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If you experience lower energy levels, disrupted sleep, fatigue, reduced libido, or irritability as fall and winter approach, you may be suffering from the Winter Blues or the much more severe Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) or from other circadian rhythm disorders. Countless clinical trials have shown the benefit of bright light therapy in combating S.A.D..

We have participated in the annual meetings (conferences) of the American Psychiatric Association, the American Psychological Association, and the SLTBR (Society for Light Treatment and Biological Rhythms) for the past 20 years. Thousands of clinicians across North America, Europe and Asia recommend our units.

Our growth has been due to our uncompromising customer service, and our innovative high quality products. All our bright light units are manufactured in North America, and meet North American safety standards. Our wide range of products will help you find a bright light unit that fits your life style.

Before Buying

Before buying a light therapy unit,

make sure of the following:

Light is not primarily blue (like all LEDs)

Light has a North American safety certification

Unit delivers 10,000 lux at a comfortable distance

Unit is equipped with a UV filter

Make sure manufacturer’s warranty really protects you

Lumie Bodyclock ACTIVE 250 New Product

• Dawn simulator

• Sounds effects Sun Ray effects

• Alarm clock that wakes you naturally

• FM Radio with digital tuning

• helps keep your sleep/wake cycle on track

• Many more new Features.

Limited supply order now Only in North America

Many major insurance companies now authorize or reimburse the purchase of light therapy equipment for Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD). To improve your chances of receiving reimbursement for your light therapy product, send the following documents to your insurance company:

• Invoice from Northern Light Technologies for the light therapy product

• Letter of medical necessity from your doctor

• Your own cover letter to the insurance company that includes all pertinent information regarding your policy, as well as the codes that cover light therapy. HCPCS Code: E0203 (Therapeutic light 10,000 lux), CPT Code: 96900 or 90899.

More Info

Brochure-US.pdf

Insurance Coverage

Our Commitment

Made in Canada

7 Year Warranty

Covers you for the entire product

(Except for our long life tubes*)

No Nonsense / No Fine Print

This warranty does not apply to:

SunRise Clock, Visor, and SUNBURST

*Under normal use, tubes will last at least 10 years

Since 1989

All our products are made in Canada or USA (With the exception of the SunRise Clock)

North American Quality Control

North American Safety Certification

Uncompromising customer service

Exceptional product value

We're passionate about bringing

quality light products to your home.

Products Store What is SAD

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Winter Blues

Seasonal Affective Disorder (S.A.D.)

What is S.A.D.?Many people who live in northern latitudes suffer from Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) or the milder winter blues. Some can muddle through autumn and winter, for those suffering from SAD it is difficult to cope during this dark season. Seasonal affective disorder or SAD is a form of depression that occurs mostly during the fall and winter months when the days are short. Over 20 years ago, mental health researchers proved that SAD could be treated with light therapy. Today, light treatment is the modality of preference by clinicians. About 6% of the population of northern countries suffer from SAD, while a much larger number suffer from the winter blues. The main signs are fatigue, excess sleeping, social withdrawal, carbohydrate craving, and a loss of libido. Night-shift workers or people who work or live in a badly lit place can also suffer from SAD even during summer. 75% of SAD sufferers are women. If you suffer from any of the above symptoms it is a good idea to see a health professional. Consult with us by e-mail or call us for our free referral to experienced clinicians in your area.For SAD sufferers, it is a relief to know that depression is not linked to a weakness of character, but it is due to changes in our brain chemistry simply caused by a lack of sunlight.

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Symptoms

Seasonal Affective Disorder (S.A.D.)

> Feeling tired, depressed or sad> Increased appetite> Craving for carbohydrates and starchy foods> Weight gain> Sleeping more than usual> Social withdrawal> Lack of interest in usual activities> Inability to concentrate, to focus> Inability to meet deadlines> Loss of sexual desire> Body aches and pains

Solution

Side Effects

"Northern" Light Therapy

Bright Light Therapy

Working with thousands of clinicians in North America and in Europe, Northern Light Technologies has a full range of suitable products to put Light in your Life for both daily and seasonal applications.Light therapy is a simple, medically recognized, efficient treatment to fight Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), the milder winter blues and some sleep disorders. Research on SAD has shown that it is better to start treatment early in autumn, before the usual onset of symptoms.
The most common side effects from bright light therapy are eye and/or skin irritation and headaches. They are most prevalent in people with light colored eyes, blonde or red hair and sensitive skin. These side effects can usually be resolved by gradual introduction of light therapy.If you are suffering from any of these side effects, you should first stop using the light until eye or skin irritation clears up. Then, start using the light five minutes a day, increasing gradually to full use over a period of about two weeks. Please note that some medications, such as lithium, certain antibiotics, acne creams, chemotherapy drugs, can make you very sensitive to light.

