Get a daily dose of brightness under an innovative light therapy floor lamp at all branches except Kilbride.
Feeling sluggish or irritable? Craving more carbs than usual? Can’t wait to hit the sack earlier and for longer? For northern climate dwellers, changes in feelings of well-being could signal the onset of Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD). SAD is a form of depression that can start in the late fall but most often hits during the deep winter month of February and March when daylight hours are short, and the weather is cold and bleak.
Although more common during our colder seasons, SAD can occur anywhere working or living conditions are poorly lit or when shift work reverses your day-night routines. If you experience ongoing symptoms of SAD, getting help from a doctor or mental health professional is essential.
For those of us with milder, temporary symptoms—winter blues, February blahs, springtime lethargy—increasing your exposure to light through natural sunlight or artificial 'daylight' light can help boost your mood during seasonal doldrums.
Come into the library for a good mood boost and sit under an innovative light therapy floor lamp that delivers mega-bright UV-filtered light. Light therapy bulbs emit the full spectrum of light—the same as natural sunlight.
How to Use the Lamp
Even when winter is just a memory, the lamps are available for you to use year-round whenever you need a pick-me-up. Enjoy!
- Sit about 20" away from the lamp.
- Sit facing the lamp, with the light about 12" to the right or left directly in front of you.
- Keep your eyes open, but DO NOT look directly at the light. Avoid wearing sunglasses, tinted glasses, or a hat with a visor as they block the good light. Clear glasses are fine.
- Use it any time of day. Morning and mid-afternoon are ideal times, but NOT within 4 hours before bedtime, which can affect your ability to sleep well.
- Share. If someone is waiting to use the lamp, please limit your visit. Kindly ask the person to come back at a time you both agree to.
Be an informed user. According to Northern Light Technologies, the manufacturer of the light boxes at BPL:
- If you have a health problem, have been told you must wear sunglasses in the sunlight, or have a history of eye problems, please consult a healthcare professional first.
- Medications such as lithium, melatonin, tetracycline, St. John’s Wort, acne creams, creams with retinoic acid and some chemotherapy drugs can make you very sensitive to light.