The
days are darkening here in Corvallis, andwhat
little slanty sun could shine is thwarted by rain clouds. If you
notice yourself getting sleepy, lethargic, or gloomy, you're in good
company. Seasonal changes in light have a very real and physiologic
effect on mood and energy. Our brains and bodies are set up by
evolution to react to long light days with increased energy (work those
fields! harvest!) and to cooler, dark days by slowing the system down
(sleep! now sleep some more!). Our bodies would be perfectly happy
going to bed not long after the sun sets. That probably worked well in
days before widespread use of artificial light and 24/7 availability
of food and things to do-- but it's unrealistic for most of us now.
The result in the split between rapid societal evolution and much
slower physiologic evolution can be sleep, energy and mood disorders,
including the Oregon State Malady:
Seasonal Affective Disorder.
A light box can address both typical and more drastic results of the
effects of waning light on the brain and body. Light boxes produce
effects similar to sun exposure and can be used in the morning to assist
in wakefulness and mood regulation and in the afternoon to increase
energy. Exposure is typically between 15-30 minutes at a regular time
each a.m. or early afternoon. To be effective, the light source should
be at or above face level, with eyes open (although it is not necessary
or recommended to look directly at the light)and within 15-30 inches
of the light source. Specific instructions vary according to model.
There is a great deal of evidence of effectiveness in the use of light
boxes to treat seasonal affective disorder, a type of depression linked
to low winter light.
Because they have a real--and sometimes profound-- effect, they are
best used according to specific directives based on the particular mood
or sleep issues one is experiencing. In some cases, use can increase
hypomania (agitation, excess energy, and insomnia among other
symptoms). Usually a reduction in the exposure time or moving exposure
from am to afternoon is enough to remedy that. However, I encourage
persons considering light therapy to consult their physician or mental
health practitioner and have some sort of system in place to track
results. Because it isn't completely clear that such intense light
exposure is safe over long periods for eyes, light therapy isn't for
everyone and the risks as well as benefits should be explored.
I'm a chronically terrible sleeper, and an even worse waker. I noticed
that the best sleep I have is when I am camping and rise and go to
sleep with the summer sun. Since that time frame is typically also
when I rise and wake in the winter, I have found great benefit in the
use of a dusk/dawn simulator. The device I use attaches to my bedside
lamp and is programmed to turn the (100 watt full spectrum) light down
very gradually in the evening and then up again gradually in the
morning. I use it from October to May and find I don't even need an
alarm clock, as the dawning light creates a gentle alertness over time.
I wake up refreshed instead of startled. Research suggests that
gradual lightening stimulates a chemical cue to awakening, just as
gradual darkness stimulates a chemical cue to drowsiness. I rarely use
a light box since I've bought my dawn simulator. They aren't cheap--
mine was $150-- but I find it a bargain for the help it's provided me
with sleep and waking.
Meanwhile, if it's a nice day, get out there!The average American is
getting LESS than the 20 minutes of sun a day needed by the body to
manufacture adequate vitamin D-- that's on a summer day. In Corvallis,
you'd need to be outside during 24 daylight hours to get that daily
dose. The USDA just doubled the RDA; if you are supplementing, they say
go for D3 and 800 mg. Harvard Health suggests 1000 and tells more
about the importance of this vitamin, ways to get it, and effects for
different populations in their
newsletter here.
Resources:
The Office of Dietary Supplements/National Institute of Health
FACT SHEET
on D. There's a chart on getting vitamin D from diet. Trust me, if
you aren't taking cod liver oil or drinking a half-gallon of milk a day,
you probably won't get it there.
Corvallis's own Linus Pauling Research Center is doing lots of research
on D and are big proponents. Find out what they are on about
HERE.
Boston University reseacher and professor
Dr. Michael Holick
is considered one of the foremost researchers on D; he alerted a nation
to links between D deficiency and increased autoimmune diseases and
cancer. He worries our obsession with sunlight protection in the form
of sunblocks and clothing is causing a national deficiency. Remember,
no need to tan-- 20 minutes on hands and face in summer is plenty to
produce all the D you need.
Quote of the day:
Albert Camus
To correct a natural indifference I was placed
half-way between misery and the sun. Misery kept me from believing that
all was well under the sun, and the sun taught me that history wasn't
everything.
