Uplift Technologies Inc. DL930 Day-Light 10,000 Lux SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder) Lamp

Uplift Technologies Inc. DL930 Day-Light 10,000 Lux SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder) Lamp is designed for your safety, comfort and convenience. Day-Light promotes health and wellness. Day-Light was clinically tested and meets design standards set out by the research experts. Treatment time of only 20 to 30 minutes. The Day-Light was designed to include features which provide optimal light therapy treatment and for the user. The Day-Light stands conveniently on a table, desk or shelf. At home or office, use the Day-Light to multi task!

• Height Adjustable Legs
  The height adjustable legs allow the light to be positioned at the appropriate height and angle for the user. This is the optimal light positioning as recommended by light therapy experts.
• Glare-Free
  The white diffusing lens eliminates glare and evenly distributes the light. Three 36-watt light tubes emit a warm light and minimize potentially harmful blue rays.
• UV Filtered & Safe
  Hi-impact polycarbonate lens filters 99.3% of harmful UV rays.
• Flicker-Free
  Manufactured with high efficiency, electronic ballasts, the Day-Light eliminates the annoying flicker experienced with ordinary fluorescent fixtures.
• Two Light Settings
  The three-light setting provides 10,000 lux at 12". The two-light setting option is convenient for ambient lighting.
• Built-in Stand
  There is a built-in stand located in the back of the unit which can be pulled out to set the Day-Light up for the ambient lighting option.
• Built-in Handle
  There is a built-in handle located in the back of the unit for easy transport.

Day Light is clinically tested and recommended by experts for:

• SAD and the Winter Blues
• PMS and Antepartum Blues
• Jet Lag/Shift Work Adjustment
• Circadian Sleep Disorders

Benefits:

• Designed for personal therapeutic use
• Used by researchers around the world
• Meets expert guidelines for bright light therapy systems
• 10,000 LUX at a comfortable distance
• Provides a broad field of illumination to help keep your eyes within the therapeutic range

Bright Light Therapy

Importance of Light:
Light is essential to maintaining normal, healthy physiology. Exposure to the sunrise is a key factor in synchronizing our internal body cycles or circadian rhythms to the external world (so we sleep when it is dark and are alert during the day).

Modern industrial society, combined with human migration to northern latitudes, has tampered with this cycle and the resulting loss of natural light exposure - in dark apartments, in the workplace, on shift work, etc. For many, this leads to ongoing light deprivation, making us vulnerable to mood disorders, sleep problems, fatigue, poor ability to concentrate, and more.

Light levels vary greatly between indoor and outdoor lighting as shown in the chart below. LUX is the measure of light intensity at a specific distance from a light source.

Many people may suffer from light deprivation and not even be aware that the symptoms of light deprivation include:

• Feeling down or moody during the fall and winter
• Fatigue, lack of energy, and difficulty getting up in the morning
• Problems getting things done (lack of motivation)
• Reduced social contact (and often reduced sexual interest)
• Cravings for carbohydrates and weight gain

Experts believe that as many as 44 million North Americans experience the winter blues. As well, recent findings show that bright light therapy may also help relieve some other issues – some sleeping difficulties, jet lag, shift work adjustment and low energy.

How Bright Light Therapy Works:
Scientists believe that bright light therapy works on several different levels, producing a combined beneficial effect. When used at an appropriate morning hour (or in rare cases, evening hour), it corrects the misalignment of the internal body clock, known as the circadian rhythm, with external night and day. Bright light therapy, acting on the body’s own response to light, may also stimulate the brain's production of the neurochemicals responsible for positive moods. This may explain why people not getting the light they require feel lethargic, less motivated and experience the blues.

Although judicious exposure to sunlight - when available - can act like bright light therapy, this is often not practical for most people with contemporary lifestyles and careers. The key is to reset or maintain the schedule of the internal biological clock through timed bright light therapy sessions. These sessions are scheduled at defined times to maintain the target sunrise or wake time for the user during the fall and winter.

Researchers use bright light therapy systems to simulate the effects of daylight. Usually, bright light therapy sessions of just 20-30 minutes are adequate to reset or maintain the body’s circadian rhythm. For most people, optimum bright light therapy response is achieved with sessions conducted the early in the morning, shortly after waking.

Over the course of research studies, involving thousands of people, three key facts emerged on bright light therapy :

• For many people suffering the Winter Blues, symptoms can be reversed within days of appropriately implemented bright light therapy treatment – a positive result when compared to other options.
• People with milder winter doldrums - who can cope, but still suffer - respond just as well to bright light therapy as those with the more severe Winter Blues.
• People feeling down in the dumps at other times of year or even with continuous, chronic mood changes, may also respond favorably to bright light therapy.

