It’s no secret I struggle mentally during the winter months. It’s as if the feeling of wanting to hibernate until March cuts deep into my soul. And fighting the urge to actually do it. To live a normal life each day is really draining for me.
A few years ago someone recommended a seasonal affective disorder (SAD) therapy lamp. When I start to feel down in the winter months, I have it on whilst I’m working from home. It’s on now as I write this post. Lately, I am definitely missing the sunshine. Therefore it’s vital I have my seasonal affective disorder (SAD) therapy lamp on during these dark days in the UK.
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In this post, I will discuss the benefits of using these lamps
Getting the sunlight we miss out on during the winter months
Our bodies need sunlight, but we rarely receive enough of it. The SAD therapy lamp aids our ability to produce two essential hormones: melatonin and serotonin.
Melatonin helps your sleep cycle and serotonin helps you feel awake when you get up the next day. Lacking melatonin can cause sleep problems or insomnia. A deficiency in serotonin can cause depression and lethargy. Therefore it is vital our bodies produce these chemicals. And you can easily see why people suffer mentally during the darker, winter months.
Kickstart the hormones in the morning with a therapy lamp
Just 20-30 minutes each morning, can trigger these important hormones and provide our bodies with much-needed sunlight. Morning is the best time to sit by the therapy lamp and the best time for our bodies to produce these chemicals. It takes me back to sitting in the sun lounger just after breakfast when we travelled abroad.
I also use a Himalayan salt lamp, in addition to my SAD therapy lamp
Better sleep
It’s a proven fact that inadequate melatonin levels can negatively impact sleep. In the past, I struggled with my sleep pattern. And would often be up until the early hours of the morning, worrying about things I couldn’t control.
Boost energy
Higher levels of serotonin are associated with higher levels of energy. This could be a reason we have lower levels of energy during the winter months. And we feel happier and brighter during the summer months.
Until next time
Have you used a SAD therapy lamp before?
Will you be buying one?
Interesting! I am a winter lover but tend to be more tired on hot days. I like the idea though of introducing light in the darker mornings as it can be a bit demotivating.
Author
I love winter, but I really struggle. The lamp does help me though!
This is really helpful for those that suffer with SAD! I don’t, thankfully but I totally understand how dreary these Winter and colder months can be with the lack of sunlight. I love Himalayan salt lamps – I have a tealight holder one and it’s beautiful x
Author
It’s horrible. I definitely feel lower during the winter months. I also have a salt tealight holder. I love it.
This is the first time I heard of SAD lamps. They sound great. You make me wanna try on too. Do SAD lamps help people with insomnia problem? Just asking.
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Author
They can help regulate your sleep because you are getting the right levels of hormones to enable sleep. I started using mine early in the morning, due to the research saying you should do that.
I love using my Himalayan lamp especially during the colder months. I also suffer with mental health and find it useful to have it on throughout the day.
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Author
I also have my lamps on during the day. The dark days can be really depressing.
I love my salt lamp, it’s on pretty much all the time. It serves as a great night light at night too so i dont run into everything in the bedroom trying to get to the bathroom. Hang in there spring is almost here.
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Author
It does add nice lighting to the room. I can’t wait for spring x
I’ve never heard of these lamps. And it’s definitely something I will be looking into as I think I’d benefit from this so much. Thank you for sharing xxx
Author
I feel a lot better after using mine in a morning.