Professionals often recommend using dim lighting in the evening in conjunction with bright light in the morning to improve your sleep schedule. However, it can be helpful to improve your energy levels and help you fall asleep or wake up more easily. Professionals often recommend using dim lighting in the evening in conjunction with bright light in the morning to improve your sleep schedule. Light therapy is used to treat circadian rhythm disorders such as delayed sleep phase syndrome (DSPS), a condition that shifts normal sleep patterns outside of what is considered a social norm.
Light therapy is used to treat circadian rhythm disorders such as delayed sleep phase syndrome (DSPS), a condition that shifts normal sleep patterns outside of what is considered a social norm. In most cases, light therapy is very effective for sleep disorders. Light therapy is used to treat circadian rhythm disorders such as delayed sleep phase syndrome (DSPS), a condition that shifts normal sleep patterns outside of what is considered a social norm. According to researchers, light therapy benefits people with anxiety, depression (in particular seasonal affective disorder, or SAD), and sleep disorders.
In fact, studies suggest that artificial light (the light source in light therapy) can alleviate symptoms and improve a variety of health conditions.
Does light therapy work for sleep disorders?
More recently, however, products have been available that use an almost monochromatic light source, the light-emitting diode (LED). To date, we do not have any specific research on light therapy for various types of sleep disorders, such as short-term insomnia caused by stress or chronic insomnia. Wearable light visors allow users to move and travel while exposed to therapeutic lighting conditions. One line of research suggests that late dawn in winter results in a delayed circadian system and that morning light is an effective treatment for maintaining the circadian rhythm carried by the solar day.
While light therapy is a standard approach to treating SAD, be sure to follow all of your doctor’s treatment recommendations rather than trying to rely on just a lightbox.