust right off the bat.

To my pleasant surprise this was not the case in fact the opposite happened. I turn on the light and instead of squinting my eyes relax and I begin to feel good instead of feeling misserable. I know a little light that does this.. not playing though this has been my experience.

I turn it on and in like ten minutes the morning is up and running and I really can feel better as soon as its on. Pretty sure its not a placebo affect, pretty definite.

So after getting this light for Christmas last year.. I got it for the sleep aspect, but all my seasonal symptoms vanished as well.

I am not aware of any negative aspects and have not experienced any. I have red that it can cause hypo-mania in people, but given I have experienced BP 2 symptoms in the past I have not had this reaction to my knowledge.

It really just puts me in the mood of a kind summer day. It really has been doing this for over a year with no bad effects I can list.

Combining this initially with melatonin i have been able to shift my circadian rhythm much more in line with those self righteous morning whack jobs.

I fall asleep much earlier and even more important I believe i reach rem in a much better fashion. This allows me to wake much earlier and in much better shape as im actually rested.

I do not use the light after 3 pm as I desire to go to bed and fall asleep before midnight. I am not aware of any negative consequences of using it at all.

you will just need to avoid using it in the hours before you will want to sleep.

Here is a thread I made before I was turned onto the go light.

Seasonal effective disorder (SAD) Support and Advice

I hope this answers and questions you guys have.. if not I will do my best to field any others
 
Hi Rybee! I was diagnosed with SAD last month in the psychiatric ward, I never knew that lamps like this existed! Did you get it online, Argos?
 
I'm interested to hear how you go, if you invest in one. I've been considering getting one of the 'daylight alarm clocks' to help with my not-SAD-but-related-to-winter problems with mornings.
 
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