No recommends here - I just make sure all our house lights have higher wattage bulbs.

Just an affirmation that it IS a big deal... I've been 'going nuts' earlier than usual this year in the Pacific Northwest.

For me, yes, though probably psychological.

I'd go with one of the lamps you mentioned - let me know how it works!

KnitOrMiss wrote: »

Higher wattage bulbs end up hurting my eyes in general, but if they aren't daylight specific bulbs, it doesn't really make a difference, does it?

I'm pretty sure it does make a difference. Different bulbs give off different spectra of light, and it's UV B light, specifically, that is required for our skin to make vitamin D (yep, that's right, the "cancer causing UV rays" are exactly what we need to produce vitamin D, which helps prevent cancer!). So no, just using a brighter bulb (with the decline of incandescent bulbs, wattage doesn't mean anything) is not going to do it. You need to have one that puts off light in the higher wavelength spectrum.

As to your original post, I can't comment on the ones you linked, but this is the one I have -- http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004JF3G08 -- I've only used it a little, but it seems to work.

aylajane wrote: »

Its purely psychological I am sure, but I switched every bulb in my house to "daylight" ones, and with LED not putting off any real heat I use the highest wattage I can. Its literally like a beach scene in my house. Love the white light instead of the yellowy glow most have. Definitely helps keep my mood up, along with vitamin D supplements.

I do have a "happy light" i keep at work, and I have left it on 8-10 hrs a day for months. Let me tell you... I am no happier at work LOL .

Most LEDs don't put of UV rays, so it most likely is psychological, but hey, whatever works. Nothing wrong with harnessing the placebo effect, in my opinion. Though there may be some physical effect -- the brighter and cooler light may be reducing daylight eye strain, which has a surprisingly profound affect on fatigue (and therefore mood).

Also, "wattage" is outmoded now and no longer has anything to do with brightness or light color. A warm 400 lumen bulb can have the same wattage as a cool 800 lumen bulb, but the latter is drastically brighter and cooler. It's well worth learning the new/proper terminology, even if you don't know off the top of your head what 400 lumens translates to in a room.

That said, I'm loving the new variety that's present in LED bulbs. The chandellier in the main living area is full of daylight bulbs, so likes yours, it's like a beach sceen in here. In contrast, I have warm bulbs in my office (where daylight is augmented in the day by actual sunlight from a south facing window) and will have the warm ones in the bedroom, too.

I can't wait for sets like the Philips Hue and its ilk to come down in price. Even without the fancy "scene" colors (which have all sorts of colors, not just shades of white) are awesome for changing the lighting color based on certain circumstances, so I could put them in the areas I used a different times of the day, and have less blue at night, for example. Being able to shift the light color of indoor lighting to better mimic natural light changes can profoundly help us, because blue light inhibits melatonin production, while the absense of it encourages melatonin production, helping us sleep better and keep our circadian rhythm.

I've had mine for years and years - doctor recommended and definitely helpful. I now work in an office with lots of natural light and also go for a brief walk during lunch, so that helps with the sunlight issue (also vitamin d) - As the winter wears on, may bring my lamp to work for an extra jolt of rays.

Glad it's been helping!