Winter depression
If your seasonal mood swings are more severe and you are suffering from
depression, you should consult a specialist and only use light therapy in
consultation with this specialist. Your specialist may prescribe 45 minutes
of treatment per day at level 1 or 2 over several weeks. Section ‘Sleep
and energy’ above contains some general guidelines for the timing of light
expose, but this timing should also be determined in consultation with
your specialist.
Jet lag
Rapidly travelling across several time zones creates disharmony between
your internal body clock and the new external time. This not only causes
sleeping problems, but inuences your mood and energy level as well. If
you stay for more than a few days, you may also want to shift your body
clock to the new time zone. This will help you sleep better and be more
alert and energetic when you need to. Because special blue light is
effective for shifting circadian rhythms, your goLITE BLU energy light can
quickly adjust your rhythm to the new time zone. One of the best
strategies to combat jet lag is to shift your body clock a day or two
before you leave.
Travelling east: When you travel east , start using the goLITE BLU
energy light in the morning two to three days before you leave. The
number of time zones you travel corresponds to the hours your body
clock has to shift. If you are only travelling a few time zones, one day’s
preparation is sufcient. Add a day of light therapy for each additional
2 time zones. For example, for a trip from the US to Europe, use the
following schedule: On the rst day, wake up an hour early and use the
goLITE BLU energy light for 30–45 minutes. On the next day or days,
you should wake up a couple of hours earlier and repeat this process.
You should advance your bedtime accordingly. Once you arrive at your
destination, avoid light before 10 a.m. local time (wear sunglasses) and use
the goLITE BLU energy light in the midmorning to fully adjust to the local
time. When returning, use your goLITE BLU energy light in the late
evening for a couple of nights before the return ight. On the last night of
the trip, try to stay up and use your goLITE BLU energy light as late as
reasonably possible past midnight. On the day of the ight, avoid any
bright light until after 2:00 p.m. (see below under ‘Travelling west’)
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