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Light Therapy Lamp Reviews: The Best Light Therapy for Seasonal Affective Disorder

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How to Choose and Buy a Light Therapy Device for SAD

Everybody experiences the "winter blahs" to some extent. But if you have seasonal affective disorder, the difference between summer and winter is pretty serious stuff. You do great during the summer. Lots of energy, good mood, all is right with the world. Then, when the days grow shorter, you have less and less energy. You're less productive at work or at home. Your mood may drop significantly. You sleep too much, have trouble getting out of bed, and are tired throughout the day. These symptoms might even get so bad that you develop major depression. It's a mood disorder that only lasts half the year.

Medication isn't a great solution to seasonal depression. It can take awhile to start working, and anyway, the problem with SAD is that your body isn't getting enough sunlight. This is why most people with seasonal depression treat it by replacing the sunlight they aren't getting. They use sunlamps and light therapy to improve their mood and energy.

If you've just learned that you or a loved one suffers from seasonal affective disorder, your doctor has probably recommended a light therapy device. But which one should you buy? How do you choose between so many models when they're each so different?

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Purchasing a Light Therapy Device

What you should know before you buy.

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So you're considering the purchase of a light therapy lamp. There are a lot of "light therapy" lamps out there, and as you might imagine, not all of them are created equal. It can be hard to wade through all the specs and the hype to figure out whether a particular lamp will work for you. This is where I come in.

As someone who suffers from severe seasonal depression, I need to use at least one therapy lamp every day, so I've learned a lot about how to evaluate sunlamps and other light therapy lamps. This article will teach you about seasonal affective disorder. By knowing what SAD is, what causes it, and how light therapy works to treat it, you'll be able to evaluate the effectiveness of different light therapy devices before you buy. I'll also be reviewing the four therapy lamps that I use myself. Finally, I'll tell you how to get the most out of your device once you have it.

The Causes of Seasonal Affective Disorder

Why does the brain need sunlight?

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Sunlight is known to affect two neurotransmitters that are directly responsible for mood and energy -- serotonin and melatonin. Serotonin is related to feelings of contentment and well-being. High levels of natural light increase the brain's levels of serotonin, and you feel happier and more content. Lower levels of sunlight mean lower levels of serotonin, and lower serototonin means lower mood.

Melatonin is also believed to play an important role in sleep as well as mood. This neurotransmitter is produced in the brain by the pineal gland which has a direct neural path to the eyes. Melatonin cycles through out the day, responding to light and dark. As it gets dark in the evening, your brain ramps up your melatonin levels, helping your body to slow down and go to sleep. In the morning, melatonin levels subside. Your energy level rises, you wake up, and you go about your day. What happens when the winter months deprive us of sunlight? Melatonin levels increase, lowering your energy, and with it, your mood.

Four Reasons to Buy a Therapy Lamp to Treat Seasonal Affective Disorder

Light therapy or medication?

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  • 1Some people try anti-depressants for seasonal depression, but medications can take up to six weeks or eight weeks to begin working. Do you want to feel miserable for another two months?
  • 2Light therapy works much, MUCH faster than medication. You will probably feel better within a week. Some people, like me, feel better immediately -- after their very first session with their therapy lamp.
  • 3Light therapy has many fewer side effects than anti-depressants. Most people don't experience any side effects from light therapy. Those that do find that their side effects go away in a few days, or can be banished simply by changing the timing and position of the therapy lamp.
  • 4Light therapy is a more natural alternative to medication. Light therapy treats the actual problem that causes SAD: your body isn't getting enough sunlight. Meds treat depression, which is merely a symptom of lacking sunlight.
  • 5Light therapy will improve your sleep and energy levels. Sunlight helps to regulate your body's internal clock. You'll have an easier time falling asleep at night, waking up in the morning, and you'll be more energized during the day.

What is Light Therapy for Seasonal Depression?

Fake sunlight to the rescue!

Sunlamp used in Light Therapy for SAD

Since sunlight has such a dramatic impact on your mood, it makes sense that you can treat your mood by replicating sunlight. Light therapy is essentially a way to give your body the sunlight it's missing in the winter months. There are two basic approaches to achieve this.

