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Bright Light Therapy for Regularizing Sleep and Reducing Depression and Anxiety - The Lizard of Oz - 01-28-2016

Quote: (01-28-2016 08:44 AM)Cyr Wrote:  

I live in the UK and have traditionally struggled during the dark winters. I become apathetic, have trouble waking up in the morning, am sleepy all day and then cannot sleep at night. I wasn't sure what was to blame for my constant fatigue and for a while thought I might have sleep apnea, but my doctor assured me that at my age, bmi etc it was impossible.
I decided to buy a light box, and have been blown away at how well they work. I've been using it for the last 10 days, and although I haven't been going to bed at the same time every night it has really improved my energy levels and regularised my sleep cycle. I've also been much happier, and am more enthusiastic about going out and making the most of the day every morning- as opposed to just wanting to go back to bed.
If anyone is undecided, they should look at the hundreds of testimonials on amazon that back up this thread.

Cyr, that's great to hear.

As always, you'll derive maximum benefits if your use of the light box is correct and consistent: around the same time every morning, shortly after you wake up, for 30 minutes at a distance that provides 10,000 Lux.

Bright Light Therapy for Regularizing Sleep and Reducing Depression and Anxiety - The Lizard of Oz - 01-28-2016

Here is a very interesting and informative page on the surprising variety of indications for bright light therapy:

http://www.sunbox.com/research/other-disorders/

Bright Light Therapy for Regularizing Sleep and Reducing Depression and Anxiety - John Michael Kane - 02-12-2016

Sunbox just emailed me back saying that the LED version should be available sometime next week. I emailed them again and asked them what kind of research they've done on the LED version, or any peer-reviewed studies done on LED lightboxes versus the traditional bulbs. Stay tuned.

Bright Light Therapy for Regularizing Sleep and Reducing Depression and Anxiety - Jura - 02-12-2016

So it's been a few months since I started using the lamp. (I bought this model on craigslist for about $40)

It helps me tremendously to start the day; I feel much more energized and ready to go. Problem is I can't seem to adopt a fixed sleeping routine so the impact of the lamp is fairly limited. I need to work on that.

WBA (Would buy again)

Bright Light Therapy for Regularizing Sleep and Reducing Depression and Anxiety - The Lizard of Oz - 02-12-2016

Quote: (02-12-2016 01:20 PM)Jura Wrote:  

So it's been a few months since I started using the lamp. (I bought this model on craigslist for about $40)

It helps me tremendously to start the day; I feel much more energized and ready to go. Problem is I can't seem to adopt a fixed sleeping routine so the impact of the lamp is fairly limited. I need to work on that.

WBA (Would buy again)

Jura, that's great to hear. Yes, you should really try to use the light box correctly and consistently -- for 30 minutes, at the correct distance to get 10,000 Lux (12'' for your model on the maximum setting) same time every morning not long after you wake up. That is the way to maximize the benefits; you will see a very significant improvement in your sleep patterns if you do that for a while, above and beyond the benefits you've already experienced. Try it and report back to us.

Bright Light Therapy for Regularizing Sleep and Reducing Depression and Anxiety - Mr. Pink - 02-12-2016

Has anyone been able to find any cheaper but just as effective alternatives? Got in touch with Sunbox; their world voltage Sunlight Jr model costs $230 plus $90 shipping and that's not including whatever bullshit charges customs here at the Phils is gonna hit me with. I want to buy one of these but I just feel dirty spending $400 on a lightbulb. Gonna try my luck finding a company shipping out of Australia.

Bright Light Therapy for Regularizing Sleep and Reducing Depression and Anxiety - The Lizard of Oz - 02-12-2016

Quote: (02-12-2016 10:38 PM)Mr. Pink Wrote:  

Has anyone been able to find any cheaper but just as effective alternatives? Got in touch with Sunbox; their world voltage Sunlight Jr model costs $230 plus $90 shipping and that's not including whatever bullshit charges customs here at the Phils is gonna hit me with. I want to buy one of these but I just feel dirty spending $400 on a lightbulb. Gonna try my luck finding a company shipping out of Australia.

Mr. Pink, here is a cheaper box being sold on Amazon UK, the Redstone SAD light box:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Redstone-SAD-Lig...B000YSDHZ8

It's currently sold for £50, or about $73 at current rates. Of course you'd still have to pay for shipping to the Phils but it will be a lot cheaper than the Sunlight Jr.

