There are different ways you can reschedule your Sleep with the help of light treatment: The principle behind light therapy for Sleep is that exposure to light in the morning advances the sleep phase, whereas light in the evening delays it.
The key is to time light therapy according to your internal clock, not the clock on the wall.
SAD Lights can help with:
For those in the Mid-west area, the Chicago Sun-Times just did an article about Seasonal Affective Disorder.
Bright ideas to treat despair of Seasonal Affective Disorder
By Jean Guarino
Anyone who says the cheerful rays of the sun don’t have a positive effect on your disposition has obviously never muddled through a depressingly dark Chicago winter.
This is the season when most people leave for work and return home in the dark, temperatures plummet, heating bills soar and even the most optimistic individuals are prone to prolonged bouts of grumpiness.
As the amount of sunlight decreases and the days grow shorter, almost everyone suffers a certain amount of depression. But for millions of Americans, these darker winter days trigger the onset of Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), a clinical condition that affects their ability to work and results in depression.
Over the past 20 years, there have been numerous studies on the causes and treatment of Seasonal Affective Disorder. Clinicians and researchers now believe that SAD is a cyclical illness prevalent in the fall and winter months that is directly related to the amount of light that is absorbed through the eyes.
This winter depression is caused by a connection between the optic nerve and melatonin, a chemical in the brain. SAD is triggered when the brain releases too much of this chemical at the wrong time, specifically during short dark winter days when bright sunlight is at a premium.
For most people SAD is a mild condition that is generally referred to as the “winter blues.” But for others SAD is a seriously disabling illness that prevents them from functioning normally without continuous treatment.
Seasonal Affective Disorder occurs throughout the Northern and Southern hemispheres and is extremely rare in those living near the Equator where daylight hours are long and extremely bright.
In the United States, the disorder usually begins to affect people around the beginning of October when the sun sets around 6 p.m. But its effect becomes even more pronounced with the end of Daylight Savings Time when the summer ratio of prolonged sun to minimal darkness is reversed and people spend more time in darkness than they do in sunlight.
Full article here: Chicago Sun-Times
Parkinson’s disease (PD) is very frequently associated with poor overnight sleep and daytime sleepiness. We have a regular internal sleep/wake cycle that keeps us awake and keeps our sleep time on track. Being exposed to bright light therapy has been shown to improve the sleep/wake cycle in people with sleep problems as well as in people with Alzheimer’s disease.
This study is being done to look at the effects that exposure to a bright light has on daytime sleepiness and night-time sleep in PD. About 30 people with Parkinson’s disease and sleep problems will be in this study. Bright light therapy involves sitting in front of a light box for 1 to 1. 5 hours several times a day for a few weeks.
Three clinic visits (approximately 1 hour each) and two 24-hour stays (including sleep studies) are involved in this study. There are also three 14-day periods in between the clinic visits where activity levels will be measured using an actiwatch, a small, watch-like device that measures movement throughout the day and night, and participants will complete daily sleep logs at home. During one of the 14-day periods, participants will use the light box as instructed at home.
Below is a link to the Northwestern University – Parkinson’s Disease and Movement Disorders Center for Clinical Trial Participation:
Light therapy is most commonly used for treating different kinds of depression.  Recently, light therapy has been used to treat Parkinson’s disease, not just the depression of Parkinson’s patients but to help alleviate motor problems as well.
Bright light stimulates two neurotransmitters that Parkinson’s sufferers lack: serotonin and dopamine. When light reaches a certain level of intensity, it inhibits melatonin which in turn limits the production of dopamine. By limiting the melatonin, in theory, you will have better production and use of dopamine in the brain.
Melatonin, a sleep-related hormone, has also been associated with seasonal affective disorder. Melatonin is made with the amino acid called tryptophan. This hormone has been linked to depression and is produced at higher levels of darkness.  Darkness also increases the production of melatonin. In most cases, this is a good thing. As daylight wanes, most people are preparing to sleep for the night. Darkness helps melatonin to aid in this natural process. In the winter when the days are shorter and darker, melatonin is produced which can then lead to symptoms of seasonal affective disorder.
Serotonin is a neurotransmitter, derived from tryptophan. In order for messages to be transmitted properly, neurotransmitters must pass a sort of baton between these runners. If serotonin levels are low, certain messages cannot be sent correctly or quickly enough through the nervous system. As darkness aids in producing melatonin, sunlight aids in the production of the neurotransmitter serotonin. Without sufficient sunlight, the body may not produce enough serotonin. This can cause a drop in energy levels, a general sense of confusion or “fogginess” and other symptoms typically associated with depression.
Recent case studies of light therapy on Parkinson’s Disease patients involving¬†bright light therapy¬†have had positive results with marked improvement in bradykinesia and rigidity in most patients while being exposed for only ninety minutes. After two weeks the study also showed increased mood, improved sleep, decreased seborrhea, reduced impotence and increased appetite. This change was so significant; some patients were able to have their medication reduced by 50% without the loss of efficiency.
