Do you think the winter season affects the AD patient? If you live in a warm year around climate this wouldn't apply to you. The evenings seem so long now and it is dark here at 6 o'clock. DH thinks it is bedtime at 7.
I get cabin fever when we are homebound for a while, so why wouldn't our AD spouse? We may get snow tonight, but not much.
I definitely feel the winter season affects AD patients. My DH does so much better during the other warmer seasons. I keep lots of lights on in the house so it appears brighter; and take him out for a short ride everyday just to get him out of the house. Thank God he loves playing games on his laptop - so that passes the time for him. But he does go slightly downhill in the winter months.
Full Spectrum Light Therapy - Used for (SAD) Seasonal Affective Disorder - Helps provide you with the natural full spectrum of sunlight that humans require. Full Spectrum Lights are specially made lights that mimic the full spectrum and intensity of sunlight. It is well known that the human body requires the sun's light spectrum. Without this the body will degenerate over time. Depression, Vitamin D deficiency (we provide Vita D Sunlamps) and other problems will result. When sunlight enters the eye, it stimulates the pituitary gland which then, it is believed, creates certain compounds that stimulate or balance the body via the brain. A full spectrum light will help or eliminate most if not all sunlight deficiency problems.
What is SAD?
SAD stands for Seasonal Affective Disorder. Common symptoms of SAD are depression, anxiety, extreme fatigue, hypersomnia, carbohydrate cravings, and weight gain. Women through the ages of 20 to 40, their sexually reproductive years, are most susceptible (Rosenthal, 1993). The first controlled study using light therapy to treat SAD was published in 1984. SAD was officially accepted as a clinical malady in 1987 by the American Psychiatric Association and described in its then current diagnostic manual, the DSM-III-R. Since that time, a great number of studies on the topic have been completed.
Each year, 6% of northern populations are affected with Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) and another 14% have a milder form of SAD, called the winter blues. Surprisingly, SAD may occur at any time of year and even in equatorial regions although the ratio of northerners with SAD as compared to those living in the tropics is about 10-1.
Treating SAD “Light box” therapy has been traditionally used to reduce the symptoms of SAD in 60% to 80% of SAD patients (Lam, 1999). White light therapy, using intensities of 2,500 lux, requires exposure times from 2 to 6 hours, a considerable behavioral investment for the user (Terman, et. al., 1989). Light exposures in the intensity of 10,000 lux for 30 minute exposures has been found to be more effective than 2,500 lux intensity with exposure times of several hours (Terman, et.al., 1990). Some people have reported that over-use of light therapy can leave them feeling “wired” and restless (Rosenthal, 1993).
Full Spectrum Lights were originally developed by Dr. Ott. Dr Ott was the pioneer of Time Lapsed Photography. He found that when plants are grown without the full spectrum of light, they did not grow healthy and did not live as long. Plants are known to become damaged over time if NOT exposed to any full spectrum band of light. Full spectrum lights were also developed to combat the symptoms of SAD and to provide healthier light for your eyes when doing your everyday tasks. It has been proven that the lack of the full spectrum of sunlight will create or intensify diseases.
Methods to measure Full Spectrum Light or Sunlight
Candle Power - Used by lighting designers to calculate the foot-candles illuminating a surface (C.P. /distance in feet squared) or Lux illuminating a surface (C.P./distance in meters squared).
Correlated Color Temperature (CCT) - refers to the apparent color of the light source. 2800K - 3200K considered "warm" ; 4100K-4900K considered "white" and 5000 K + "cool". Comes from heating a blackbody (think of a piece of coal) up to a certain temperature; as the coal gets hotter and hotter, it changes from orange (i.e., 2300 K) to yellow (3000 K) to white (4700 K) to blue (5000 K) rendering.
Lux - Measurement of light output in candles per square meter. 10 lux is generally Considered enough light to perform most tasks. Another definition is:
LUX - The SI (International System) unit of illumination: one lumen uniformly distributed over an area of one square meter
lmohr, you're wrong if you think winter doesn't affect AD patients where the weather is warm. It's the hours of daylight that are the problem, as bluedaze says. I'm sure it helps (a lot!) that we can go outdoors, but it's clear that the short days bother my husband. (Also me!)
After daylight saving in Nov, it will be dark here in New Hampshire at 4-4:30 pm It really messes poor Lynn up! I started using the full spectrum lights for this very reason, and it was through them I noticed he does better with lots of lights on as the sun starts to go down and the house gets darker.
Like Ann said, the cold keeps us in most days. Last year we had record breaking snow fall. so yeah, it is hard to get out! BLUCK!!!