Seasonal Affective Disorder Light Therapy
SAD lights are available for your use in the Wellness Outreach Center in the Viking Union, room 432 or at the Student Health Center waiting room.
Recommended Use
- 10-30 minutes each day
- Best results if used in the morning
- Available to all WWU students, faculty, and staff
What is light therapy?
Light therapy entails sitting with your eyes open in front of a light box — a small, portable device of plastic or aluminum that contains fluorescent bulbs or tubes. The bulbs are covered with a plastic screen that helps block out potentially harmful ultraviolet (UV) rays that can cause cataracts and skin problems. You can set the light box on a table or desk in your home or in your office.
In order to work, the light from the box must enter your eyes indirectly. You can't get the same effect by exposing your skin to the light. Don't look directly at the light box because the light can damage your eyes.
Simply sitting in front of a lamp in your living room won't relieve the symptoms of seasonal affective disorder. Indoor lights don't provide the type or intensity of light that's necessary to treat the condition. The specialized light boxes used for seasonal affective disorder emit light that's comparable to outdoor light just after sunrise or just before sunset.