Consult with your physician

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If you feel that you may be suffering from depression, you must consult a qualified health professional (SAD sufferers are not an exception). Although a self-diagnosis seems relatively easy to make, other conditions can be similar to SAD. These problems must be considered and eliminated before a SAD diagnosis is made

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Page 3

Diet-Exercise

Nutrition

Exercise

Sleep Routines

Motivating Activity

For SAD sufferers, the nutrition and sleep routines vary a great deal between summer and winter. In winter, those afflicted have a tendency to eat too much, especially carbohydrates and starchy foods, and gain weight. Although they may lose weight in summer, these people have a tendency to accumulate additional excess pounds each year. As years go by, it can result in obesity. SAD sufferers also need to sleep more than usual : even after a 10 to 12 hour night of sleep, they sometimes still feel tired and feel like they are dragging themselves along. The resulting inactivity also causes weight gain.
There is more and more evidence that regular aerobic exercise benefits depressed people in general. For those who suffer from SAD, if these activities imply more lighting, either outdoors or in front of a lamp, the antidepressant effect may be even greater. If people chose an activity only on the basis of its aerobic properties or its therapeutic value, there is little chance that they will stick to it for a long time. It is important to choose a motivating activity, which brings pleasure and satisfaction. To persevere and motivate oneself further it is useful to find someone who can share in this activity with you.

Diet

Beneficial Effects

Dieting and exercising must be considered as important factors for SAD sufferers, not only because they can have a positive effect on their mood, but also because they have beneficial effects on SAD itself. Research has shown that gaining or losing weight in a cyclic way can be particularly bad for an individual’s health. In spite of all its benefits, light therapy may disappoint those who hope to automatically lose weight once they feel better. For this reason, dieting and exercising must be part of a program for SAD sufferers.Although light therapy diminishes the appetite and the weight gain, often it is only partially effective, and sometimes, exercising is not enough. The best solution is to watch what you eat. For more detailed information on how best to use light therapy Click Here.In his book "Winter Blues", Dr Norman Rosenthal mentions that the following three dietary approaches offer the best perspectives for SAD sufferers: > High-carbohydrate, reduced-calorie diets > The Carbohydrate Addict’s Diet > The Paleolithic Diet: Balancing carbohydrates with protein A dietician may be of great help to personalize a diet. It is also possible to combine different elements of these approaches in order to create a dietary program that works for a particular individual.

Biology

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Medical Model

There is a medical model to explain how the seasonal changes can cause SAD. According to this "model", the changes of the cerebral functions are considered in the same way as any other organ’s deficiencies -the pancreas in diabetes for example. The diabetic's pancreas produces too little insulin. The SAD sufferer's pineal gland produces too much melatonin. Additionally not enough serotonin is produced. The diabetic is helped with insulin; the person with SAD is helped through light therapy. An excellent account of the way in which melatonin and serotonin act can be found in a paper by the UK National Institute for Medical Research entitled "Seasonal Depression and Light Therapy".
Blue Light

2.Artificial Lighting and the Blue Light Hazard.pdf

4.Blue Light.pdf

3.Blue Light and Macular Degeneration.pdf

Blue Light

What do the EXPERTS say?

