Light Therapy

Beat Sleep Problems

Too much sleep? Too little sleep? Always tired? Restless and agitated? You may toss and turn on your own but you share sleep problems with millions of people.

Sleep problems are caused by many factors - long work hours, night shifts, extensive travel. But there is a common factor for chronic sleep difficulties: a disruption in the workings of our internal "body clockA circadian rhythm is a roughly 24-hour cycle in the biochemical, physiological or behavioral processes of living entities, including plants, animals, fungi and cyanobacteria (see bacterial circadian rhythms).."

Fortunately, medical researchers, like Dr. Scott Campbell, director of the Laboratory of Human Chronobiology at New York Hospital-Cornell Medical Center, have developed natural therapies to help treat sleep problems. Now, you can get back on a healthy and restful schedule.

Light Therapy Relieves Sleep Problems

Natural light therapyLight therapy or phototherapy consists of exposure to daylight or to specific wavelengths of light using lasers, light-emitting diodes, fluorescent lamps, dichroic lamps or very bright, full-spectrum light -- by a so-called light box. Light therapy which strikes the retina of the eyes is used to treat circadian rhythm disorders such as delayed sleep phase syndrome and can also be used to treat seasonal affective disorder, with some support for its use also with non-seasonal psychiatric disorders. helps normalize the body clock and get you on a regular sleep cycle. Research shows that treatments with high LUX light can positively affect our body rhythms and hormone production. It can even eliminate the need for sleeping pills.

Light therapy addresses three types of Sleep Problems

Not all sleep problems are the same. But all can be treated with Light Therapy. Do you suffer from one of these conditions? Consider the following gentle safe natural home light therapy options:

  • Insomnia: Almost 1 in 10 people suffer from insomnia. Women, shift workers, middle-aged, and elder adults and more prone to insomnia.
    • Treat insomnia with morning light therapy and simulated dawn exposure.
  • ASPS (Advanced sleep phase syndrome): ASPS sufferers find it hard to stay awake in the evening, and are easily-disturbed when they sleep. It can create anxiety, depression, and nightwalking and often affects the elderly.
    • Treat ASPS with evening light exposure.
  • DSPS (Delayed sleep phase syndrome): DSPS sufferers find it hard to fall asleep and to function in the morning. Adolescents are often affected by DSPS.
    • Treat DSPS with early morning light therapy.

Remember - natural light therapy may drastically cut dependence on sleeping pills. Free yourself to live a healthier and happier life.

Sleep Pattern Self-Assessment Questionnaire

Click here to access the Sleep Pattern Self-Assessment Questionnaire.

If you have any serious or recurring conditions that may require medical treatment, consult a licensed physician.