Seasonal depression and the use of bright light therapy

Bright light therapy is a treatment method that can help alleviate symptoms of seasonal affective disorder. It involves sitting in front of a light box for between 20 and 60 minutes a day when the sun sets faster. The light box is supposed to replicate the bright light from the sun. To give you some perspective, light from the sun is around 50,000 lux, and the light box will emit around 10,000 lux. Lux is a unit of measurement for light density. The idea is that the light box is supposed to replicate the absence of the sun and help your circadian rhythm. The treatment is to face the light in front of you while going about your activities, like reading or eating. It is not necessary to look into the light. [1] This study finds that light therapy is a potential solution to help alleviate symptoms of seasonal depression. [1] https://doi.org/10.1159/000502891