Getting the most out of your light box

Anyone who has suffered from Winter Blues wants to feel 100% again, but most of the time will experience problems during the season. Use the following tips to make sure you get the most out of your light:

• Start preventatively. Starting early helps avoid mood problems and keeps you physically healthier. Also, early maintenance may mean you won't have to increase your time from 15 - 20 minutes/day.
• Taper Off. Don't go cold turkey when you think you can stop for the season. Most people make this mistake, and cutting off cold may cause a rebound effect. It's best to cut 5 minutes off each week before you quit.
• Consistency. This may be the most important tip. Keeping a consistent sleep/wake routine and using your light on a regular basis will help you avoid any dips along the way.
• Adopt a Circadian Lifestyle. Just like taking care of your eyes or teeth, your circadian health will pay dividends late in life if you pamper it now. Pay necessary attention to your body clock, and if you need to, consider using additional products and helps to support your circadian rhythm.
• Combination Therapy. If you suffer from stronger symptoms and find that light therapy is not enough, talk to your doctor about light and medication or talk therapy.

How long should I use the light each day?

On average, most people need to use the light for ½ hour each day during the first week or until they notice a response, and then cut the time down to 15 - 20 minutes per day. (To make sure you respond as quickly as possible, remember to use the Circadian Rhythm Assessment Test.) However, light does different things and so your personal timing will vary according to your needs. Remember, light changes your body in three major ways. First, light resets your internal body clock, allowing you to fall asleep and wake up at the right time of day. Second, light suppresses the withdrawal hormone, melatonin. Third, light produces Serotonin and other active endocrinergic hormones. What most people don't realize though, is that it takes different amounts of time for each of these reactions to work.

As you can see from this table, it may require more light to produce serotonin than it does to suppress melatonin or regulate circadian rhythms (keeping the rhythm in sync once it has shifted). If you suffer from severe Winter Blues, for example, you may need to use the light for more than 30 minutes, but this might cause your circadian rhythm to advance a bit, causing you to wake up earlier than desired. This problem can easily be managed by waiting a half hour or more after waking up before using the light. If your instructions tell you to use the light in the evening time, and you need to use the light for more than 30 minutes, you may want to start it a bit earlier.

Balancing serotonin with resetting the body clock

When resetting or regulating your body clock, light is most effective close to when your body clock is looking for light signals. This happens right after awakening and again in the late evening and night. This is why waiting a half an hour or so in the morning (or earlier in the evening) will allow your body clock to be reset while still producing enough serotonin.

Suppressing melatonin

Usually, about 15 minutes of light is sufficient to suppress melatonin. In most cases, melatonin needs to be suppressed in the morning time, as daytime melatonin causes feel down or lack energy. However, some people may experience a melatonin slump in the afternoon or early evening. If you begin to feel tired or down during the day, get a light break for about 15 - 20 minutes. This brief exposure of light will suppress melatonin for about 3 hours, so you may need to use your light more than once during the day. For this reason, many people also choose the Golite for its portability and ability to suppress melatonin. Using light in this way is also excellent for shift workers who need to suppress melatonin at night.

Stay under one hour

In almost all conditions, less than one hour is sufficient to produce the desired effect. Exceeding one hour may increase the chances of producing too much serotonin. If you begin to feel too energetic, euphoric, agitated, nervous, jittery, etc., you will want to reduce the amount of time. If you are using antidepressant medication, you should discuss this with your doctor, as you may need to reduce the level of medication or the amount of light you receive.

Most problems with light therapy happen when light is used for more than an hour. Over the last 20 years, light has been proven to be very safe and effective with no long term side effects or ocular damage. However, just as with other safe medications such as aspirin, too much light can cause problems. If you stay under 1 hour of light at a time, you shouldn't experience difficulty.

How do I know if I'm getting too much light?

The most common reaction to too much light is awakening earlier than desired (if you are using morning light). If this happens, it is because your body clock has been sufficiently entrained, and now more light is causing it to advance earlier. If this is the case, you can stop using the light for a day and then cut your time in half.

Another common reaction can be feeling anxious or jittery. In some rare cases, people can use the light and actually feel sleepy afterwards. These are all cases of too much serotonin being produced. Either the amount of light needs to be reduced or the time f day you get the light should be changed. If this is the case, work with your doctor to find the ideal amount and time of day to use the light.

Side effects of light

Sometimes people can experience a negative reaction to light. These side effects are not common, and are almost always treatable. They may include feelings of nausea, headache, eyestrain, irritability or nervousness. Side effects usually result because too much light has been used or the eyes are not used to bright light, and need to be acclimated to the light. If you notice a side effect, stop using the light for a day or so, and then slowly acclimate yourself to the light by 5 minute intervals/day for the first few days and then gradually adding 2 - 5 minutes/day.

Fair skinned or light eye pigment?

Studies show that those with fair skin, lighter hair or iris color may need less time to respond to the light. Because average time length recommendations may be too long for these people, they might experience a mild reaction to using the light. The best advice for those with fair complexions is to start out at 15 - 20 minutes/day instead of 30.

Negative reactions

What if you have a negative reaction? In this case, bad news really is good news. If you experience a negative reaction, you should know you're responding to the light, but you received the wrong amount or you received it at the wrong time of day. Negative reactions mean the body clock is responding, but the timing or amount of light needs to be adjusted. Usually, the Circadian Rhythm Test will help you avoid these types of reactions, but as always, a little experimentation will quickly overcome any reactions.

The only 'bad' news with light therapy would be if you don't respond to the light. If you've used the light according to the assessment test, talked with your doctor about using combination therapy, and have experimented for at least 3 - 4 weeks without noticing a change, you probably won't respond to light. Almost all light therapy users who have noticed an initial negative reaction, quickly adjust and find an effective response.