anyone won a lghtbox?

[judge-mental]

Damnit I ment OWN a lightbox.

I was checking out avant and saw this thread
http://forum.avantlabs.com/index.php?showtopic=20036

what to do you think? I think of buying one for myself as I work in software engineering, a modern caveman, and barely see the sun...

 

[intv]

I've thought about getting one. I work in an office with few windows, and trees all around, so not much natural light, just halogen floor lamps and overhead fluorescents. Every morning on my drive in, I make a point not to use my sun visors or wear sunglasses, I just squint and let the sun in! It seems to help, even if by only waking me up a little.

 

[judge-mental]

according to the studies posted there some of the effected is not mediated through the eyes but rather through the skin.
oh yeah and fluoroscent lights rob you of your brain GABA and increase stress.(pubmed my friends)

all the more reason to go for natural lighting

 

[massmonster]

damn, I work 200ft below gorund. I hate this time of the year. Goto work in the dark, TCB down in the Hive all day, go home in the twilight. I was bored last year and estimated I see about 300hrs of daylight Dec-Feb. I better get two lightboxes!

 

[Moyer]

I'm interested. Seems like I'm always inside starting at a computer or TV screen.

 

[snakebyte05]

Just read up on light boxes and I must say I am very intrigued! I know I get seasonal depression every year, have for many years now, and did not know there was such a treatment like this or that it was actually a clinical thing. I always figured it was something that just happened and it would go away when summer went. I might need to try buying one of these sometime, at least if I ever get money. I know one thing that gets rid of some seasonal depression, a nice healthy dose of testosterone...... :twisted:

 

[SJA]

It worked for my ex....she has SAD. It also helps to get full spectrum lighting in your house. budgetlighting has some good neodymium bulbs that I just love. there are also flourescent full spectrum lights...just be sure that you have at LEAST a 5K kelvin and a CRI (color rendering index) over 90.

 

[bioman]

I'm looking into getting one this winter, ie soon. I get seasonal depression really badly every stinking year. Supplementation has helped a lot, but I feel the lightbox will be the coup de grace for depression for me. I'll probably also try to use a tanning bed once a week or so during the darkest months as I've heard that helps a lot.

Going to plant my lightbox right over my computer so I can moderate you bastards with a bright and cheery mindset.:nono:

 

[judge-mental]

It worked for my ex....she has SAD. It also helps to get full spectrum lighting in your house. budgetlighting has some good neodymium bulbs that I just love. there are also flourescent full spectrum lights...just be sure that you have at LEAST a 5K kelvin and a CRI (color rendering index) over 90.

thanks SJA can you expand on that?

 

[SJA]

Which part JM?

 

[judge-mental]

a) which lightbox did you or your ex own?
b) can you expand about the sentence "just be sure that you have at LEAST a 5K kelvin and a CRI (color rendering index) over 90." I am realy a newbie to practical physics. are we talking about the light box or the bulbs? do you use the bulbs at home?

 

[judge-mental]

bump for SJA. ... my questions above also which lightbulbs did you get...

 

[SJA]

a) which lightbox did you or your ex own?
b) can you expand about the sentence "just be sure that you have at LEAST a 5K kelvin and a CRI (color rendering index) over 90." I am realy a newbie to practical physics. are we talking about the light box or the bulbs? do you use the bulbs at home?

I can't remember which one exactly. It was just a top brand model with proper lighting (high CRI and Kelvin)

CRI = Color Rendering Index This is a scale from 1-100 on how close the spectrum is to natural sunlight (100 = sunlight). I don't know who started this rating system but it is recognized by the Illuminating Engineering Society.

Kelvin would relate to the color temperature (in degrees Kelvin) 5500 degrees Kelvin = light at noon. Lower temps look red and higher temps look blue. I would get something from 5500 to 6500 (I prefer the bluer look...just not too much).

With Flourescents, you can get a pretty awesome looking light. With incandescents, you are limited. I've found that most incandescent lighting which claim "full spectrum" are worthless. But I really enjoy the neodymium coated bulbs.
So in order of preference

Fourescent bulbs with temp rating of 5500 - 6500 and CRI above 90
Incandescent bulbs with neodymium coating.

Hope that helps. I'll see if I can dig up the box that my ex bought for you :cheers:

 

[judge-mental]

thanks SJA... appreciated

is that the website you are buying them?