Being that I’m a Southern California native, I hear the term “winter blues” and don’t think much about it. The only “real”winters I’ve ever experienced were a few days in the South and a winter spent in Edinburgh. I specifically remember many, many days (in December) where the sun set before 4:00 pm and didn’t rise again until just before 9. I don’t ever get depressed, but day after day with less than 8 hours of daylight was enough to get me down. According to Dr. Oz Garcia, 10-20% of the population (over 10 million people) suffers from Winter Blues. I recently had an opportunity to sit in on a webinar with Dr. Oz Garcia, a nutritional counselor and life extension specialist. I don’t know much about Winter Blues so I found some of the questions they addressed informative.
What are the winter blues?
Many people experience a loss of energy, low spirits, difficulty with concentration, increased appetite, difficulty sleeping, and low libido once the seasons change in the fall.
Why do people experience the winter blues?
The combination of a change in temperature and decreased daylight (shorter days) is thought to contribute to the symptoms of winter blues. Specifically, the blue wavelength found in summer sky is thought to keep winter blues at bay.
When do people experience the winter blues?
People typically start experiencing symptoms in the fall and they may last several weeks from November through February.
What are some ways to combat the winter blues?
Increase your activity level (get outdoors in the morning for 20-45 minutes)
Eat a well balanced diet. Also consider increasing your consumption of complex carbohydrates and foods rich in Vitamin D.
Use a light energy device with the appropriate light (a light that provides a blue wavelength). Research shows that blue light helps to restore the essential light signals needed to boost our mood and energy levels naturally. It can also mimic the effect of sunlight indoors.
Why blue light?
Research has shown that blue light, which is used in Bluewave technology, is an important element in the beneficial effects of light therapy
Your body can respond up to 2 times greater when exposed to blue light versus white light
Special light receptors in our eyes respond most efficiently to the blue part of the light spectrum
Using blue light reduces the overall intensity of light needed as compared to bright white therapy devices
Blue light helps minimize glare and eye strain
One of the lights Dr. Oz recomended was Philips’ goLITE BLU. It is “intended to help people adjust their circadian rhythms to provide mood relief and to have more energy.” goLITE BLU uses bluewave technology to simulate summer light and is clinically proven to boost energy level and alertness, improve your mood, and fight the winter blues.
I will be completely honest in admitting that I’ve never heard of light therapy to boost one’s mood. I was offered the opportunity to check out goLITE BLU. My first reactions were that it’s easy to set up and use and it’s light and portable. I like the fact that the intensity of the light can be adjusted (at full intensity it’s a bit too bright for me) and benefits can be attained with 15 minutes (up to 45 minutes) per day of use. You can use the light when you’re reading, watching TV, or working on the computer and I don’t find it distracting (when I use it at about 50% intensity). The ideal time to use the light is in the morning (according to the manufacture). Using it in the late afternoon/evening may disrupt sleep.
How do you use goLITE BLU?
Place it at arm’s length (20-30 inches) from your eyes
Position the device at an angle so that the light enters your peripheral vision (this is the angle studied to hit light receptive cells in the eye)
Place it at the same level as your midriff
Because I live in Southern California, our winters are temperate and our days are average in length. I took their online test to measure Circadian Rhythm and here are my results:
Because I have a newborn, I’m up a lot at night. She typically goes right back to sleep after nursing, but that disruption in my sleep (even if it’s just for 20 minutes or so) is enough to leave me dragging every. single. day. While this isn’t specifically a situation that can be remedied with light therapy, I thought I’d try it anyway. As I mentioned above, the light is comfortable to use (although I haven’t been using it at 100% intensity). I haven’t been using it long and my energy levels are pretty variable (some days I feel more tired than others). I’m going to continue increasing the intensity of the light to see if my energy levels even out over time. Even if my fatigue is due to a newborn, I’m hoping that my body can only benefit from a bit of light therapy.
There are two situations I think this light would be perfect for. Traveling across time zones and shift work…both situations I’m familiar with. Because the effectiveness of this light is based on Circadian Rhythms, there are specific ways of using this light in the above situations to help reduce the effects of disturbed sleep (shift work) and jet lag.
If you are suffering from symptoms of winter blues, be sure to seek medical advice before using this light to ensure there is no underlying medical condition. If you’re interesed in trying out goLITE BLU, I suggest checking Amazon.com for optimal prices.
I did not receive compensation for this post. The information above was provided via webinar and I received a unit to demo for my review.
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Actually, when we lived in Canada, it was a common problem. I know several people who need to use lights like these. During long cold winters (Canadian winters go from October to May…) you spend most time indoors and many doctors recommend taking vitamin D supplements to combat the lack of sunshine.
Just one reason I’m glad to be back home permanently in California! 🙂