| Blue light therapy and yellow goggles are | | | | light prior to bedtime. |
| becoming essential equipment for sleep disorders, | | | | For entrainment of sleep-wake cycle and phase |
| for depression, and for seasonal affective | | | | advance shift: |
| disorder. Advanced sleep phase syndrome, | | | | - Morning bright light therapy after wake time, |
| delayed sleep phase syndrome, periodic insomnia, | | | | when sleep episode occurs during night. |
| shift work sleep disorders, and jet lag are all | | | | For adaptation to shift work and large phase |
| related to circadian rhythm interruptions. | | | | delay shift: |
| Photoreceptor cells in the retina have been | | | | - Bright light therapy in evening/night, dim light |
| discovered that are directly linked to the "circadian | | | | after work, strict adherence to regular |
| pacemaker" of our brain: the pineal gland. The | | | | sleep-wake times. |
| pineal gland produces melatonin which is the | | | | For jet lag, eastward travel, and phase advance |
| hormone responsible for our sleep-wake cycle. | | | | shift: |
| Daylight suppresses melatonin production and | | | | - Morning bright light therapy after wake time |
| darkness stimulates its production, increasing | | | | (home time), dim light prior to bedtime. |
| sleepiness. Kate Le Page, in a recent article, | | | | For jet lag, westward travel, and phase delay |
| traced the birth of light box therapy to the | | | | shift: |
| sanatoria of Europe in the 1870s. Sunlight was | | | | - Evening bright light therapy before bedtime |
| found beneficial to the treatment of bacterial | | | | (home time), dim light after wake time.Blue light |
| diseases common at the time. Scandinavian | | | | boxes are available from many sources. The time |
| countries, where the sun is in short supply for | | | | required to affect a shift should be 15 to 30 |
| much of the year, have taken light therapy more | | | | minutes over a period of a couple of days. The |
| seriously than the rest of the world. A light "shot" | | | | light source should be placed 1 to 2 feet above |
| can be found on the menu in Finland cafes where | | | | the subject and not directly in line with the eye. |
| you can drink your coffee while receiving your | | | | The photoreceptors linked to your circadian |
| light therapy at the table. Sweden has equipped | | | | pacemaker detect the light from the bottom of |
| many cold war bomb shelters with full spectrum | | | | the retina. During dim light periods yellow goggles |
| lights for therapy purposes. Russia is using light | | | | should be worn for 1 to 2 hours in order to filter |
| therapy to reduce worker sick days and to | | | | out the blue light spectrum. |
| increase productivity. Their research has found a | | | | The best information I found on light therapy for |
| link between light therapy and an increase in the | | | | treating depression and seasonal affective |
| body's ability to cope with pollutants and to boost | | | | disorder (SAD) comes from psycheducation.org. |
| immunization effectiveness. | | | | Light therapy was proven to be as effective as |
| Steven Lockley, Charles Czeisler, and George | | | | antidepressant medication therapy with far fewer |
| Brainard have done extensive studies on the | | | | side effects. Its use, however, for depression and |
| utilization of blue light to combat sleep issues. | | | | SAD should take place under a doctor's |
| They have found that blue light contains more | | | | supervision. Treatments were initiated at 30 |
| energy than white light and it can be more | | | | minutes a day and decreased to 15 minutes for |
| efficient utilizing less time and energy to alter the | | | | maintenance through the winter months. If you |
| sleep-wake cycles. Lockley, in the Harvard | | | | are a night owl, your treatment should occur as |
| University Gazette, suggests that blue light "may | | | | late as 8 or 9 am. If you are a lark, your |
| be a powerful countermeasure for the negative | | | | treatment should occur as early as 5 am. The |
| effects of fatigue for people who work or study | | | | therapy works best when applied 8 to 9 hours |
| at night." Blue light proved more beneficial than | | | | after the onset of melatonin secretion. The time |
| green light in reducing sleepiness, speeding reaction | | | | will be relative to your particular circadian rhythm. |
| times, and focusing attention. | | | | An excellent quiz to help determine your rhythm |
| Dr. Joshua Gooley, in Annals Academy of | | | | and optimum treatment times and durations can |
| Medicine, details more specific prescriptions: | | | | be found at cet-surveys.org. |
| - For later sleep-wake times and phase delay shift: | | | | Get ready for the blue lights and the yellow |
| - Evening bright light therapy before bed, dim light | | | | goggles. Before too long they will be mandatory |
| after wake time. | | | | equipment for our sleep deprived and depression |
| For earlier sleep-wake times and phase advance | | | | plagued world. Until then, enjoy the sun and the |
| shift: | | | | natural cheer it brings! |
| - Morning bright light therapy after wake time, dim | | | | |