7 Light Therapy Lamps to Help With Seasonal Affective Disorder

Seasonal affective disorder is a type of depression. New York–based psychologist Dr. Sabrina Romanoff explains that it is “characterized by its recurrent seasonal pattern, with symptoms that typically span about five months, as they emerge in the fall and remit in the spring.” However, SAD can strike during any time of year. “Symptoms associated with SAD include those characteristically observed in classic depression, such as loss of interest in activities, low energy, feelings of hopelessness, difficulty concentrating, and alterations in appetite and sleep,” says Romanoff.

According to Norman Rosenthal, a professor of psychiatry at Georgetown University School of Medicine who first described the disorder in 1984, approximately 5 percent of the population suffers from SAD, and as is the case with most types of depression, a 2000 study from the American Academy of Family Physicians found that the disorder affects a disproportionate number of women. Dorothy Sit, an associate professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Northwestern University, told the Cut that the disorder likely has to do with the disruption of your circadian rhythm in the winter.

While there’s no correct answer for what causes SAD, there are a few key elements that affect it. When it comes to wintertime and SAD, psychologist and founder of the AAKOMA Project, Dr. Alfiee M. Breland-Noble, explains that “shortened days and less exposure to daylight can impact our mood, and for some people, it impacts them so much they find themselves experiencing symptoms of depression.”

Another element is the changing of routine. Unlike the summertime, winter forces people indoors and can cause major shifts in your life. You might be used to a daily walk home from work or eating with your friends in a park once a week, and that can all change when the temperatures drop, which, in turn, might affect your mood.

Aside from clinical methods of therapy, one common treatment for SAD is bright-light therapy, which involves sitting or working near a light-therapy box that gives off a recommended 10,000 lux. A 2017 study published in The Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease found that after just a single one-hour light-therapy session, subjects had “a modest improvement of SAD depression symptoms.” Per Sit’s recommendation, the best way to reap the benefits of light therapy is to sit in front of a SAD lamp for approximately 30 minutes, ideally soon after awakening.

Even if you don’t have SAD, most peoples’ circadian rhythm is off in the winter, and sitting in front of a SAD lamp can only help. Just be careful if you do have a history of clinical depression or bipolar disorder — psychologists say the lamps can interact with medication or create an exaggerated response, so it’s best for anyone with these conditions to consult with a medical professional first.

In simple terms, light therapy is supposed to be like a little sun in your room working to increase serotonin levels in your brain. “This supplemental light source works by mimicking the biological process of natural light and the benefits it has on your brain and body,” says Romanoff. “It also works by rebalancing your circadian rhythm in winter months, when daylight is limited.”

In simple terms, light therapy is supposed to be like a little sun in your room working to increase serotonin levels in your brain. “This supplemental light source works by mimicking the biological process of natural light and the benefits it has on your brain and body,” says Romanoff. “It also works by rebalancing your circadian rhythm in winter months, when daylight is limited.”