Light Therapy To Lighten Your Stress

Have you ever noticed that mostly during the winter months some persons feel depressed and less energetic? And do you know that this is actually a sleep disorder? And this disorder can be treated by using a revolutionary treatment known as ‘light therapy’?

In 1982, scientists at the National Institute (NIH) identified winter depressiondefine and gave it the name Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD). It was also discovered that exposure to bright white light eases out symptoms of SAD.

Our body has a natural circadian rhythm. This is also called the body’s inner clock. It governs our timing of sleep, hormone production, body temperature and other biological functions.

During winters this circadian rhythm gets disturbed thereby disturbing our sleep patterns and making us feel depressed. When a person does not receive the light signal, his body clock either speeds up or slows down.

In 2000, researchers at the Thomas Jefferson Medical University and Apollo Health fully grasped the fact that exposure to bright light increases the production of chemicals in the brain which relieve the symptoms related to depressive disorders.

So what actually is light therapy and how does it work?

The treatment is done with the help of a light box. This box is a small, portable device which contains fluorescent bulbs or tubes. The intensity of these bulbs and tubes is not similar to that of the household lighting.

Light therapy actually imitates outdoor light and causes a biochemical change in the brain which makes us feel better thereby relieving symptoms of Seasonal Affective Disorder.

Actually when waves of light enter the eye, a nerve that connects the retina to a key point in the Hypothalamus region of the brain gets activated. This stimulates the production of the active hormone serotonin. With the release of serotonin the person feels more active and alert.

There are three key elements in light therapy:
1. Intensity
2. Duration
3. Timing

Typical intensity is between 2,500 lux and 10,000 lux. Light therapy basically involves daily sessions ranging from 30 minutes to two hours. But when you just start light therapy, the duration might be shorter. Mostly people find light therapy effective if used in the morning. Doing light therapy at night can disrupt your sleep.

Light therapy requires patience and consistency. The benefits can be seen in two days or it might even take two weeks.

The best part about light therapy is that if a person does not want to take medicines or anti-depressants, then this is the best possible form of treatment.

But light therapy is not always useful. It might work for some people and for some it might not. Also, light therapy alone might not be helpful as there can be instances where patients do need to combine it with psychotherapy and medicines.

Though the side-effects of light therapy are uncommon, still one has to be extra careful before going in for this treatment. The side-effects could be fatigue, irritability, nausea, headache and eyestrain.

Another thing that needs to be taken care of is that you should not go in for light therapy if your skin is sensitive to light. Also, some patients might be having an eye condition where exposing them to bright light could cause potential damage. Light therapy is not suitable for such people.

Apart from treating sleep disorders, light therapy is also helpful in combating the effects of a jetlag. It is also useful in the treatment for acne.

Scientists are now researching if light therapy can be used for treating Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and Women’s menstrual health.