One is the "sun lamp", which works by mimicking sunlight. These lamps are produce "full spectrum light" -- that is, they emit light across the visible spectrum to create true white light, just as the sun does. They're also very bright, emitting 10,000 lux ("lux" is a unit that designates a certain amount of light). 10,000 lux is equivalent to the amount of sunlight you would receive if you were outside on a bright summer day.

Another type of light therapy is blue light therapy. Remember those rods and cones you learned about in 5th grade health class? Researchers have learned that there's another receptor in the eye, and it exists to sense light and dark. These light/dark sensors are most sensitive to the blue part of the visual spectrum. Blue is the color of a clear sky in summer, so you don't just get a lot of light, the ambiance of a lovely summer day. Some people believe that blue light may actually be more effective than white light in treating seasonal affective disorder.

Important!

Talk To Your Doctor Before Starting Light Therapy!

Light therapy is very safe, and it's a godsend to most people with SAD. However, there are some people who should practice extreme caution when using sunlamps or blue light. Anyone with eye problems should only use light therapy under supervision. Anyone on medications that cause photosensitivity should also be careful. Finally, those with bipolar disorder need to be attentive to the symptoms of hypomania and mania when using light therapy.

Six Things You Should Know Before Choosing Your Light Therapy Device

Check your therapy lamp against this list BEFORE you buy.

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  • 1The most important thing is to make sure that you are buying a therapy lamp that treats seasonal affective disorder. Some light therapy devices are meant to treat acne or other skin conditions, and will not be effective against SAD.
  • 2If you choose a sunlamp, it should emit bright white light, or full spectrum light. A full-spectrum lamp is not strictly necessary, but it will come closer than other lamps to imitating sunlight, which is kind of the point of this whole thing.
  • 3A light therapy lamp should emit at least 2,500 lux. However, you'll have to use it for longer periods of time than you would with a brighter lamp.
  • 4A lamp that emits 10,000 lux is best. It's the best simulation of summer sunlight, and you can use it for shorter time periods than a lamp that's not as bright.
  • 5Some people find that blue therapy lamps are more effective for them than white lamps. Blue light therapy, which simulates the color of a clear sky, triggers the light/dark receptors in your eyes. It's also effective to treat jet lag and sleep problems from shift work.
  • 6Be very careful that your light does not emit ultraviolet light. This light can damage your eyes and your skin. Light therapy lamps for seasonal depression do not emit ultraviolet light.
  • 7Read the product reviews before buying. Some light therapy lamps are flimsy and break after only a little use. Pay attention to low-star reviews. The more reviews there are, the more accurate they're likely to be.

My Personal Experience with Light Therapy for SAD

Light therapy is not a luxury, it's a necessity.

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I've experienced seasonal mood changes for the last several years, but last year it took a turn for the bad and the weird. It was a wet and overcast year. I'm used to Springs where there's a good six to eight weeks of bright, sunny days; my energy returns, and I seem to store it up for autumn and winter. We had some nice weather in October, but that was it. In short, I didn't get my sunlight requirement for the year. My SAD, which had previously consisted of somewhat lowered energy, turned into psychotic depression.

Needless to say, I didn't want to go through that again this year.

This year I've been protecting my mood very carefully. In September, I started using my beloved NatureBright sunlamp for an hour in the morning and the evening. As my mood has worsened with the darkening days, I've used it for longer and longer periods. When the day is overcast, as it happens to be today, I just set it on my desk and park myself in front of it. My mood still isn't great, but it would be so much worse without light therapy.

Just How Bad Can Seasonal Depression Get?

The answer: it can develop into actual psychosis.

Yeah, I was surprised too.

Last year, my SAD became so bad that I had a mild psychotic episode. I say "mild" because I retained awareness; I knew I was acting irrationally, and that's probably what kept me out of the hospital. But there really is no such thing as "mild" psychosis. The episode triggered a long period of experimenting with my medication cocktail until my psychiatrist and I found something worked. This process has already cost me a year of my life; and as I write this, in early December, I am mindful of the fact that I need to treat myself with incredible care in the coming month.
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Nature Bright Sun Lamp from Amazon

My First and Favorite Light Therapy Lamp

When my seasonal depression got really bad last year, my doctor ordered me to go home and obtain a sunlamp immediately, Do Not Pass Go, Do Not Collect Two Hundred Dollars. This is the lamp I bought.

