Light box therapy
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There are a few old threads about this -- using light box therapy in the winter months to deal with SAD. Does anyone here now use a light therapy box? If so which light do you have, and how and when do you use it?
I tend to get pretty miserable during the winter months so I was planning to buy a light box this year. But after reading more about them, I'm not sure if it will be useful. I was thinking I could use it in the evenings after sunset while I'm still at work, and was hoping to get one that's portable enough to bring home on weekends or when an approaching winter storm indicates that I will have to work from home for several days. I am a night person, not at all a morning person. I don't care what time the sun comes up, I only ever see the sunrise if I'm up early for a weekend bike ride. I do care about sunset, I hate when it sets early. That's why I figured that using a light therapy box in the evening made sense.
But it looks like that won't work -- apparently you're supposed to use it early in the morning, shortly after waking up. It's supposed to be directed toward your face and your eyes need to be open. For 30 minutes. But I don't sit still that long most mornings. I take a shower, make breakfast in the kitchen, eat in the living room (my condo is small so no eat-in kitchen and the dining area is where the bikes live), dry my hair in the bathroom, get dressed in the bedroom, then run out the door for work. If I have to use this light in the morning, I would have to get up earlier for it. But I'd get to work at the same time so I would get home at the same time and get to bed at the same time, which means overall less sleep every night.
Another thing is that the light apparently works best when it's shining down on you from above. The only way I see that happening is to get a really big light, and even then I'd have to sit on the floor in order for it to be above me. Unless I get one that's a floor lamp, though I really don't have room for a giant floor lamp in my small condo.
I did read that for some people it works better to use the light in the evening, but haven't found anything that says how to tell if you're one of those people.
These things are very expensive, unless you buy a small one. But from what I've been reading, a small one is not a good choice, you really should have a big one.
I'm just not sure how to make this work. Any information would be much appreciated!!
- Gray 2010 carbon WSD road bike, Rivet Independence saddle
- Red hardtail 26" aluminum mountain bike, Bontrager Evoke WSD saddle
- Royal blue 2018 aluminum gravel bike, Rivet Pearl saddle
Gone but not forgotten:
- Silver 2003 aluminum road bike
- Two awesome worn out Juliana saddles