Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

I decided to give light therapy a try because I've long suspected I've been suffering from (mild/sub-clinical) seasonal depression. I live in the northern US, and winters here tend to be gloomy and long, and spring doesn't really start feeling like spring until late April. The SAD or whatever has never been enough to bother with an antidepressant, with the side effects and the doctor's appointments and the copays, but enough that something non-pharmacological might have an effect. I've also - throughout pretty much my entire adult life - had severe insomnia coupled with odd sleep/wake rhythms. I'm pretty sure this elevated my mood somewhat, although that might just be placebo. But what I wasn't expecting was an improvement in my wakefulness patterns, and the evidence that it helps there is clear. I still have a hard time falling asleep in the evening, but my legendary afternoon crashes into extreme tiredness all but vanished - I don't think I've ever been so alert without heavy doses of caffeine propping me up! I'm also considerably more alert first thing in the morning. (It's very possible that what I've been taking as mood elevation is simply increased wakefulness/energy...it's hard to say. I'm not complaining, though!) I was a bit surprised when I got this. I know the dimensions are printed right there on this page, but I wasn't expecting it to be so tiny. As it happens, I'm glad it is - its portability makes it that much less cumbersome to use. I was also unimpressed by the thin, cheap, chintzy feel to the plastic, but I can't complain about the light itself. (I do, however, rely on the little flip-out stand so that I can prop it up at an angle...and it's kinda flimsy. So far so good - and it's not like I'm hard on it - but if that snaps, this'll be quite a bit harder to use.) I nearly knocked a star off for not offering battery power. Who knows, maybe this pulls enough juice that batteries would be impractical, but even though I've settled into a routine where I can use it consistently near an outlet, it'd be that much better if I could use it anywhere at all. (Battery power would've also been nice two weeks ago when the power went out throughout the city. I knew I had a flashlight here somewhere...but try finding it when you can't see anything. I knew right where this was, and it would've made a spectacular emergency light. Ah, well.) It took some experimenting, but now I use this every weekday morning, from 6 a.m. until it shuts off at 6:45. (It has three timed settings - 15, 30, or 45 minutes. The literature I read all recommends use for at least 30 minutes.) This also has a low/medium/high toggle, and following the recommendations in that same literature, I leave it on high - best results were achieved with a full 10K lux. Each morning at six, I get back into bed with a cup of coffee and my kindle, and I read the "paper" while this sits just to my left, aimed up at my face. I don't consider using this to be time lost, since I'd probably be checking the news and drinking my coffee anyway (if not always for exactly 45 minutes), and I suspect most people would be able to find a way to incorporate this into their routine. This is one of those things that's unlikely to hurt even if it doesn't help, so other than the loss of money to buy it, I wasn't really risking anything in giving it a try. Still, I'm awfully glad I got it. The effects on my mood are subtle, but my mood wasn't all that terribly depressed to begin with, and the effect on my level of alertness was far more pronounced...which helps my mood. I don't regret getting this at all!