Bright light therapy, when considered in consultation with your physician, may be an appropriate option for many situations.

Self Assessment
A large study of those using bright light therapy to address the symptoms of the winter doldrums, showed major improvement in about 80% of cases when the light was scheduled at an optimum early hour. If the light was scheduled later, the response rate dropped to about 40%.

Self Assessments provided by CET - Center for Environmental Therapeutics (www.cet.org) are one way to determine if symptoms follow a seasonal pattern. CET is a non-profit organization that is dedicated to the education about, and further development of, environmental therapeutics. The Self-Assessment is copyright protected by CET and you will be entering their web site when taking the assessment test.

Usage Guidelines:

• Begin bright light therapy sessions shortly after waking for 20 to 30 minutes each morning or as recommended by your healthcare provider.
• For optimal results, begin your bright light therapy session at approximately the same time each morning and do not skip sessions.
• Adjust the height for optimal bright light therapy positioning. To ensure that the Day-Light is at the appropriate height for you, your eyes should be approximately in the center of the light and the light screen must be tilted at a 15° angle toward you so that the light is projected over you during therapy sessions (see your Day-Light User Guide).
• Do not stare directly into the light. You may read, work, eat, etc. while receiving bright light therapy.
• As fluorescent light tubes deteriorate over time and therefore will emit lower light intensity levels. To keep your Day-Light Bright Light Therapy System effective, we recommend that you replace the light tubes after two years of use even if they have not yet burnt out.

Day-Light Benefits

The Winter Blues:
The Winter Blues can be a debilitating situation, but it has a predictable pattern of recurrence during the fall and winter. Experts estimate that there may be over 44 million North Americans suffer from this milder “Winter Blues”.

Feelings of lethargy, trouble waking up and getting out of bed, cravings for heavy or carbohydrate-rich foods are primary symptoms that indicate you may be developing the Winter Blues. Generally, these symptoms sets in leading to chronic low energy, inability to do work, loss of pleasure in usual activities, etc. and becomes most acute in January and February. As days become longer, symptoms tend to clear up usually by early May.

Anyone can experience these cycles, even thought they may not occur every year. Women of childbearing age appear to be the most vulnerable, but the Winter Blues may occur from childhood through to old age, and men can be just as strongly affected as women.

Bright light therapy is simple to administer and very effective for many when they use a well-designed bright light therapy system a regular daily schedule. Bright light may be "dosed" by changing the intensity level, the exposure duration and/or the time of day when it is used. Generally, the recommended starting dose is 10,000 LUX for 30 minutes in the morning soon after waking. Dosage is then adjusted (increased or decreased) to suit the specific user requirements.

One large study of bright light therapy, found significant clinical improvement in about 80% of cases when bright light was scheduled at the optimum early hour. If the bright light was scheduled later, the response rate dropped to about 40%.

Should symptoms are only partially improve, or not improve at all, after implementing your bright light therapy treatment schedule, consult with your physician to determine the next step in your treatment plan.

Jet Lag:
Recent studies have found that the proper use of bright light at the correct time of the day can help frequent travelers adjust their body’s sleeping pattern before and after travel.

The bright light mimics the sun and helps to modify the persons’ “body clock”. This process can ease the discomfort associated with traveling across a number of time zones.

Shift Work Adjustment:
Shift work can have a major impact on our bodies established rhythm and switching from days to nights or vice versa can take a toll on our attitude and energy levels. Light is a major influencer on the setting of our daily rhythms and moving outside of our established daylight cycle can be difficult.

The use of artificial bright light is one option that has been shown to be an effective method to make this adjustment less disruptive the body’s established rhythm. Bright light therapy, when used properly and at the right time of the day, can help to reorient your internal “body clock” to the desired cycle making the adjustment more tolerable.

About Up-lift Technologies
Since 1993, Uplift has been Bringing Quality to Life. Over the years, this has become ingrained in their values and demonstrated by their commitment to manufacture products of the highest caliber for the healthcare industry. Whether helping people stay active and independent or brightening dark winter days, they are ready to help.

Their lifting seat products include self-powered and electric-powered portable lifting seats, the unique Commode Assist and full lifting seat chairs with most of their lifting seat products being awarded the Arthritis Foundation Ease-of-Use Commendation.

Uplift began with bright light therapy systems and they are still a leader in this growing market. Their work with leading researchers around the world ensures you enjoy products based on science that are truly effective.