Whether you suffer from seasonal affective disorder, depression or sleep problems, light therapy may be able to help. Light therapy works because it affects chemicals in your brain that control your mood and ability to sleep.

Date:   6/22/2021 2:37:46 AM ( 3 y ago)

Whether you suffer from seasonal affective disorder, depression or sleep problems, light therapy may be able to help. Light therapy works because it affects chemicals in your brain that control your mood and ability to sleep. It doesn't matter whether you get sunlight or artificial light because they work the same way to regulate your biological clock. This balance will help you to trek on through the day. Here are some ways using light therapy can keep your energy level up.

Regulates Sleep

Sunlight and darkness cause the release of different hormones. Sunlight triggers serotonin whereas darkness generates melatonin. Melatonin helps you to sleep, which is why it's important to sleep in a dark room, and serotonin boosts your mood and helps you to concentrate. 

If you can't get sunlight in the morning, sit beside a light therapy box. This will allow your body to start off the day by releasing serotonin. If you let this level drop too low, you may experience bouts of depression.

By keeping these hormones regulated, your circadian clock can reset normally every 24 hours. This clock is found in the hypothalamus and is based on each day's light and dark cycles. Naturally, you should wake up feeling ready for the day, and as the day progresses, you should become more tired. If you don't get a sufficient amount of the right spectrum of light for an ample amount of time, your internal clock will no longer be correctly synchronized, which will negatively affect your mental, emotional and physical abilities. You won't want to sleep when you normally should, which will make you feel tired throughout the entire day and awake again at night. It can become a vicious cycle unless you do something to change it.    

Improves Cognitive Function

If you're not getting enough light, your mental ability may suffer. If you put a red light therapy device on your head, the light is absorbed into your brain where it helps injured brain cells to heal. The mitochondria in your brain take in the light and use it to regenerate parts of your brain.

Red light helps with several different issues. It allows wounds and tissue to heal quickly, aids in hair growth, improves skin color and reduces the appearance of scars and wrinkles. This is a good investment as it treats a plethora of problems.

Improves Mood

You may suffer, as many people do, from seasonal affective disorder. As the months get colder and darker, you may become depressed. Light therapy can be used to fight the winter blues because, as mentioned earlier, it releases serotonin. If you're not getting the light you need, your body releases melatonin, instead. Thus, you have a large amount of a hormone that makes you tired in addition to a lack of serotonin. This is a recipe for exhaustion and depression. Light therapy is a safe way to add light to your day throughout the winter months, or even on rainy days.

A mood disorder can make you physically and mentally exhausted. Rather than relying on antidepressants that have unwanted side effects, try light therapy. Simply feeling better will make your energy level go up.  

Light therapy may be considered a better option than natural sunlight for several reasons. First, with a light therapy box, you can control when and where you get light. Second, you can avoid the sun’s harmful UV rays.

Increases Productivity

High serotonin levels are correlated with energy, and the more energy you have, the more productive you'll be. Being in a good mood encourages you to focus even more. To top it off, when you're happy, your body creates even more serotonin. So, if you haven't felt like doing anything fruitful lately, turn your light therapy box on for a while. It will get you in the right state of mind to complete some tasks. 

Making sure you get the proper amount of light can keep you motivated all day long. Because it can be especially difficult in the winter to get outside and sit in the sun, consider using light therapy to ensure you have the energy to crush your daily goals.

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URL:   http://www.curezone.org/blogs/fm.asp?i=2440776

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