It arrived a few days later, early enough in the morning that I could use it for half an hour before I went out to start my day. I immediately felt better. In fact, I didn't realize how bad I had been feeling until I left my house and started talking to people. I suddenly felt "normal" when conversing with others. I realized that, for the previous several weeks, interacting with people had become increasingly hard work. And that was on day one, after only half an hour of use.

I still use this lamp every day around sunset, sometimes for a few hours if I need it. Since it's a full-spectrum white light it's great in my art studio.
NatureBright SunTouch Plus Light and Ion Therapy Lamp

NatureBright SunTouch Plus Light and Ion Therapy Lamp

Amazon Price: $62.49 (as of 06/04/2012)Buy Now

This is the classic sun lamp -- people have been getting excellent results from this baby for years now. The NatureBright Sun Lamp is one of only a few lamps that emits 10,000 lux, which is the amount of light required to be therapeutic for seasonal affective disorder. 10,000 lux is equivalent to the amount of light you would receive around noon on a clear summer day.

Help! My Sunlamp Is Depressing Me!

Oh, the irony!

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As much as I love my NatureBright, I have one serious problem with it -- it's bulky, and since it needs to be plugged in, it seriously inhibits my freedom of movement. At this point in the year I need to be in front of my sunlamp from 4 to 8 every evening. Sometimes I need to start my light therapy at 3:30. Since I get up at 9:30, once I've gotten up, eaten breakfast, and finished my morning light therapy, it's already 11. This leaves me 4 hours in which to run errands, see friends, or otherwise get out of the house.

As you can imagine, this was really beginning to wear on me. I felt frustrated, confined, and kind of like an invalid. It was, dare I say, depressing. On the other hand, I knew I'd be feeling ten times worse without light therapy.

To solve this problem, I've been experimenting with different types of light therapy devices. I've tried portable devices, lights to wake me up in the morning, lights that dim slowly at night. Each of them has advantages and disadvantages. Below, I'll review the four devices I've tried, and share my experiences with them, to help you decide which light therapy device is best for you.

Phillips GoLight BLU

Light Therapy On The Go

As I mentioned earlier, I was beginning to feel tied to my sunlamp because I needed to spend much time in front of it. To solve this problem, my husband got me a Phillips GoLight BLU. It's smaller than the NatureBright and it runs on a rechargeable battery. There's no cord to fuss with, it works as well as the NatureBright, and I can bring it wherever I go.

I've started using this device in the mornings. If I so choose, I can now sit on the couch instead of at my desk. Or I can bring it from room to room as I do chores. It's five or six inches square, so I can can carry it easily and hold it so the light falls on my face while I'm walking. I feel much less restricted since I've started using the Phillips GoLite BLU. I also have more energy and a better mood throughout the day, and I have an easier time waking up in the morning.
Philips goLITE BLU Light Therapy Device

Philips goLITE BLU Light Therapy Device

Amazon Price: $134.99 (as of 06/04/2012)Buy Now

Some researchers and light therapy users believe that blue light is the most important part of the spectrum for treating SAD. The Phillips GoLite BLUE is compact, portable, and operates on a rechargeable battery. It's easy to bring it and use it almost anywhere.

Syrcadian Blue Light Therapy Device for SAD

Light therapy for your morning commute!

I bought the Syrcadian Blue Light Therapy Device in October when I was planning a trip to the East Coast. I'd been relying on my NatureBright since September, but it's way too big and bulky to pack in a suitcase. The days were getting shorter. I'd be father north than usual, where they would be shorter still. Trying to go without light therapy for the entire ten day trip would be courting disaster. I was also on a budget, so I needed my device to be under or around $100.

