My Recap of Winter With My Sun Lamp

With the bulk of winter behind us, I feel like I can adequately judge the effects of using my sun lamp all winter. Click here to read my earlier post about it and here for an introduction to it.

Overall, I have to say that I am quite pleased with my results.  The tiredness and deep ache that I would get in the winter wasn’t around this year. I remember trying to sit in the afternoon sun in years past, to soak in some vitamin D, but I didn’t need to do that this year. Even though some days I could only use the lamp for 20 minutes in the morning, I still benefitted from its effects.

So, even though I give this sun lamp a HUGE thumbs up, I must point out a few variables that may have affected my results. They are:

• I did travel to Florida for a three-day weekend in the middle of January.
• I exercised approximately 5 days a week all winter, although that has been my weekly routine for years. (Exercise does tend to improve mood.)
• I didn’t come down with any severe colds or flu this season and was in good health.
• Winter temperatures were the 7th warmest ever for all of Illinois.
• Only 20-25 inches of snow fell on northern Illinois.

As a result of these warmer temperatures, I was out for walks on occasion; however, at most I went on ten walks.  Contrasting last year, when my children used all five snow/cold days for school, none have been used this year. The coldest days we had were a few days in the single digits, with wind chills around -15. We usually have several single digit days. Plus, not having as much snow was a wonderful gift for us. I was thrilled!

Obviously our milder winter did affect my mood in a positive way. Having less snow to shovel, less snow to drive in, and warmer temperatures, my mood was improved.  However, I do think the sun lamp had a large effect on me.  Even during the worst of winter, I still wasn’t as depressed or fatigued as I normally would be. I sat in front of my lamp every morning and I believe it made a big difference.

I would encourage anyone who thinks they are affected by any degree of seasonal affective disorder, to purchase a sun lamp.  My lamp has 108 LED lights with a UV shield, and emits 10,000 lux, which is the maximum amount available. I know there are some lights that are not as powerful, but if you can, spend the extra money for a quality lamp that you can use year after year.

Your mental health will thank you for it.

Happy Travels!

Julie

Be sure to check out Caribsun.com, the great company that helped me obtain my sun lamp!

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For more information on starting the path to good mental health, check out: www.betterhelp.com/online-therapy/

Source: www.climateillinois.wordpress.com