Litebook Elite now only £149.50 (or £130 excluding VAT).

How can white light therapy help you get through the winter blues?

It is all about melatonin.

Melatonin production increases as light intensity falls and it is responsible for inducing sleep. Alertness, vigilance and mood are all directly related to the levels of melatonin in the circulation.

Melatonin production is suppressed by early morning sunlight and this action resets the body clock on a daily basis. Melatonin is produced from the feel-good hormone serotonin. If there is no suppression of melatonin we experience the combined effect of high melatonin and low serotonin with symptoms including depressed mood, lethargy, lack of energy, poor sleep patterns, loss of libido and carbohydrate craving.

In summary, low exposure to sunlight causes elevated melatonin levels and low serotonin levels. The reverse is true when we are exposed to plenty of sunlight. We all know how much better we feel when the sun is shining.

SAD

Light therapy first became an option for the treatment of seasonal onset depression (SAD) following the discovery in 1971 that very bright light could influence the control of the hormone melatonin.

40% of the population suffers from SAD, usually defined as winter blues. There is growing evidence that the lack of bright morning light can also cause non-seasonal depression with all the attendant symptoms.

Light deprivation symptoms are also experienced by those who live in conflict with their body clock such as night workers, shift workers and international travellers (jet lag). For physiological reasons the body clock is also shifted at two key life stages. It moves forward by 4 – 6 hours at puberty meaning that teenagers and students do not feel sleepy until the early hours and cannot wake before noon, Later on in life the body clock shifts back leading to poor sleep patterns and a tendency to wake in the very early hours.

Research in the last few years has also confirmed that melatonin suppression is under the control of very specific wavelengths of light. 460-470nm at the non-visible blue end of the spectrum activates melatonin and green light at 540nm resets the receptor. Bright sunlight peaks at 470nm with a second smaller peak at 540nm suggesting that the primeval development of the process was very much determined by environmental factors.

If you want to wake up quickly, in a good mood with a smile on your face, then you need to reduce your melatonin levels and boost your Serotonin levels and the Litebook is one very easy way to do this.

Wake up with a smile with the Litebook Elite

The white light LED used in the Litebook produces light in a narrow range that peaks at 470nm with a second peak at 540nm, thus mimicking bright sunlight. The Litebook white light LEDs are totally free of ultra violet light and are therefore safe for long term use.

Unlike other SAD lights on the market, the Litebook is light, compact and quick to work requiring only 15 to 30 minutes of exposure in the morning. Just stay in bed for 15-30 minutes in the morning bathing in the bright light of the Litebook, taking breakfast in bed and let the Litebook do the work. Litebook has been shown to be as effective as Fluoxetine (Prozac) for the treatment of Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD). (Am J Psychiatry 2006; 163:805-812).

The Litebook™ Elite

The stylish, new compact design is ultra-light weight. Each of the 24 bright white light LEDs each with individual Fresnel lens to focus beam and a diffuser to reduce glare.
The Rechargeable Lithium ION Battery gives 2 hours use per charge and there is an inbuilt battery level indicator. A timer function stores 15, 30, 45 or 60 minute treatment times.

The Litebook Elite comes complete with a smart black carry case and Mains Adaptor.

A Worldwide AC mains adaptor (US/Europe/Australia/UK) makes the Litebook Elite perfect for jet lag applications.

 For further information just click on this link and we will be delighted to send you the full Litebook information pack. Please include your full postal address and post code.

Claiming Exemption is easy

When placing an order you will have the option of choosing VAT exemption or not. If you are using the Litebook for treating SAD, the sale of Litebook Elite can be classified as zero-rated if the appropriate form is signed. We will send you the form with your order.

If you choose the zero-rated option we will send you a form which will need to be completed and returned within 7 days otherwise you will be charged VAT at the appropriate rate. Exemption is activated by signing and returning the form we have sent you. No other proof is required, but fraudulent claims could be checked and could constitute an offence. This form can be signed by the person themselves, a guardian, a carer, a parent or a representative.