The Syrcadian Blue Light Therapy Device was the answer to my prayers. It comes with a USB cable, enabling me to mount it on my laptop screen. With the car adapter kit, I could mount it on the visor of a car (which I did at one point when I had to leave for a road trip at 7 a.m.). With the lamp itself, plus the car adapter set, it came in at around $100. It probably wouldn't work for me as my sole therapy device, but using it twice a day kept my mood stable throughout my travels. And on that early morning road trip it really saved me.
Syrcadian Blue SB-1000 Sad Light Therapy Device

Syrcadian Blue SB-1000 Sad Light Therapy Device

Amazon Price: $59.95 (as of 06/04/2012)Buy Now

This handy device is tiny, inexpensive, and very portable. You can mount on the top of your computer monitor, where it draws power vis USB cable, or plug it into your car's cigarette lighter and mount it on the visor -- you can commute and get your light therapy in at the same time! Two brightness settings allow you to select the amount of light you want.

Accessories for the Syrcadain Blue

Use it in your car; charge it from a wall socket

The Syrcadian Blue comes with a USB cable, enabling you to plug it into your computer's USB port, mount it on top, and get your therapy while you work. But that's not your only option.
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Other Portable Light Therapy Lamps for SAD

Bring your light therapy with you!

Having the option of taking your therapy lamp wherever you go can alleviate the frustration of living with seasonal depression. Below are more options for portable, lightweight light therapy for seasonal affective disorder. All devices listed have received an average rating of 4.5 to 5 stars on Amazon.
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Important!

An Important Fact Light Therapy and Bipolar Disorder

A lot of people with bipolar disorder have seasonal mood problems. However, light therapy can cause hypomania or manic episodes in people with bipolar disorder. This is especially true with blue light therapy. If you have bipolar, DO NOT use light therapy unless it's under close supervision by your doctor.

Phillips Dawn and Dusk Simulator

Sunrise and sunset, exactly when you want them.

A "dawn simulator" is a large, bright white light that serves as an alarm clock. Say you set your alarm for 8 a.m.; the light in the dawn simulator will start to come on gradually, starting around 7:30 or so, and reaching full brightness at 8. You wake up gradually and naturally. It feels much better than being startled awake by an alarm clock.

Since my home has skylights, I don't need to use the "dawn" feature, but I love the "dusk" feature. One reason I don't get enough sleep is that I like to read in bed, and no matter how tired I am, I can easily lose myself in a book. Before I know it, it's 4 a.m. The dusk simulator allows me to set a timer for up to 15 to 90 minutes, and as that time passes, its light will slowly dim. Eventually I can't see my book anymore, which makes it easier for me to put my book down and go to sleep.
Philips HF3471/60 Wake-Up Light, White

Philips HF3471/60 Wake-Up Light, White

Amazon Price: $79.99 (as of 06/04/2012)Buy Now

The Phillips Dawn and Dusk Simulator allows you to wake up with the dawn, whatever the actual time might be. At night, use a timer so that the light dims slowly, triggering your body's natural sleep process. The alarm also has some pretty nice sound options, such as birdsong -- much nicer than a buzzing, jangling alarm clock!

Wake-up Lights for SAD Therapy from Amazon

Dawn simulators help you sleep and help you wake up.

Dawn simulators increase the light in your bedroom gradually and naturally. The artificial "sunrise" this provides can be especially helpful if you have to wake up when it's still dark out.
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Important!

Side Effects of Light Therapy

Compared to medication, light therapy has very few side effects. They include headache, nausea, irritability, and eye strain. I found that my sun lamp made my dry mouth worse for the first week I used it this year (dry mouth is a common symptom of psychoactive meds, and I take several). These symptoms often go away on their own, or they can be mitigated by changing the angle of the lamp, its brightness, or duration of the therapy.

Seven Ways to Get the Most Out Of Light Therapy

Your therapy light won't work if you don't use it right.

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So you've bought your sunlamp, or your blue light device? What now? To get the most from your light therapy lamp, check out this list.
  • 1The experts recommend starting light therapy in the fall, as soon as the days start getting shorter -- but you can get a lot out of light therapy at any time during the winter.. Don't let the time of year stop you. When I first started using my sun lamp, it was early December, and it started helping immediately.
  • 2Follow the instructions that come with the light therapy device regarding when to use it. When I got my Phillips GoLite BLU, I read the instructions, and decided to disregard the advice that it's most effective when used in the morning. Since this is especially important for people who have trouble falling asleep at night (like me!), I managed to screw up my sleep. It also seemed less effective than my NatureBright at containing my mood.

