Light Therapy

One form of this therapy involves sitting in front of a specially designed light box, which produces light at a higher intensity than ordinary bulbs. This helps many sufferers of seasonal allective disorder (SAD), or winter blues—people who get depressed during the winter months. One theory suggests that SAD is linked to high levels of the hormone melatonin, which is produced by the pineal gland. The gland normally produces mela­tonin at night, and the morning light stops the secretion. But during winter, when there is less daylight, the pineal gland may go on producing melatonin. About two hours of daily light therapy may alleviate the problem, but it should be supervised by a doctor.