Any of you guys use SAD lights, if so which one?

My nerves have been jumpy lately (I suffer from panic attacks and associated nerve jitters) and my sister really thinks I should get a SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder) light as she has one and thinks I suffer SAD symptoms. When my nerves do bother me, it does tends to happen more often in the colder months. I was looking at an Apollo Golite P2 light,
http://www.apollohealth.com/golite.html
available much cheaper at Costco which uses "Bluewave" technology. The Apollo site claims it's more effective then the full spectrum lamps and it certainly is much more compact. However I have read comments that say they're a little leery of the claims so I'm also looking at this Verilux full spectrum model,
http://www.verilux.com/light-therapy-lamps/happylight-light-therapy

What do you guys think?

We bought a SAD fixture several years ago. It was based on two of these fluorescent lamps and an electronic (flicker-free) ballast.

It seemed to be helpful, especially during the shorter winter days. There's a minimum amount of illumination that's thought to be needed for therapeutic benefit, and I don't think that a bank of 5mm LEDs will come anywhere near that level. Therefore I highly recommend a fluorescent-based lamp with an electronic ballast.

Different people react differently to SAD lamps, but it's generally thought that the light has a mild stimulant effect. Consider this in terms of your stated propensity towards jitteriness.

BTW, I've read that the peak therapeutic wavelength is thought to be in the green region, although this probably doesn't mean that a monochromatic green would have the same overall benefit as a full spectrum lamp with the green wavelengths accompanied by others. Keep in mind that the ultimate goal is to simulate sunlight.

Good luck in your search.

Here's what Cigna covers:
http://www.cigna.com/customer_care/...totherapy_for_seasonal_affective_disorder.pdf

I like this company (and one table lamp I actually bought on EBay from a luxury hotel liquidation): http://www.microsun.com/
They combine two 25W incandescent lamps with a 68W HID. Bright, and balances the color somewhat.

Hey .....well i am a SAD sufferer and it can make life pretty unpleasant to put it mildly!, not only is the lack of sunlight a major cause during short winter days but the associated drop in temperature is also a factor to be considered, this all leads to depression, tiredness, lethargy, lack of interest, short attention span.................. ewww!
my solution a couple of 70w HID bought from a yard/trunk sale for $10..... man it needs to be BRIGHT!!!! .. forget led`s, improve all your home lighting,
get out more during daylight/exercise .... i get out on my mountain bike, 2 hours later i feel so much happier
take a long hard look at your problems/symptoms could something else be triggering it off?
i react to deodorants, room deodorizer's, incense sticks etc .........
Good luck!!

I use the goLite P2 like you mentioned. I like the fact it's cordless and I can take it around as I try to wake up in the mornings. I can't say if it's any better or worse than the full spectrum ones (I've seen others that are cordless for a similar price) or the big fixed ones.

It fits my style of use and it;s from Costco, so you can return it if it doesn't work for you. I've had it for a couple years, and it seems to help my mood, tho my sleep schedule is still out of whack!

:shakehead

you could try replacing all the light bulbs in your house with full spectrum daylight fluorescent bulbs. We've done this in my house. It looked a bit weird to begin with but I've got used to it and now incandescent bulbs look weird.