This box is a certified full spectrum 10,000 Lux box, so it will get the job done. The reason it is so much cheaper is that it doesn't have the high frequency resynthesizer to reduce flicker. So if you sit at the correct distance from it to get 10,000 Lux you will notice flicker. But if you don't mind that -- and it's probably tolerable -- it's a cheaper box that will give you 10,000 Lux of full spectrum light which is much better than nothing. So it is an alternative for guys who really don't have the money to spend on something like the Sunlight Jr.

Bright Light Therapy for Regularizing Sleep and Reducing Depression and Anxiety - Mr. Pink - 02-12-2016

Quote: (02-12-2016 11:20 PM)The Lizard of Oz Wrote:  

Quote: (02-12-2016 10:38 PM)Mr. Pink Wrote:  

Has anyone been able to find any cheaper but just as effective alternatives? Got in touch with Sunbox; their world voltage Sunlight Jr model costs $230 plus $90 shipping and that's not including whatever bullshit charges customs here at the Phils is gonna hit me with. I want to buy one of these but I just feel dirty spending $400 on a lightbulb. Gonna try my luck finding a company shipping out of Australia.

Mr. Pink, here is a cheaper box being sold on Amazon UK, the Redstone SAD light box:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Redstone-SAD-Lig...B000YSDHZ8

It's currently sold for £50, or about $73 at current rates. Of course you'd still have to pay for shipping to the Phils but it will be a lot cheaper than the Sunlight Jr.

This box is a certified full spectrum 10,000 Lux box, so it will get the job done. The reason it is so much cheaper is that it doesn't have the high frequency resynthesizer to reduce flicker. So if you sit at the correct distance from it to get 10,000 Lux you will notice flicker. But if you don't mind that -- and it's probably tolerable -- it's a cheaper box that will give you 10,000 Lux of full spectrum light which is much better than nothing. So it is an alternative for guys who really don't have the money to spend on something like the Sunlight Jr.

Thanks man, and thanks for creating this thread. All the positive reviews have me pretty optimistic; I've been dealing with insomnia and shitty, inconsistent sleep for years now.

Bright Light Therapy for Regularizing Sleep and Reducing Depression and Anxiety - The Lizard of Oz - 02-12-2016

Quote: (02-12-2016 11:36 PM)Mr. Pink Wrote:  

Quote: (02-12-2016 11:20 PM)The Lizard of Oz Wrote:  

Quote: (02-12-2016 10:38 PM)Mr. Pink Wrote:  

Has anyone been able to find any cheaper but just as effective alternatives? Got in touch with Sunbox; their world voltage Sunlight Jr model costs $230 plus $90 shipping and that's not including whatever bullshit charges customs here at the Phils is gonna hit me with. I want to buy one of these but I just feel dirty spending $400 on a lightbulb. Gonna try my luck finding a company shipping out of Australia.

Mr. Pink, here is a cheaper box being sold on Amazon UK, the Redstone SAD light box:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Redstone-SAD-Lig...B000YSDHZ8

It's currently sold for £50, or about $73 at current rates. Of course you'd still have to pay for shipping to the Phils but it will be a lot cheaper than the Sunlight Jr.

This box is a certified full spectrum 10,000 Lux box, so it will get the job done. The reason it is so much cheaper is that it doesn't have the high frequency resynthesizer to reduce flicker. So if you sit at the correct distance from it to get 10,000 Lux you will notice flicker. But if you don't mind that -- and it's probably tolerable -- it's a cheaper box that will give you 10,000 Lux of full spectrum light which is much better than nothing. So it is an alternative for guys who really don't have the money to spend on something like the Sunlight Jr.

Thanks man, and thanks for creating this thread. All the positive reviews have me pretty optimistic; I've been dealing with insomnia and shitty, inconsistent sleep for years now.

If you get the light box and use it correctly and consistently, your problem will be solved.

Bright Light Therapy for Regularizing Sleep and Reducing Depression and Anxiety - captainmack - 02-14-2016

First off Thanks to The Lizard of Oz for starting this thread - literally Bro it changed my life.

A little background on what a normal day for me would be like. I'd start with my iPhone alarms going off around 8am and then my assistant calling me about 830am to start the hour long process of waking me up. I'd usually work until around 7-8pm grab some dinner and then lift for about an hour until around 10pm. From 10 on I would read (books/forums/internet), watch TV, or whatever. Bedtime would usually be around 230-3am. Then I would start the process all over again.

