Light Therapy

Treatment Overview

Light therapy is the main treatment for seasonal affective disorder (SAD). It's used for other conditions too. It is exposure to light that is brighter than indoor light but not as bright as direct sunlight.

The most common light therapy uses a special type of fluorescent light, called a light box. Light therapy is usually prescribed for about 30 minutes a day. You place the light box at a certain distance from you, on a desk or table. Then you sit in front of it while you read, eat breakfast, or work at a computer. Light therapy is usually started in the fall and continued through spring.