Let’s get together and talk about the dark skies that make mid-afternoon feel like midnight, and the light sources that make it totally bearable. Once a year, winter comes around when your ears get cold and you suddenly want hot chocolate. It brings all things beautiful: Christmas lights, a blanket of white snow in the park, and thoughtful gifts. But it also invites coldness and heaps of darkness. I grew up in upstate New York, where the sun disappears by 4:30 p.m. in December and January. I mean, this isn’t a new phenomenon for me, but that doesn’t make it any less painful. In fact, in late September, a sense of fear begins to set in.
But when I moved to Scotland, 4:30pm became almost 3pm and the sun didn’t fully rise until well after I woke up. Even in London, where I’m currently based, it gets dark quickly at 4pm, even on short days. Like most people, darkness makes me tired and takes a serious toll on my mental health.
Now, let’s talk about the main character of this story, my SAD lamp. It is an abbreviation of SAD. seasonal affective disordera depressive disorder triggered by the change of seasons (usually dark days, but some people experience them in the summer). You do not need to have a SAD diagnosis at all to use a SAD lamp, high-intensity light therapy lamp, or wake-up lamp (all have the same name).
Bought Lumie Vitamin L Bright Light Therapy Lamp A few years ago, before my first winter in Scotland, I’ve used it every year since. The Vitamin L lamp is a slim rectangle that provides 5,000 lux at 1 foot away and 2,500 lux at about 1 arm’s length. The latter is the recommended distance for use and represents more or less distance from me. It measures just under 8 inches wide, 11 inches long, and just over 3 inches deep. You can stand it either vertically or horizontally, but you will notice that the balance is not very good in the latter case. The lights make up the entire front panel, and there’s a simple power button on the back.
This lamp sits on the floor next to my kitchen table, and I lean it against it almost every morning when I have breakfast or start work. I love to sleep, so I rarely use it on weekends unless I get up early and go somewhere. Usually, I forget or get busy, at least on the morning of the workday. However, when worn, it will continue to illuminate from an angle for 30 minutes to an hour, depending on the time of day.
This light is far from an additional table lamp to add a bit of light. That’s very–I repeat just to be sure– very bright light. Moreover, even though it is practically similar to sunlight, there is no need to worry about ultraviolet rays. Just the sheer light really wakes me up and gives me some structure to my busy, cold mornings.
I have never been diagnosed with SAD, but I do have panic disorder that causes bouts of anxiety and depression. The latter depression becomes even more pronounced in these cold, dark days. I don’t know how much of it is a lamp and how much of it is a placebo, but it keeps negative emotions at bay and makes dark days a little more bearable.
Overall, if you’re as scared of the dark in winter as I am, I highly recommend trying this Lumie lamp or considering one of the other options on the market. Just having the habit of turning on almost every day makes me feel like I’m doing something to fight the blues. Plus, it’s really hard to get tired when there’s bright light nearby.