I have a classic case of Delayed Sleep Phase Disorder coupled with Obstructed Sleep Apnea so sleep has always been my number 1 problem. I tried everything over the years to correct this problem from Prescription Drugs, Herbal Remedies, Acupuncture and everything in-between.

About 3 Months ago I found this thread and thought what the hell I'll give it a try. I decided to go cheap and purchase the #1 Best Seller on Amazon:

http://www.amazon.com/Sphere-Gadget-Tech...ht+therapy

I used it for a couple of weeks and felt a little better. But since I didn't see a remarkable improvement I stopped doing it. About 3 weeks ago I had a weekend where I was up for about 38 straight and nothing would knock me out. At around hour 28 I jumped on the forum and updated myself on this thread. I decided that since so many guys were having great luck out of the Sunbox Jr that maybe I just bought the wrong light. I went to Sunbox's website and looked over all the lights and eventually decided the Sunray II Floor Stand Combo would work better for me:

http://www.sunbox.com/shop/10000-lux-bri...o-package/

I paid for Overnight Shipping and had the Light the following day. All in with shipping it cost me around $675. I ordered over the phone and the sales lady was very helpful and told me about the 45 day return policy. Originally I decided I was going to multitask and do BLT while at the same doing my morning cardio. After a couple of days I was seeing so improvement and started going to bed around midnight which was a big win for me. The following Monday I ended up pulling a muscle on Leg Day so I started doing BLT without the cardio. I also decided to purchase some cheap glasses that block blue light on Amazon that I wear starting about 10pm every night. I don't know if it was the addition of the glasses, changing how I did my BLT or a cumulative effect but I started going to bed earlier.

Fast forward a couple of weeks I'm now going to bed at a reasonable hour and waking up on my own before my alarm and/or assistant calls. BLT has been a game changer for me and I'm loving it. Ultimately I want to go to sleep around 10pm and wake up around 6am - I still need to tweak a couple of my habits to get there. That said my advise to anything thinking about trying BLT don't fuck around and get a cheap light. Sunbox may be more expensive but they're worth every penny. Anyway I just wanted to say thanks and share my experience.

Bright Light Therapy for Regularizing Sleep and Reducing Depression and Anxiety - The Lizard of Oz - 02-14-2016

captainmack, that is so awesome. Makes me incredibly happy to hear that.

Keep using the Sunray 2 correctly and consistently, same time every morning for 30 minutes at 10,000 Lux, and you'll be able to entrain a good sleeping schedule ever more deeply. You want to keep it not just for weeks but for months and, dare I say it, YEARS. And you can do it -- and it will indeed transform your life.

You may want to look at this thread I posted a while ago for more tips on sleep hygiene. In particular, don't eat or exercise so late, let your body cool down so you can fall asleep early. Also make sure you download f.lux and install it on all your devices. All these good habits will work hand in hand with the bright light therapy to help optimize your sleep and overall health.

Thank you for posting this, made my day. [Image: smile.gif]

Bright Light Therapy for Regularizing Sleep and Reducing Depression and Anxiety - Brian Shima - 02-17-2016

TLOZ can you please recommend a cheap model or do I need to spend more for the full effects?

Bright Light Therapy for Regularizing Sleep and Reducing Depression and Anxiety - Mr. Pink - 02-17-2016

Quote: (02-14-2016 10:11 PM)captainmack Wrote:  

About 3 Months ago I found this thread and thought what the hell I'll give it a try. I decided to go cheap and purchase the #1 Best Seller on Amazon:

http://www.amazon.com/Sphere-Gadget-Tech...ht+therapy

I used it for a couple of weeks and felt a little better. But since I didn't see a remarkable improvement I stopped doing it.

Damn, so the sphere gadget lamp didn't do anything for you? Couldn't find a UK company to ship to the Phils so I have that exact model on it's way to me right now. Guess the cheaper price was too good to be true, thought it was a safe choice because the bulb seemed to be the same 10k full spectrum. Either way congrats for finally solving your problem, that's fuckin' awesome.

Bright Light Therapy for Regularizing Sleep and Reducing Depression and Anxiety - The Lizard of Oz - 02-17-2016

Quote: (02-17-2016 06:23 PM)Brian Shima Wrote:  

TLOZ can you please recommend a cheap model or do I need to spend more for the full effects?