    When I started using it in the mornings, as per instructions, I felt much MUCH better. My mood improved, my energy improved, and my sleep improved. I also no longer need to use my NatureBright for four hours a day!
  • 3Follow your therapy light's instructions about where to place the light. The light won't work if you place it too far away from you, and might cause eye strain and headaches if it's too close. Your lamp's user manual will tell you how close it should be to get the best results.
  • 4Start using your lamp on the lowest setting. When you begin light therapy, use it for 15 minutes. If you need to, increase it gradually from 15 minutes, to 30, 45, and then 60. Don't jump right in at an hour; you may experience eye strain, headaches, irritability, and insomnia.
  • 5Never stare into your light therapy device. However, different therapy lights have different recommendations about whether you should look directly at the light for brief periods. The manual for my NatureBright sunlamp suggests that users glance occasionally at the light; the manual for my Phillips GoLite Blue says never to look directly at the light.
  • 6Work with your doctor to figure out when you should use your light therapy lamp. As we learned earlier, bright light affects how -- and how much -- we sleep. Depending on your mood and sleep problems, your doctor will advise you to use your sun lamp in the morning, evening, or both.
  • 7Everyone needs different things from their light therapy lamp. I'm probably unusual in that I need several hours of light therapy every day (and more if it's overcast). Don't assume you need as much sunlamp and blue light time as I do. You may get great results from using your therapy lamp for half an hour a day.

Light Therapy Reviews

My Blog About Using Light Therapy

Light Therapy Reviews
This blog reviews more therapy devices and chronicles my experiences with light therapy.

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Do You Use Light Therapy for Seasonal Affective Disorder?

What's your favorite therapy lamp?

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If you have SAD, you've probably tried at least one therapy lamp. Have you tried one of the four I've reviewed here? Which is your favorite? Or do you prefer another one entirely?

I want to hear from you! Vote on your favorite, and explain your choice below.

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Have You Experienced SAD?

What Have You Done to Treat It?

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  • candidaabrahamson Mar 30, 2012 @ 2:07 pm | delete
    Fascinating lens. I just did a duel debate lens on how to best treat depression, and did include, as a side point, light therapy. Do you think it can help for depression that's beyond SAD, that's more a moderate or severe depression?
  • AddaptAbilities Apr 2, 2012 @ 2:07 pm | delete
    I absolutely do think it can help for moderate and severe depression -- personally, I suspect that light plays a role in most kinds of depression, whether it's considered "seasonal" or not. This is based on reading I've done about mood disorders and sleep. If you have a mood disorder, your sleep is messed up too, and light therapy can help with this.
  • Ivalotasay Jan 12, 2012 @ 5:58 pm | delete
    Great lens - my Mum suffered from SAD every year but in the early years this affliction had no name. She now uses light therapy and is alot happier.
  • hotbrain Dec 21, 2011 @ 1:27 am | delete
    Last winter, I was feeling down, and so I set up a verilux full spectrum light at my desk. It is not advertised as a light for SAD, but I think it helps. This year, however, I've been more on an up spiral... Since I have bipolar disorder, my moods go up and down, and I'm not entirely sure they're related to seasonal stuff, although it sure could play a part!
  • Photahsiamirabel Dec 11, 2011 @ 4:35 am | delete
    I have had the "November Blues" ever since my childhood. It came on after a three year "tour of duty" in Singapore. I don't know if living near the Equator caused or aggravated it. SAD wasn't talked about then, everyone just thought I was lazy. It used to lift a little in December because of the excitement of Christmas, then kick back in until February. I have been thinking more and more about light therapy....
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About the Author: Addy Bell

Addy Bell has a brain that's a bit too interesting sometimes. When she's not writing, making art, or making music, she juggles her ADD, dyscalculia, dysgraphia, and her mutant mood disorder. She sometimes feels like she's in a Kafka play, but has so far succeeded in not turning into a giant cockroach.
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