Full spectrum lightbulbs - any good?

topper75

You hear a lot about these in combating SAD etc. Are they effective? Are there any serious studies available on them?

dudara

Here's something from lumie.com. They reference an article published in the Abstracts of the Society of Light Treatment and Biological Rythms in 1989 - there's surely got to be something more recent than that though.

r3nu4l

Have a look at this and this for some more information. They are reviews from 2005 and 2006

Capt'n Midnight

. Recent attention has focused on the blue region, which actively suppresses melatonin production23 and elicits circadian rhythm phase shifts.24,25 In a comparison of blue light with red light of lower intensity (designed as a placebo control), the antidepressant response to blue was superior, similar to that seen for white light in other studies.26 Whether there is a therapeutic advantage to narrow-band green or blue over white illumination requires further study, particularly regarding their tolerability and adverse effects.

so would it be worth shining Blue / White LED's at the top of your head , like in a hat or something or would you need to light up the eyes / illuminate the skin too ?

10,000 LUX is a lot for a whole room
but a 3Watt Luxeon LED would be a lot more portable

nacl

I find them a lot nicer to work under. Not as cold a light.

LadyMayBelle

I have one and have to say I now much prefer it to a regular bulb.