Light Therapy: Timing Matters?
Research in the realm of light therapy seems to be accelerating. There are several groups now suggesting specific times of day for use of a light box -- not just "first thing in the morning" as we've been advising people for years.
There are at least two systems for determining when a light box ought to be used. One is a research group, led by Drs. Terman and colleagues in New York. The other is also online -- but comes from a light box company! That usually would make so suspicious I'd be looking elsewhere. Worse yet, to get the results after you take their test, you have to enter a valid email address (I tried to sneak around that, no go. Of course you could use that junk email address you're using for all the other online things you sign up for...).
However, this time I think the light box company may have the better of the two tests -- in part because I've had telephone and email conversations with the research leader there, Dan Adams, who is very knowledgeable in this realm (somewhat overwhelmingly so) and who seems really dedicated to getting doing accurate, valid research as well as selling a very good product.
In any case, if you're using or thinking about using a light box, have a look at my updated page on Light Therapy, including particularly the section on When To Use It. Good luck with the process of figuring it out -- which I say not as a joke, but as a well-wish, knowing that we don't know yet all we need to know about this.
Dr. Phelps
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There are at least two systems for determining when a light box ought to be used. One is a research group, led by Drs. Terman and colleagues in New York. The other is also online -- but comes from a light box company! That usually would make so suspicious I'd be looking elsewhere. Worse yet, to get the results after you take their test, you have to enter a valid email address (I tried to sneak around that, no go. Of course you could use that junk email address you're using for all the other online things you sign up for...).
However, this time I think the light box company may have the better of the two tests -- in part because I've had telephone and email conversations with the research leader there, Dan Adams, who is very knowledgeable in this realm (somewhat overwhelmingly so) and who seems really dedicated to getting doing accurate, valid research as well as selling a very good product.
In any case, if you're using or thinking about using a light box, have a look at my updated page on Light Therapy, including particularly the section on When To Use It. Good luck with the process of figuring it out -- which I say not as a joke, but as a well-wish, knowing that we don't know yet all we need to know about this.
Dr. Phelps
3 Comments:
Hi there. I am a UK psychiatrist who is trying to set up a blog with helpful links and information for people with bipolar affective disorders and depression. I applaud your work both keeping up this blog and the psycheducation website, but see that your 2006 entries stop at this one in October. Will you be continuing to write new posts and do you mind if I put a couple of links to your sites on my own blog for the benefit of those I am trying to help?
Hello Dr. --
Thanks for the applause, nice of you to send it, and inquire thus. I'm working on a major review article for the International Society for Bipolar Disorders on the "bipolar spectrum" concept and that's dominated my time for the last month. There will be more posts, though not as frequent as are warranted for the rate at which we're learning things these days. Nonetheless, I will be back, and you are indeed welcome to link as you see fit. Send me your blog as well when you're ready (jimp@psycheducation.org) Good luck with that.
Jim Phelps
I'm the "HR" who sent you the comment about using the Chroma Green to filter ordinary SAD lights. Please credit that suggestion to Murray Waldman of sunnexbiotech.com -- I put a link to his patent, other suggestions and links (giving credit to the people whose writing I found helpful)in the comments thread at
http://psychcentral.com/blog/archives/2007/03/12/light-and-dark/
I belatedly there credit Janet Raloff of Science News Online -- I've included a link to part of her article with extensive cites that got me started thinking about all this.
Host Sandra Kiume there (who points readers to your site) has welcomed added info, so I'm adding to her thread about light and dark, as I find useful items.
Hope this helps. Many thanks for the added info here, it sure rewards checking back often.
As an aside: expect some backlash "defending" standard bright white lighting generally. I saw one "free market thinktank" article after Brainerd's study came out, claiming the scientists want to take your baby's night light away and leave her afraid in the dark. I'm not exaggerating. If the push toward replacing incandescents with standard compact fluorescents succeeds, though, I think sleeping pill companies will be very happy.
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