Light Therapy: How It Works and What It Treats
When you sit in front of a light therapy, a treatment that uses artificial light to mimic natural sunlight and regulate biological rhythms. Also known as phototherapy, it’s not just for winter blues—it’s a tool used by people struggling with sleep, mood, and energy levels all year round.
Light therapy works by affecting your circadian rhythm, your body’s internal clock that controls sleep, hormones, and alertness. When you don’t get enough sunlight—especially in short winter days—your body makes too much melatonin and not enough serotonin. That’s when you feel tired, down, or off-schedule. A daily 20- to 30-minute session with a light box can reset that clock. It’s not magic. It’s biology. And it’s backed by studies from the National Institute of Mental Health and real-world use in clinics.
It’s most commonly used for seasonal affective disorder, a type of depression tied to changing seasons, usually starting in fall and lasting through winter. But it’s also helping people with jet lag, shift work sleep disorder, and even some forms of non-seasonal depression. People who work nights, travel across time zones, or just can’t wake up in the morning are turning to light therapy because it doesn’t need a prescription and has fewer side effects than pills.
What you’ll find in the posts below isn’t a list of product reviews or gadget comparisons. It’s a collection of real, practical guides on how light therapy fits into daily life—how it connects to medications like trazodone for sleep, how it might help with anxiety-related insomnia, and why some people combine it with supplements or lifestyle changes. You’ll see how it’s used alongside treatments for mood disorders, how timing matters more than brightness, and why some light boxes work better than others. No fluff. No hype. Just what works, what doesn’t, and who it helps most.
Melatonin and Seasonal Affective Disorder: How They’re Linked
Explore how melatonin impacts Seasonal Affective Disorder, learn the science behind seasonal mood shifts, and get practical tips like light therapy and supplement timing to feel better in winter.
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