What is Light Therapy?
Justin McCarthy-Contreras
Published June 17, 2023
At the end of the day or whenever free, we reflect on ourselves. Perhaps there was trauma or you reached goals. Regardless of the emotions activated we care for ourselves. When low mood, sleep, and skin are stressful there are many treatments. One of them is light therapy.
We all care for ourselves. Some have high intentions to be fit whereas others choose to be educative in sciences. Despite any of these goals someone has, maybe both or neither, their health is involved.
What is light therapy?
Spring and summer seasons bring sunlight and warmth through part of the year until clouds and cold enter the environment; fall and winter. We spend most of our day inside away from natural sunlight.
Ok, but why do I want to expose myself to heat and cause sunburns?
Humans require sunlight for vitamins and hormones. Outside of one organism, plants and wildlife also require the sun. These provide air to breathe and additional vitamins.
Which hormones?
The two main hormones influenced by sunlight are serotonin and melatonin. Mente Soul recognizes most of us probably don’t consider the importance of a hormone until it negatively affects us or someone close.
For me, I wasn’t aware of serotonin and melatonin until a traumatic brain injury (TBI). A TBI reduces hormones such as serotonin which has major roles in mood, memory, and energy. Thankfully, my sleep wasn’t affected in recovery which considers melatonin for our circadian rhythm.
Just turn the lights on inside
We have electricity! Yes, but general lights won’t help. Common lightbulbs don’t create enough illuminance as the sun does. Scientific measurements use lux for light intensity. In scientific terms, the sun lux ranges from 2,000 to 100,000 whereas light in the bathroom may only have 40.
Expose myself to sunlight?
The sun isn’t the only source of light. Instead, one can use a light therapy box that simulates outdoor light. There are lamps that supply 10,000 lux to assist the body internally. A doctor could advise a patient to practice phototherapy, also known as light therapy, to aid their body.
Ailments Light Therapy Treats
We attribute light to physical aspects such as vision and balance. The therapeutic light medically tested lamps emit assist mood, energy, sleep, and the skin. Any possible ailment the reader has is treated by a medical professional. Please read our Disclaimer and do not replace any current medical practices.
Mood
Light therapy treats Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) and other depressions. A bright light therapy database review found patients had a balanced activation of serotonin. Light exposure from separate research centers found this form of therapy mitigated SAD. Light therapy should not be considered a cure for depressive disorders, but a mild relief.
Energy and Sleep
The human body rises when the sun shines light on Earth and sleeps when it descends later in the day. This 24-hour cycle is defined as the circadian rhythm. In a study of 1154 participants, various light intensities were used to effectively treat circadian rhythm sleep disorders, insomnia, and sleep issues related to Alzheimer’s disease.
One of the many activities that occur during sleep is waking up energized for another day. During cloudy days or seasons with little sunlight, people may feel lethargic. Light exposure through the eyes treats this feeling which is where energy lights are effective. Wake up refreshed ready to take-on goals with the help of light therapy.
Skin
Go in the sun for free light!
The sun has high lux and also releases ultraviolet (UV) rays. These UV rays damage the skin increasing risk of skin cancer. Sunscreen should be used multiple times depending on the length of time in the sun.
Light therapy is used by health care providers for large and small patches of psoriasis. In this case, lamps that give off UV-B rays are used which cause mild to serious burns. The light therapy is done multiple times a week for several months combined with another treatment. Other treatments include topicals, lasers, drugs and other phototherapies.
Summary
Laying in a tan bed or out in the sun is not light therapy. Medically tested artificial light sources are used for therapy. This therapy has been studied since the 1990s and has shown positive effects. Light affects everyone impacting our health.
Sources:
How Meditation Boosts Melatonin, Serotonin, GABA, DHEA, Growth Hormone, & More. EOC Institute. https://eocinstitute.org/meditation/dhea_gaba_cortisol_hgh_melatonin_serotonin_endorphins/
LsLEDs, A. (2021, October 28). How many lux is full sun? LsLEDs. https://lsleds.com/how-many-lux-is-full-sun/
Lener, M. (2021, October 28). How light therapy works to treat depression. Healthline. https://www.healthline.com/health/depression/light-therapy
Maruani J, Geoffroy PA. Bright Light as a Personalized Precision Treatment of Mood Disorders. Front Psychiatry. 2019 Mar 1;10:85. doi: 10.3389/fpsyt.2019.00085. PMID: 30881318; PMCID: PMC6405415.
Terman M, Terman JS, Quitkin FM, McGrath PJ, Stewart JW, Rafferty B. Light therapy for seasonal affective disorder. A review of efficacy. Neuropsychopharmacology. 1989 Mar;2(1):1-22. doi: 10.1016/0893-133x(89)90002-x. PMID: 2679625.
van Maanen A, Meijer AM, van der Heijden KB, Oort FJ. The effects of light therapy on sleep problems: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Sleep Med Rev. 2016 Oct;29:52-62. doi: 10.1016/j.smrv.2015.08.009. Epub 2015 Sep 9. PMID: 26606319.
(2011). Use light to improve mood and energy. Philips. https://www.usa.philips.com/c-m-pe/light-therapy/wake-up-therapy
Nazario, B. (2022, October 18). Light Therapy for Your Skin. WebMD. https://www.webmd.com/skin-problems-and-treatments/psoriasis/phototherapy