Should Everyone Get a SAD Lamp This Winter?
By: Ashley Laderer
Tags: Neuroscience, Health, Brain, Mental Health, Seasonal Depression

Should Everyone Get a SAD Lamp This Winter?

Photo: B. Boissonnet/BSIP/Getty Images

It goes without saying that these next few months are going to be rough. Covid-19 cases are rising to record highs, we’re running on months and months of social isolation, and new lockdowns and restrictions are sweeping across the nation. Add in the already daunting shorter daylight hours, colder temperatures in many parts of the country, and lonely holidays, and we have ourselves a recipe for a doozy of a winter, including winter blues that are sure to cause mental health to take a hit.

So, how can one find relief? Could artificial light in the form of SAD lamps — lights that are often used to treat people who have seasonal affective disorder — provide a glimmer of hope for everyone this winter? Maybe. But first, let’s look at the basics of SAD and SAD lamps.

SAD, sometimes referred to as seasonal depression, is more than just the winter blues. Someone must meet the criteria for a depressive disorder, including their functioning being impaired, to be diagnosed with SAD, according to Lindsay R. Standeven, MD, assistant professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine.

These depressive symptoms in the winter months can include feeling sad most days, not enjoying things you usually enjoy, and feeling irritable, Standeven says. Additionally, unique features of SAD include increased appetite, particularly carbohydrate cravings, and “profound fatigue.” Experts believe SAD is caused by the reduction in daylight hours, which throws off hormones like melatonin and serotonin, contributing to the change in energy levels and mood.

Enter SAD lamps, readily available to buy on the internet (no prescription required) and used to treat the condition during the shorter days throughout winter, often in conjunction with therapy and medication.

How exactly do these lamps, often marketed as “happy lights,” work?

The mechanism goes beyond just staring at a light and feeling better. (In fact, you shouldn’t stare directly at these lights.) There are cells in the retina that contain a pigment called melanopsin, according to Paul Desan, MD, PhD, a psychiatrist at Yale Medicine and assistant professor of psychiatry at Yale School of Medicine. These are special brightness-detecting cells that project and communicate directly with the hypothalamus and other parts of the brain that affect your hormones, energy, and emotions.

“In most cases, the lamps aren’t going to hurt, but if you don’t really have seasonal affective disorder, they’re not necessarily going to help.”

SAD lamps with a brightness of 10,000 lux (typical room lights are between 50 and 200 lux) can stimulate these cells and affect hormones in a positive way. Doctors recommend that people with SAD use the lamps as early as possible in the morning for about 30 minutes. You sit about 12 to 18 inches from the light and go about your morning routine — reading the news, having your coffee, and checking emails.

Results are seen relatively quickly when using SAD lamps. Standeven says people will typically see improvement in mood within a couple weeks. Research shows that even just one week of light therapy is enough to make a difference.

Are SAD lamps for everyone?

Even though SAD lamps are traditionally for those with diagnosed seasonal depression, Desan suggests that under the right circumstances, they could also benefit people who are “just” experiencing the winter blues — especially during this pandemic winter, when they will be indoors more, sleeping in later, and exposed to much less natural light.

If you work from home, for example, you’re at risk of being exposed to even less natural sunlight. “Usually people drive to work at 7:30 or 8 a.m., and they’re exposing themselves to a piece of bright daylight. But if instead you just sleep in until you get online for your first meeting of the day at 9 a.m., you’re going to be sending a different signal to your body,” Desan says.

Using a SAD lamp first thing in the morning for 30 minutes can counteract this and signal your body to wake up, which may improve fatigue and your mood throughout the day.

However, not every expert agrees that these lamps are for everyone. While there’s good evidence that light therapy is effective for people with SAD, the lamps may have no or very little effect on people who don’t suffer from seasonal affective disorder, according to Standeven. A 2020 meta-analysis of 19 studies found that light therapy is more effective than placebo in reducing depression symptoms in people with SAD. However, there’s no sufficient evidence to conclude if they are also effective for those without SAD who are dealing with the winter blues.

Standeven recommends other coping tips to ward off the winter blues this year, such as braving the cold and getting out for a walk to expose yourself to natural light. “There’s no reason you can’t be out walking and getting some exercise in whatever weather it is,” she says. The combination of light and exercise will give you a mood and energy boost. Exercise in general is helpful as well. Standeven also urges people to stay social virtually, such as by Zooming with friends and family, to help combat the social isolation we’ll be dealing with for even longer.

So, should you buy a SAD lamp this winter?

This shouldn’t be the only question you’re asking yourself. First, take a step back and recognize that if you’re feeling poorly and considering getting a light that promises to make you feel better, it might be time to reevaluate your mental health this winter.

If you decide to try out a SAD lamp and use it correctly, it isn’t going to cause harm, but the lamp also won’t make your winter blues magically disappear. “In most cases, the lamps aren’t going to hurt, but if you don’t really have seasonal affective disorder, they’re not necessarily going to help,” Standeven says, particularly if used as the only tool to help you feel better. It’s more important and effective to go back to the basics: getting enough sleep, exercising, and eating a balanced diet.

One important caveat: If you’re not feeling well mentally this winter, it’s possible that you actually have SAD — especially if low motivation or low energy are getting in the way of your daily functioning. “Nobody should be treating their depression on their own,” Desan says, and if you’re not sure if your winter blues are actually seasonal affective disorder, you should be evaluated.

The bottom line: Under the right circumstances, a SAD lamp can make your winter look just a little brighter — but don’t expect it to be a miraculous light switch for your mental health.