How Bright is 10,000 Lux and How Bright Light Therapy Should Be
For 10 million Americans, winter Seasonal Affective Disorder strikes in the fall and lasts until April. While the exact mechanism that causes SAD isn’t entirely understood, it’s believed that the shorter days trigger the disorder by limiting access to natural light. For those suffering SAD, light therapy is a proven treatment to help relieve symptoms including fatigue and irritability.
The concept behind light therapy is a well-established and simple one: light helps us feel better. In the days of antiquity, light therapy was believed to rebalance the humors. By the turn of the 20th century, sunshine was recognized as therapeutic for all manners of physical and emotional ailments, including skin disorders, sleep disorders, and emotional well-being.
Today, light therapy is the widely recognized treatment for SAD, but it’s also used to:
- Improve sleep
- Relieve symptoms of other depressive disorders
- Treat some types of skin disorders
- Treat jet lag
- Help age-related diseases such as dementia and Alzheimer’s
What is Lux Measurement?
Light therapy uses lux as a measurement of light intensity. To understand how bright 10,000 lux is, it’s comparable to ambient daylight.
How Bright Should a Therapy Light Be?
To treat SAD, a 10,000 lux light therapy box is recommended at a distance of between 16 and 24 inches from your face. This distance is important because therapeutic light needs to reach your eyes to be effective.
How Long Should I Sit Near a 10,000 Lux Light Box?
10,000 lux light therapy boxes are the perfect intensity for shorter therapy sessions, usually between 20 and 30 minutes. Some light boxes feature less than 10,000 lux; this makes them less effective and the user must spend more time under the light to reach therapeutic levels.
When is the Best Time to Sit Near My Light Box?
The best time to sit under a therapy lightbox is in the morning, within an hour of waking up. Many people enjoy reading the newspaper, eating breakfast, and watching TV during their morning sessions.
SunBox: Balance Your Mood and Reset Your Brain
With over 30 years of research and development, we strive every day to help bring you the most effective therapeutic light therapy boxes on the market. Each box we produce, including portable and travel boxes, provides users with the recommended 10,000 lux for benefits you can feel within days of starting light therapy.
Browse our full catalog of lightboxes and accessories, and get started on your path to emotional well-being today.