Beat the Winter Blues with Red Light Therapy
Natural light is known to be beneficial to your health, but did you know it can also help you regulate your mood? In this post we will be talking about how adding more of the right type can make winter days much better.
The winter months of January and February are often dark because it gets pitch black by 5:30 pm on those days. This can make people feel down due to the phenomenon known as seasonal affective disorder (SAD). With shorter days and less natural light, it becomes difficult to stay healthy both physically and mentally.
While the benefits of natural sunlight have been well-documented, many people still don’t get enough exposure to daylight during the winter months. This can lead to a host of problems, including seasonal affective disorder (SAD), fatigue, and insomnia. Fortunately, even on the darkest days, there are ways to bring more natural light into your environment.
Red light therapy is one method that involves exposing your skin to low-level red and infrared light. This type of light has been shown to boost energy levels, improve sleep quality, and promote healthy skin.
Red and near-infrared light (in the 630-670nm and 810-880nm range, respectively) have been shown to improve cellular health, increase circulation, and reduce oxidative stress. In other words, red light therapy is a totally natural way to give your cells a boost, just like they would get from the sun. But without the harmful UV rays or heat. That makes red light therapy a safe, easy way to add natural light to your life and experience the health benefits in the winter.
Seasonal affective disorder (SAD), also known as winter depression or winter blues, is a type of depression that has a seasonal pattern. While the exact cause of SAD is unknown, it is believed to be related to changes in sunlight exposure and melatonin production.
From a great night’s sleep to the treatment of chronic medical conditions, red light therapy has been found to be an effective and efficient way. Melatonin is a natural sleep aid and research shows that red light therapy increases levels of this important hormone.
In a research study last 2018, researchers found red lights to be just as effective at treating major depressive disorder when applied directly on the head of patients.
The study is called the Elated 2-pilot Trial. They tested how transcranial near infrared light therapy works by shining it onto someone’s head in order to help those who suffer from major depression respond extremely well after eight weeks worth of treatments with no side effects.
The winter months are a difficult time for many people. In fact, people in the US suffer from this condition every year with an estimate of 5%. More and more studies are showing how red-light therapy can benefit mental health, especially for those who suffer from seasonal affective disorders. It’s a safe natural method that doesn’t carry the same risks as many medications or treatments out there today – so you have nothing to lose by trying it!
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