[Wrao]

I live in California, therefore, this post has nothing to do with me. However, I was thinking, as an X-mas gift for someone who lives in a more bleak and overcast prone climate, a "Happy Light" might do the trick. But, checking around, all of these SAD therapy light boxes are quite expensive, the cheapest being a used one I found for $80. That seems incredible to me, since they are nothing more than light boxes. So, the solution is to build my own. But, I don't really know how. Which is to say, I don't know what bulb to use and if it matters how it is framed...etc. Anyone have any information about these things? Could I just go down to the hardware store, get a simple fixture, some paint, a bulb, and call it a day?

I suppose, as an aside, could be the revelation that they are in fact a total waste of money/scam/bs. I am operating under anecdotal experience from a couple of my PNW friends who have used, and loved, them.

[bassplayinMacFiend]

Find out what kind of bulb is in your friends' "happy lights", then get a ballast/fixture that'll operate that type of light?

[torifile]

The evidence that lightboxes work is purely anecdotal and it may be a placebo effect. But no matter "why" they work when they do - placebo or not - there is a reduction in symptoms. As for how to make them... I have no idea.

[bassplayinMacFiend]

Originally Posted by torifile The evidence that lightboxes work is purely anecdotal and it may be a placebo effect. But no matter "why" they work when they do - placebo or not - there is a reduction in symptoms. As for how to make them... I have no idea.

Do you know what kind of lights are used? Is it metal halide or possibly high pressure sodium lights (these lights could play a double role in increasing one's spirits )?

[Wrao]

Well, I did a bundle of research, and found that, the type of lights used are 'full-spectrum halogen/tungsten' or something like that. Basically, you *can* use any bulb, or combination of bulbs so long as it fulfills two criteria, one is that it is full spectrum(actually, broad spectrum works as well), and the other is that it is bright enough to output ~10,000 LUX. The tricky part is that LUX is a unit of light over distance, so, any run of the mill halogen light puts out thousands of LUX if you are sitting like, 3 cm away from it. But, that is impractical, and potentially harmful.

So, the commercial solutions tend to be 3 or 4 extra bright, full spectrum, bulbs put in a tight array and covered with a diffuser. You still have to sit fairly close to them(they are designed to be used on a desk), but they are bright enough to let you be more comfortable, and the diffuser is there to prevent you from going blind I guess.

At the hardware store, they had a large selection of lights that advertised "Just like daylight!", but I was wary to trust any of them, since apparently it is a fairly easy claim to make on your packaging, without the light actually providing the same spectrum as daylight, but that is where the confusion comes in for me. Because, there are companies that specialize in these types of lights, an example of which is called SoLux, and their bulbs are, a little bit more expensive than what you'd find at a store, but still not too bad.

But, whether or not the SoLux bulbs can be used effectively for SAD therapy, is actually less interesting to me than the claims they make about providing the best possible indoor natural lighting solution on the market. They talk about how they are the preferred bulb of art museums all over the world, and how their lighting is really something special. Well, marketing aside, it does make me think about how most home lighting is pretty horrible, and having a well lit room can be relieving in its own right. I often feel like our lighting is more important than we make it out to be, and could conceivably be a missing link towards having a well designed work environment at home, or bedroom or whatever.

So, To sum up my story, I ended up buying the commercial happy light, found it for a decent price, and decided that, this way I can get a closer look at it and figure out what specifically makes it tick, and if there are any exotic features. Additionally, the DIY pricing would not have been significantly cheaper(maybe would have saved $15-20) and would have definitely been of a more awkward build quality. I figure it's alright.

Whether or not it will actually do anything, who knows. As I mentioned(And tori confirmed) I'm operating entirely on anecdotes, people I know who have used them, really think they work, and maybe that is enough.

[torifile]

Originally Posted by bassplayinMacFiend Do you know what kind of lights are used? Is it metal halide or possibly high pressure sodium lights (these lights could play a double role in increasing one's spirits )?

Ok, it looks like there's been one RCT on light therapy for SAD published just recently. They don't provide specifics, but this is their description of the box/process:

At the instructional session, participants were provided with a SunRay (SunBox Company, Gaithersburg, MD), a standard unit that emits 10,000-lux of white fluorescent light through an ultraviolet shield when the user is within 18 inches, and were instructed to self-administer LT in their homes daily. During Week 1, LT was initiated in two 45-min daily doses in the morning and evening, to be completed between 6:00 a.m. and 9:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. and 9:00 p.m., respectively.

The device itself is called a SunRay made by SunBox. The reference for this study, if you've got access to psycinfo is:

Rohan, Kelly J; Roecklein, Kathryn A; Tierney Lindsey, Kathryn; Johnson, Leigh G; Lippy, Robert D; Lacy, Timothy J; Barton, Franca B. A randomized controlled trial of cognitive-behavioral therapy, light therapy, and their combination for seasonal affective disorder. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology. Vol 75(3) Jun 2007, 489-500.