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[Technology] SAD lamp
- Thread starter jcdenton08
- Start date
- Oct 17, 2008
- 15,643
- Thread starter
- #22
Thanks for your input
Van Cleef
Well-known member
- Jun 17, 2023
- 909
I just spent a minute wondering what a surprise alarm clock was until I re-read your post.
portlock seagull
Well-known member
- Jul 28, 2003
- 18,147
Gonna give that a go, thank you.I highly recommend one of these, especially with the January we’ve had of seemingly unending dark and gloomy days.
I’ve used one for years and find it provides real relief for Seasonal Affective Disorder - 30 minutes in the morning while reading the news and having a coffee and I’m ready to face the day
Also taking vitamin D supplements - I read somewhere sales are up massively. The lamp and the vitamin work in conjunction with each other.
- Oct 17, 2008
- 15,643
- Thread starter
- #26
I’m sure you’ll get a benefit.
Imagine how much better you'd feel on top if you didn't read the news in the morning!I highly recommend one of these, especially with the January we’ve had of seemingly unending dark and gloomy days.
I’ve used one for years and find it provides real relief for Seasonal Affective Disorder - 30 minutes in the morning while reading the news and having a coffee and I’m ready to face the day
Also taking vitamin D supplements - I read somewhere sales are up massively. The lamp and the vitamin work in conjunction with each other.
In all seriousness, thanks for the thread - I had a Lumie alarm clock years ago and this has prompted me to look into them again.
- Oct 17, 2008
- 15,643
- Thread starter
- #28
In about 4 months that’s the first non-hostile reply you’ve made to me. Just so you know.
AZ Gull
@SeagullsAcademy @seagullsacademy.bsky.social
Now, THAT would be an interesting invention:
Day One:
**Loud alarm noise** "It's 1:37am, surprise!"
Day Two:
**Loud alarm noise** "It's 9:42am, you're going to be two hours late for work!"
I knew you’d say something I liked eventuallyIn about 4 months that’s the first non-hostile reply you’ve made to me. Just so you know.
I’ve only been hostile to you in response to your hostility to others.
- Oct 17, 2008
- 15,643
- Thread starter
- #31
I knew you’d say something I liked eventually
I’ve only been hostile to you in response to your hostility to others.
Anger
Well-known member
- Jul 21, 2017
- 706
Glad it was only a minute. A surprise alarm clock would be the opposite of mine.
The Sunrise clock is more of a stealth alarm clock.
The Clamp
Well-known member
Might be good to get me up and running for night shifts.
Brian Fantana
Well-known member
My wife is from South Africa and found the winter darkness the hardest thing to adjust to when she moved to the UK 20 years ago. She's had one of those lamps for years and it makes a massive difference.
Green Cross Code Man
Wunt be druv
Wasn't depressed before. Am now.
seagullwedgee
Well-known member
- Aug 9, 2005
- 3,108
Thanks for this recommendation. I’ve just bought the Lumie on Amazon. I have a day counter until th3 clocks go forward, 66 days to go….
Light_Bulb
Active member
- Aug 20, 2024
- 32
Given the very positive responses re SAD lamps I feel a bit of a party-pooping keyboard warrior writing this, but the truth is that most SAD lamps offer nothing more than a placebo effect (although there is nothing wrong with a placebo if it works for people).
There is actually a very limited amount of research, but general thinking is that to affect the physiological system (circadian) you need a minimum of 1200 lux with a very good spectral power distribution (full spectrum of light) and in particular a lot of blue light. And that light needs to be delivered to the eye at a specific angle from above in order to stimulate the (ipRGC) receptors in the eye that regulate circadian rhythms.
Most SAD lamps can't /don't do this - so really you're affecting the psychological response, not the physiological response.
Professional / medical light-rooms can and do affect your circadian rhythms because they can deliver the right quantity and quality at the correct angle.
What does work very well are lights turning on via a timer to wake you up. But this is less to do with circadian lighting and more to do with sleep cycles. If you're woken up during the deepest sleep stage then you feel groggy and tired. Using a light to slowly turn on will gently lift you out of a deep slumber and leave you feeling less sleepy.
Ultimately nothing can get anywhere near replacing good quality daylight, going to sleep in the dark and then waking up to sunrise. We evolved living in caves to exactly that.
And finally... Ignore all I've said, because if it works for you then stick with it. Placebo or not.
There is actually a very limited amount of research, but general thinking is that to affect the physiological system (circadian) you need a minimum of 1200 lux with a very good spectral power distribution (full spectrum of light) and in particular a lot of blue light. And that light needs to be delivered to the eye at a specific angle from above in order to stimulate the (ipRGC) receptors in the eye that regulate circadian rhythms.
Most SAD lamps can't /don't do this - so really you're affecting the psychological response, not the physiological response.
Professional / medical light-rooms can and do affect your circadian rhythms because they can deliver the right quantity and quality at the correct angle.
What does work very well are lights turning on via a timer to wake you up. But this is less to do with circadian lighting and more to do with sleep cycles. If you're woken up during the deepest sleep stage then you feel groggy and tired. Using a light to slowly turn on will gently lift you out of a deep slumber and leave you feeling less sleepy.
Ultimately nothing can get anywhere near replacing good quality daylight, going to sleep in the dark and then waking up to sunrise. We evolved living in caves to exactly that.
And finally... Ignore all I've said, because if it works for you then stick with it. Placebo or not.
Per NHS:
Light boxes come in a variety of designs, including desk lamps and wall-mounted fixtures. They produce a very bright light. The intensity of the light is measured in lux – the higher lux, the brighter the light.
The light produced by the light box simulates the sunlight that's missing during the darker winter months.
It's thought the light may improve SAD by encouraging your brain to reduce the production of melatonin (a hormone that makes you sleepy) and increase the production of serotonin (a hormone that affects your mood).
Sunrise alarm clocks, which gradually light up your bedroom as you wake up, may also be useful for some people”.
“Light therapy
Some people with SAD find that light therapy can help improve their mood considerably. This involves sitting by a special lamp called a light box, usually for around 30 minutes to an hour each morning.Light boxes come in a variety of designs, including desk lamps and wall-mounted fixtures. They produce a very bright light. The intensity of the light is measured in lux – the higher lux, the brighter the light.
The light produced by the light box simulates the sunlight that's missing during the darker winter months.
It's thought the light may improve SAD by encouraging your brain to reduce the production of melatonin (a hormone that makes you sleepy) and increase the production of serotonin (a hormone that affects your mood).
Sunrise alarm clocks, which gradually light up your bedroom as you wake up, may also be useful for some people”.
Thunder Bolt
Silly old bat
It’s not just the short days that are the problem in Britain but dark cloudy rainy days like today.Surely the end of October would be the best time to buy one?
I've noticed that with the longer afternoons we're now having, everybody is a bit more cheerful. It's just past half four - so it is light finishing work now - just! Roll on spring!
I love sunny clear frosty winter days, where you can wrap up warm but see lovely clear blue skies and glorious sunsets.
Dank, damp, low cloudy days, where you still have lights on inside at 09.30 get you down.
There’s a good reason why people say they feel under the weather. It is true.
seagullwedgee
Well-known member
- Aug 9, 2005
- 3,108
For those searching for more daylight since New Year’s Day, the day length has already stretched out 49 minutes, from (in my town) 7 hours 50 minutes, to 8 hours 39 minutes.