Debra Suda
In the late 80’s, the Sunbox Company gave me a Sunray to loan to my patients. I loaned it to many, most of whom found it helpful, and bought their own Sunrays. In between loans to patients, I used it myself. My husband liked it, too.
Light therapy is much more effective if started before symptoms recur, so the ideal time for prevention is to start in mid August. After retirement, I have used the Sunray year round, because after taking it out in mid March, I would forget to turn it back on in Mid August.
In the summer, the sun shines in early, then birds start to chirp, signaling my brain stem to start bringing my brain online. My programs start opening and by the time the alarm goes off, I’m energized and ready to function.
I simulate that process with my Sunray. It sits at the head of my bed with the timer set to go on from 5:30-7:30a. My radio goes on at 6:00a for some auditory stimulus, followed by a buzzer alarm at 6:30a. The Sunray stays on while I get dressed. For the first week, the bright light woke my husband and I, but after that, we slept through it, waking gently until we were fully awake by the time we had to get up.
Waking to a dark room in the winter is so depleting. All I want to do is to stay in bed. Waking to a bright summer dawn Is so refreshing and nothing does summer dawn like the Sunray.
This Sunray unit was used pretty much continuously for 30 years. I recall only replacing the bulbs once, or maybe twice. A few mos ago, my son was feeling sluggish and unmotivated. I gave the Sunray to him to use in the same way and he found it very helpful from the start. I plan to replace those older bulbs since they are slightly less intense than they were. I got the Sunbox Jr, for myself, but it just doesn’t hold a candle to the Sunray.
My daughter realized she has been having seasonal depression symptoms. After researching the latest in the therapeutic lighting industry, I found no other company that made a unit comparable to the Sunray II. I found an LED unit that was comparable, but It hasn’t been around for 30 yrs and I know what a Sunray can do.
So I bought my daughter a Sunray II. I am going to buy myself a new Sunray II, soon.
Sunrays do cost more than a lot of units, but today’s price with shipping, of $400 spread over 10 yrs, is only a $40 per year. That’s about the price of a tank of gas. If it lasts 30 yrs, like mine, that’s only $14 per year. I can’t imagine living where the winter sunrise is at 7:30a without my Sunray.