HOW DO HAPPY LIGHTS AFFECT MOOD?

This article written by Prevention magazine discusses a new trend that has become more popular throughout the recent years as a method to help alleviate the symptoms of Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD):

Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) is a form of depression marked by mood changes that usually occur during fall and winter. SAD is also described as the equivalent of hibernation - it can cause usually happy people to just want to lie in bed and isolate themselves.

Happy lights, also known as light therapy lamps, happy lamps and SAD lamps are able to give individuals additional exposure to light when there's less sun in the fall and winter months.

One can purchase a happy light for as little as $100 but you need to be monitor your usage time to make sure you don't overdo it. Experts say that an individual only needs to use a happy light for 10 to 15 minutes at a time, gradually increasing the time to 30 minutes.

Experts agree that you will see the best results from happy light usage if you use the light in the mornings because the bright light can affect circadian rhythms.