What is Light Therapy?

Definition: Type of therapy involving properly timed exposure through eye to bright light to promote a normal sleep wake cycle and decrease sleep disturbances. Is used to help treat SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder), depression, insomnia, delayed phase sleep disorder and other conditions.

Why use Light Therapy: Many health disorders can be traced to problems with the circadian rhythm, the body’s inner clock, and how it governs the timing of sleep, hormone production, body temperature, and other biological functions. Disturbances in this rhythm can lead to health problems such as depression and sleep disorders. Natural sunlight and various forms of light therapy can help reestablish the body’s natural rhythm and are becoming an integral treatment for many related health conditions.

How it works: This is the main treatment for many people with winter depression. In light therapy, you sit a few feet from a special lamp that's 10 to 20 times brighter than ordinary indoor lights for 30 or more minutes each day, usually in the morning. You can do other activities, such as reading or eating breakfast, while sitting in front of the light. Light therapy is easy to administer and has relatively few side effects. Levels of melatonin in your blood are decreased when your eyes are exposed to bright light, and levels of serotonin may increase. Light treatment should be used daily in winter, starting in early autumn when the first symptoms appear. The symptoms of SAD slowly subside within a few days after beginning light treatment, but will reappear if therapy is stopped.

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