SAD lamps. Yes or no? Any recommendations?

[Peridot1]

Hi all.

I have been recommended to try a SAD lamp and was sure someone on here would know more than me!

My mood always dips in winter and this year I can feel my mood dipping already. Have normally had a holiday in the sun by now and I usually go to Australia in November but obviously not this year.

I’m struggling with motivation to do anything including getting out for a walk.

Just bumping for you really, I haven't done the research, but I think quality varies widely, so my advice would be to research and buy the best you can, give it a really decent try, then you will 'know' if it helps rather than wonder if it was because you bought a rubbish one (there's a chance people could recommend them because of the placebo effect or fake reviews). My colleague uses one like an iPad on her desk. Someone else told me you also need to be looking straight at it for a decent amount of time every morning. Can you also sit or walk outside for half an hour at midday every day?

Thanks so much for replying and bumping!

I looked on Amazon yesterday and was slightly overwhelmed by how many there are!

I will try to get outside every day. I’m not good at that. But if a vicious circle of lacking motivation due to low mood etc.

Interesting.

I've thought about this for DH as he hates winter. I can feel the change in him once the children go back to school in September.
He loves summer days out, show and events and all the things that don't happen in Winter.

I love cosy evenings in!

Try Lumie - they're a well-known brand. I have a lightbox and also a daylight alarm clock. They really help.

I bought Im indoors a Lumie desk lamp. It was expensive and has design flaws but it's made an immense difference to both of us.

I have been so bad with SAD in the past that I have slept in the caravan in the winter because it has a skylight and the light from that reverses the symptoms. The Lumie lamp used as a general lamp in the lounge had gone a long way to me not having to do this.

A definite YES from me. I purchased a Lumie lamp which was extremely expensive and I was slightly sceptical of these too. At the time I was a full time carer for my aged Mum and so we were in the house a lot of the time during winter and our cottage can be extremely dark. The first thing I noticed (last winter) was the cat perked up. She normally sleeps all day......but after being under the light for a couple of hours a day, her whole attitude was different. She was a different cat. That did it for me. I started using it as a lamp, a few hours in the morning. Not sitting directly beneath it, because that would have been impossible, but it was ON. I think after using it throughout a dark winter I am a definite convert. I've never suffered with depression, but being inside in the dark winter months really changed me. The Lumie lamp was just brilliant and I don't fear next winter now.

I have a Philips one that sits on my desk at home.
Having been a little sceptical at first, I can confirm that it helps me a lot.
I find 30 minutes in the morning and 30 minutes at around 16:00 has a beneficial effect, gives me some energy for the evening and has had a positive influence on my sleep.
I also have a Lumie alarm clock, but have yet to set it up.

Absolute yes from me. Bought a cheap one years ago (no longer made) when working in a dark little office and switching it on was like opening the windows and letting the spring flood in. Used it for 4 hours the first day (hadn't read the accompanying leaflet) and didn't sleep that night!! Felt as if I had had a dozen coffees. I was buzzing. Use it now for a maximum of 90 minutes and always feel the benefit - feel brighter, more energy, less lethargic.

It's v. bright - I can't have it in front of me - but I just have it on in the background, whilst I am moving around my room.

I tried another one at home, which was linked to an alarm clock to try to get that buzz early in the mornings, but it was very dim and really had no effect on me at all.

Thanks so much everyone.

I’ll have a look at the Lumie ones.

@Somethingshort - I love that it even worked on your cat!

Maplin did a good one. I got mine on ebay for a tenner, an old maplin one. They do not need to be huge.

Ps you only need to use it 15m a day, build up slow.

Sitting in front of my Lumie Brazil light box at the moment. Couldnt get through winter without it. Half an hour am, half an hour around 6pm and maybe vit in between if its dark all day. Been using them for over 15 years every winter without fail. Still had to resort to ADs one winter, but generally help keep my mood just off the needing ADs level.The best one I had was Diamond one. Current model of that is Diamond 5 and £292 from sad.uk.com. wish I had pushed the boat out again as the lumiere one not quire as good.

I have a SAD alarm clock, which gradually lights up my room from 6 to 6:30 every morning (when my alarm goes off), and for the last couple of months since I've had it, I've been waking up naturally at 6:15. I don't normally feel the effects of SAD until the beginning of December but so far, so good. Unfortunately it makes a horrible high-pitched, high-frequency sound when it's on, but it's far enough away from my bed that I don't hear it unless I get closer. It is very bright and I have to have it turned away from me, but it's working so far!