anyone have SAD? do you use a SADlight? advice please

[AlgebraRocksMySocks]

I bought a SADlight (only a small LED one) last winter, unfortunately it was a bit late by then I think.

If you use one of these, when do you start using it?

Last year I noticed a change in mood as soon as the clocks changed (literally to the day!) so I'm guessing it should be before then?

I do have a light box, but my problem is waking up on dark mornings, so I use a lumie

I would start using the lightbox in the week or two running up to the clocks changing. You know that you're best to use it in the morning (eg. while you have your breakfast). If you use it later in the day it can mess up your sleep pattern.

ah ok thanks. when do the clocks change, is it october? I have an exam on oct 13th so maybe I should start before that as I want to be on top form...

I found it quite difficult to use. I'm not sure if the fact I wear glasses makes it more uncomfortable. Also having 2 small kids (one of whom I'm BFing) makes it quite hard to sit still in front of it... maybe I should get up early instead to use it before they're up

I have an LED one - my season is from clocks going back to clocks going forward. But if I feel a bit low in between I'll use it as a booster (so I have used it a few weeks ago just for an afternoon boost because it had been so dark and gloomy here I just had no energy and felt shit).

I use it off to the side while I'm looking at the computer in the morning. Mine's quite a powerful LED so only need about 15 mins, building to 30 mins in dead of winter. Basically have my morning tea and mumsnet while I dose myself up

Algebra, clocks change on 31st October this year. Could you have it on your bedside table and use it while you come round in bed?

I bought quite a strong one a couple of years ago and used to use it on my desk for a couple of hours a day all the way through from end of October. Dunno if it was this or other factors but I got no SAD.

that's a good idea I will try both, thanks :)

last year I found it quite uncomfortable having it to the side (I used it while watching news) so maybe I should try a more direct approach with no distractions.

I've never been diagnosed with SAD as I've had depression on and off anyway, but it definitely always gets worse in winter so hopefully this'll make a difference.

Also new research I was reading about the other day (right here on mumsnet, funnily enough) has linked lack of vitamin D as significant to SAD. Might also be worth looking for Vit D supplements too?

yes I'd heard about that, as vit D is from sunlight so I'll look into it :)

RubberDuck, do you have a link about the Vit D link? I've always wondered if there was one so would be very interested to read about it.

Not on hand - hang on I'll see if I can find the Mumsnet thread as there were links on that.

Here you go:

Thread on Vitamin D deficiency

One of the links referenced:

SAD treatments

"Luckily for those who can't get the extra sun their body needs to produce enough vitamin D on its own, it has been found that vitamin D3 (cholecalciferol) supplements can be very effective at treating SAD. Although the number of studies published on the subject is quite low, all have produced favourable results. An important and widely cited study conducted at The Department of Medicine, Union Memorial Hospital, Baltimore, compared the effects of a single 100,000IU vitamin D injection to 1 months bright light therapy on the condition of 15 SAD patients6. Eight patients were given vitamin D and seven were given light therapy. Before and after treatment each patient was evaluated using the Hamilton Depression scale, the SIGH-SAD, and the SAD-8 depression scale. The results showed that every patient given vitamin D improved on all 3 depression scales, whereas the patients given bright light therapy failed to significantly improve on any. The study also found that both treatments elevated vitamin D status after 30 days but that the vitamin D injection raised levels twice as much as did bright light therapy. The amount each patients vitamin D levels had risen also correlated strongly with the reduction in symptom severity achieved. So in this study at least, vitamin D was actually a lot more effective than bright light therapy for the treatment of SAD. It should be noted however that 15 participants is a low number to get very accurate results and that bright light therapy has proven effective in many other studies.

Other studies have used oral vitamin D3 supplementation, also with positive results. One such study gave SAD patients either 400iu of vitamin D3, 800iu of vitamin D3, or a placebo, for 5 days during late winter under double blind conditions (patients or researchers didn't know who got which treatment until results were in). The study found that even after such a short treatment period the patients given the vitamin D, in either dose, significantly improved7. Higher doses have been used in other studies, typically 4000iu per day. This has been found to be a safe dose with even more positive effects on mood than lower doses8.

Vitamin D3 supplements are widely available from health food stores and are very cheap, making vitamin D3 supplementation a treatment well worth experimenting with if you suffer from SAD."

thanks RubberDuck

I've deliberately been out in the sun as much as possible this summer to attempt to boost my vit D stores to see if makes a difference.

I associate winter with feeling miserable now though, so who knows how much difference it'll make [confued]

OP - sorry for the total hijack of your thread!

not a worry jareth. I hate winter, TBH it's nice to talk to someone else with the same problem!

I lived quite far from my secondary school, had to get the bus at 7am, it was absolute murder in the dark. :(

here's hoping we can find it easier this year. could have a support thread maybe! to moan about the lack of light :o

If I'm honest, I'm dreading it. We're close to the autumn equinox and I can already feel my mood changing.

People like me should live on the equator. it's the only way

I used the lumie visor thingy last year, because with a newborn, I just wasn't going to get 20 mins to sit in front of a box. I think it helped - I started it in late September. Which has reminded me, I will have to dig it out again this autumn.