All HANDHELD UNITS operate on Blue Light with intensity in the 500 lux range

"The bottom-line answer is, at this time stay with conventional white-light fixtures. We have decades of experience indicating that these are effective and safe. As of the writing of this book, there is not one published study on the effectiveness of blue light for treating SAD. Nor is there the long track record of safety. On the contrary, there is long-standing concern about potential toxicity of blue light to the eyes." Norman Rosenthal, MD, in WINTER BLUES (2005) "elevated chronic exposure to light has been identified as a risk factor for development of ARMD (Age Related Macular Degeneration)…avoiding exposures to bright short-wavelength [blue] light is the simplest preventative measure against light damage". Rozanowska M. & Sarna T./ Photochem Photobiol 2005 Nov 1"blue light alone can damage the powerhouses of the retina cells, called mitochondria, and in particular the DNA of these energy producing cells."Journal of Biological Chemistry 2005 June"Visible light of short wavelength (blue light) may cause a photochemical injury to the retina, called photoretinitis or blue-light hazard." Okuno T, Saito H, Ojima Evaluation of blue-light hazards from various light sources. J. Dev Ophthalmol. 2002;35:104-12."the most important damage from blue light involves pigments that accumulate only in retinal pigment epithelium (RPE)] cells" which "very efficiently absorb wavelengths in the blue region…this pigment, we now know, is able to initiate phototoxic reactions, that is it can absorb light and initiate reactions in the cell that are damaging". Janet Sparrow of Columbia University as reported by Carol Lindsay in ScienCentral News Aug 11, 2005.". . . continuous exposure to blue light is potentially dangerous to vision." Koide R, Ueda TN, Dawson WW, Hope GM, Ellis A, Somuelson D, Ueda T, Iwabuchi S, Fukuda S, Matsuishi M, Yasuhara H, Ozawa T, Armstrong D. Nippon. Retinal hazard from blue light emitting diode. Ganka Gakkai Zasshi. 2001 Oct;105(10):687-95. ". . . high levels of exposure to blue or visible light may cause ocular damage, especially later in life, and may be related to the development of age-related macular degeneration." Taylor HR, West S, Munoz B, Rosenthal FS, Bressler SB, and Bressler NM. Archives of Ophthalmology 1992; 110:99-104. "I think chronic blue light is probably damaging." Joshua Dunaief, MD, in Bethke W. Review of Ophthalmology Oct 15 2003; 10(10)."The high-energy segment of the visible region (400-500 nm) is enormously more hazardous than the low energy portion (from 500-700 nm)." Young RW Survey of Ophthalmology 1988; 32(4): 252-269. "Visible light of short wavelength (blue light) may cause a photochemical injury to the retina, called photoretinitis or blue-light hazard." Okuno T, Saito H, Ojima J. Dev Ophthalmol. 2002;35:104-12."[The] Action spectrum for blue-light induced [retinal] damage shows a maximum at 400 nm and 450 nm." Bartlett H, Eperjesi F Nutrition Journal 2003, 2:12. "The effectiveness of light in inducing photo damage to the retina increases with decreasing wavelength from 500 to 400 nm." Andley UP, L.T. Chylack Jr LTPhotodermatology Photoimmunology and Photomedicine 1990; 7:98-105."The photoreceptors in the retina . . . are susceptible to damage by light, particularly blue light. The damage can lead to cell death and diseases." Shaban H, Richter C. Biol Chem 2002 Mar-Apr;383(3-4):537-45.

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Documents-Resources

Resources

F.A.Q.
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SADelite Instructions.pdf

TRAVelite Instruction.pdf

FLAMINGO Instruction.pdf

LUXOR Instruction.pdf

BOXelite Instructions.pdf

FBL-Visor.pdf

SRC.pdf

Need to know more?

>> Dr Norman E. Rosenthal's website

>> Daniel F. Kripke, M.D.University of California, San Diego

>> The Society for Light Treatment and Biological Rhythms

>> JAMA - Journal of the American Medical Association

>> Association canadienne pour la santé mentale

References

Instructions

4.Blue Light.pdf

3.Blue Light and Macular Degeneration.pdf

2.Artificial Lighting and the Blue Light Hazard.pdf

Light Therapy in SAD & Circadian Phase.pdf

Dawn Simulation & SAD.pdf

5.Dr.N.E.Rosenthal.pdf

Pediatric SAD.pdf

Ottawa SUN.pdf

Ballast Replacement.pdf

Brochure-US.pdf

Documents

Ballast

Brochure

Video Clips

Lets watch some clips about Winter Depression

Comments-Contact Us

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We're passionate about bringing quality light products to your home

Northern Light Technologies

8971 Henri-Bourassa Blvd. W.

Montreal (St. Laurent), QC H4S 1P7

Tel: 514-335-1763 | 1-800-263-0066

Fax: 514-335-7764

email: info_NorthernLightTechnologies.com

www.NorthernLightTechnologies.com

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Latest News

The Causes of SAD: Body Clocks and Chemicals

Though it might seem intuitive that the cause of SAD might simply be the cold temperatures and relative restriction in the types of activities that one can do outside in Northern climates, its actually more likely that SAD has to do with the lack of light in winter months.(3) When days get shorter, we are exposed to much less natural light, which can affect levels of the neurotransmitters (brain chemicals) involved in mood and depression.

We all have a biological clock, made up of cells in an area of the brain called the suprachiasmatic nucleus, which keeps us more or less on a 24-hour cycle. However, our biological clocks seem to need sunlight to stay set on a regular cycle. When people are kept in the dark, their natural cycles tend to extend: over time, the sleep-wake cycle becomes closer to 25-hours if it does not have a cue to reset it each morning.

To View the Full Article please visit their website:

http://www.thedoctorwillseeyounow.com/content/depression/art3473.html?getPage=2#topic2

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email: info_NorthernLightTechnologies.com

Tel.: 514-335-1763 | 1-800-263-0066 Fax: 514-335-7764
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