Quote: (02-17-2016 08:30 PM)Mr. Pink Wrote:  

Damn, so the sphere gadget lamp didn't do anything for you?

The problem with the really small lights like the Sphere is that you need to be extremely close to them to get 10,000 Lux. I couldn't find the exact specs for the Sphere but I believe it's something like 6''. Most people don't want to have a light within 6'' of their eyes (and for good reasons -- it's not very comfortable) so they put it farther away. But then they don't get 10,000 Lux so it's much less effective, or even completely ineffective.

My first recommendation remains the Sunlight Jr.:

http://www.sunbox.com/shop/10000-lux-bri...ight-jr-2/

It's a fantastic, high quality light box which gets you 10,000 Lux at 14''. The current online price is $185. That may not seem cheap, but the benefits (as you can see from all the posts upthread) are so extreme that it will easily be the best $185 you'll ever spend.

If you absolutely must have a cheaper box, I think the best you can do in the US is this:

http://www.amazon.com/Carex-Health-Brand...op?ie=UTF8

It's $133 on Amazon with free shipping, so you save about $50+ compared to the Sunlight Jr. It's a full spectrum box that gets you 10,000 Lux at 12'' or so. The engineering is somewhat inferior to the Sunbox product and it probably won't last as long but it should get the job done.

Bright Light Therapy for Regularizing Sleep and Reducing Depression and Anxiety - captainmack - 02-18-2016

The Lizard of Oz - I checked out the other thread you recommended and picked up a couple of tips I'm planning to put into practice. I picked up a copy of a book called "Say Good Night to Insomnia" that a buddy said helped him.

http://www.amazon.com/Say-Good-Night-Ins...0805089586

I don't believe I've seen any reviews on the forum about this book but I'll pass along any helpful tips I find.

Mr. Pink - The Sphere light did help me some and got great reviews on Amazon so it must have helped others. Mine was a LED version and the Sunbox uses bulbs so I don't if that makes any difference from a bio-chemical standpoint. I did like that it has a selectable timer with 15, 30, and 45 minutes which was a nice addition. The foldable stand on the one I bought sucked and wouldn't hold the light upright on the table next to me. I don't regret the purchase and everybody has to start somewhere. If I had to quantify the benefits I personally observed in myself I'd say the Sphere like made me feel around 20% better while the Sunbox made me feel 90% better. Try it and see what you think.

Bright Light Therapy for Regularizing Sleep and Reducing Depression and Anxiety - redbeard - 02-20-2016

I'm not sure if I posted a follow-up, but I've been using the sun box for a few months now and love it. It feels like drinking the best cup of coffee without any caffeine.

Related - has anyone used one of these sunlight clocks? My bedroom is pitch dark and one of these would make waking up a breeze. I'd also use it for travel.

http://www.amazon.com/Philips-HF3520-Wak...ight+clock

Sunbox has a travel light clock too:

http://www.sunbox.com/shop/travel-packag...ble-model/

Bright Light Therapy for Regularizing Sleep and Reducing Depression and Anxiety - WanderingSoul - 02-20-2016

Is there much difference between the SunLight Jr and the SunStation?

Bright Light Therapy for Regularizing Sleep and Reducing Depression and Anxiety - Jura - 02-20-2016

Quote: (02-20-2016 11:46 AM)redbeard Wrote:  

Related - has anyone used one of these sunlight clocks? My bedroom is pitch dark and one of these would make waking up a breeze. I'd also use it for travel.

I'd be interested as well. (Although the reviews look pretty good). Waking up to "natural light" instead of my cellphone alarm would probably help with morning grumpiness.

Bright Light Therapy for Regularizing Sleep and Reducing Depression and Anxiety - The Lizard of Oz - 02-20-2016

Quote: (02-20-2016 11:57 AM)RioNomad Wrote:  

Is there much difference between the SunLight Jr and the SunStation?

Rio, I assume you mean this:

http://www.sunbox.com/shop/10000-lux-bri...sunsation/

It's an excellent light box and will give you 10,000 Lux at 14'' (same as the Sunlight Jr.). The only difference is the adjustable angle and the wire stand that you need to use with the SunSation. You need to get the angle right for optimal operation. For this reason, I prefer the Sunlight Jr. because it is ideally simple -- there are literally no settings, there is nothing to do but take it out of the box, put it on your desk and turn it on. The more options/settings the greater the odds that someone will do it wrong, no matter how clear the instructions are.

