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How Night Shift Workers Can Benefit From Light Therapy?

Are you suffering from OCD ( Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder)??

Do you have SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder) symptoms ??

Having issues with sleep or are you depressed ??

No need to worry any longer!!! The ultimate solution is here.

These are not just any lamps; these are called Bright Light Therapy Lamps. Bright light therapy is one of the effective ways through which you can heed goodbyes to your depression, a.k.a SAD or OCD.

These Bright Light Therapy lamps are designed in such a way that they mimic the light of the sun and are used to manage circadian rhythms such as delayed periods of sleep or other disorders!!!!

How Light Therapy Helps Night Shift Workers?

You must have heard people saying, “ I work in night shifts, and after I reach home, I can’t sleep well.”

This is a common issue among night shift workers. The reason these disorders are so common is they have an irregular schedule of sleep. And this issue can lead them to various other disorders like insomnia, depression, stress, and many more.

Light is a powerful signal for our internal clock, a.k.a circadian rhythm. So as night-shift workers work during nights and sleep till noon. They don’t get sufficient sunlight to provide them with the natural treatment of the sun.

Light therapy, on the other hand, can be the optimum option for this problem. This therapy has two immediate effects on your sleep/wake routine. What it does is this therapy makes a gradual shift in sleeping patterns. That is, either your sleeping patterns will be earlier or later, depending on the amount of light exposure you are getting.

Depending on the type of lamp, the bright light therapy will be executed accordingly.

To get started, take this therapy for 20 to 30 minutes every morning after you wake up.

If possible, try to take this therapy simultaneously each morning to help program your internal clock.

If you are regularly using light therapy, then very soon, you’ll be seeing the changes within yourself. The reason I’m saying this, the moment you maintain a proper routine of taking this therapy, gradually, you will see your sleeping patterns are coming back to normal.

But heed in mind, before you jump on using this therapy, always consult with your doctor as he will give you the best advice on using this therapy.  The moment you start using this therapy, you’ll notice that you are more active in working and improve your cognition. Always ask for your doctors’ prescription to know the proper usage and the schedule of taking the therapy.

Light therapy boxes are available in stores, and you can also find them online. Check for the reviews of the item and again go through the details of the retailer before purchasing one. And sometimes, this therapy lamp is covered by insurance.

What Type of Light Therapy Should Night Shift Workers Get?

Now when it comes to getting a lamp for light therapy, there are some things that you should look for. So to get the most out of your bright light therapy lamp, it’s recommended that you use a light therapy lamp that can produce 10,000 lux.

So what is Lux??

Lux measures the amount of light that reaches a surface from a distance.

For bright light therapy to be successful on a therapeutic level, yes, use a lamp that produces 10,000 Lux.

If you are willing to get yourself a Bright Light Therapy Lamp online, then make sure that you see the rating of the Lux before purchasing as not all of them are 10,000 Lux!!

 

Does Light Therapy Actually Work On Night Shift Workers?

Now, here comes the million-dollar question, “Does Light Therapy Work?”

To be honest with you, I myself have gone through this therapy. And trust me it totally works!!!!

I found it to be a great way for me to wake up in the morning. So if I get out of the bed and turn the light on, I found that it can just kind of help gets past that mental fog, that slowness to wake up in the morning.

So yes, I think it definitely does work in that way. It also helped me to recover from my insomnia.

Now here’s the thing, when you’re using this therapy, I recommend that you practice other healthy ways of living.

So if you eat a ton of junk food the night before you sleep and you expect to wake up and use only the Bright Light Therapy to keep you out of stress and to maintain a healthy body.

Then trust me, it’s of no use!!!

I truly recommend that you pair up the use of Bright Light Therapy with other healthy activities to elevate your health.

Further Tips For Night Shift Workers.

1.  Exercise.

I know it sounds crazy, but physical activity improves the quality of your sleep and extends its duration.

So, even if you are only going out for ten minutes brisk walk, do it!

Morning, night, evening, it doesn’t matter. Get your physical activity.

2.  Diet.

First and foremost, you want to avoid eating too close to bedtime, eating too close to bedtime, because that can stimulate your gastric juices and make you really uncomfortable when you’re going to bed.

On top of that, you want to avoid spicy foods, overly citrusy foods, and other junk food. Something that a lot of people do before going to sleep is drinking alcohol.

Because you may fall asleep fine on alcohol, but it will hurt the quality of your sleep, and you won’t wake up as well-rested.

3.  Naps.

I’m not going to lie- I love naps. But in reality, naps are a double-edged sword because they are refreshing, and they can give you some energy as long as you keep them somewhere between 15 to 30 minutes.

However, they will decrease your sleepiness which is a good thing during work, but then it will be harder for you to fall asleep at night because you will not be sleepy.

So, try to avoid the naps unless the circumstances call for it!!!

 

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