Bright Light Therapy for Regularizing Sleep and Reducing Depression and Anxiety - Requiem - 02-20-2016

Lizard, thank you very much for this thread and all the tech-support.
I have read all 8 pages and just installed f.lux.
I now want to buy one of these lamps and I have the option between Lumie Brightspark or the Philips HF3419/01 EnergyUp White, which was posted an page 3.
I read that you like LEDs but you wrote that while falsely assuming the Sunbox would be using LEDs. Since another member mentioned that he didn't have as much success with a cheaper model, I was wondering if there could also be any difference in effect between LEDs and the lights that Sunbox (and Lumie) is using.
Scientifically speaking, as long as the same full spectrum of wavelengths is covered, it shouldn't make any difference. In this case, I would much prefer LEDs. But there is some doubt and before I invest that amount of money, I want to make sure: since you seem to be pretty versed in this and have apparently done a lot of research on the topic, could you just mention whether or not you have seen any data on possible variant effectiveness depending on which light-source is used?

Bright Light Therapy for Regularizing Sleep and Reducing Depression and Anxiety - The Lizard of Oz - 02-20-2016

Requiem, assuming you are in Europe I would go with the Lumie Brazil:

http://www.lumie.com/collections/light-t...cts/brazil

The Lumie Brightspark is too small, in my opinion. According to their specs you need to be at 7'' or so to get 10,000 Lux. That is a little too close for comfort and most people will instinctively place it farther out or move away, and as a result they won't get the 10,000 Lux they need.

The Philips device looks too confusing. They never specify -- at least that I could find, and I looked through their manual -- at what exact distance you need to be to get 10,000 Lux. They say 25-50cm (or 10'' - 20''), which is quite a range. In addition, there are too many settings for the brightness and for the angle. More settings = more ways to get it wrong.

The Brazil is actually cheaper than the Philips (but more expensive than the Brightspark). It looks like a sturdy well-constructed box, and it provides 10,000 Lux at 14'' (35cm) which is a nice comfortable distance -- same as the Sunlight Jr. It would be my choice in the UK or Europe.

Bright Light Therapy for Regularizing Sleep and Reducing Depression and Anxiety - Hammerhead - 02-29-2016

TLOZ,

What do you think of the lamps in this write-up? Seem like they did their homework in this review, but maybe I'm missing something.

http://thesweethome.com/reviews/best-lig...rapy-lamp/

Bright Light Therapy for Regularizing Sleep and Reducing Depression and Anxiety - The Lizard of Oz - 02-29-2016

Quote: (02-29-2016 04:18 PM)scallleywag Wrote:  

TLOZ,

What do you think of the lamps in this write-up? Seem like they did their homework in this review, but maybe I'm missing something.

http://thesweethome.com/reviews/best-lig...rapy-lamp/

scallleywag, see my post just above:

thread-39799...pid1224669

As I said there, I would still go for the Sunlight Jr. as the preferred recommendation, but if you absolutely must have something a little cheaper, then the Carex (which is what this write-up recommends) is the way to go. However, I slightly prefer the Carex Day-Light Sky to the Day-Light Classic Plus recommended in the write-up (they are very similar but the Sky is a newer and somewhat improved version).

Bright Light Therapy for Regularizing Sleep and Reducing Depression and Anxiety - kiwi12 - 02-29-2016

As i live in Europe I bought Beurer TL-40. Now I dont understand should I upgrade?

Bright Light Therapy for Regularizing Sleep and Reducing Depression and Anxiety - The Lizard of Oz - 02-29-2016

Quote: (02-29-2016 09:27 PM)kiwi12 Wrote:  

As i live in Europe I bought Beurer TL-40. Now I dont understand should I upgrade?

kiwi12, have you used the TL-40? What are your impressions?

The thing I don't like about it and other smaller boxes is that you have to sit extremely close to them to get 10,000 Lux. In the case of the TL-40, they say 15-20cm for 10,000 Lux and that is uncomfortably close. So I wouldn't be surprised if you were actually placing it farther than that, and as a result, not getting the 10,000 Lux you need.

In Europe, I recommend the Lumie Brazil:

http://www.lumie.com/products/brazil