Now I can’t see how I ever lived without it, and coming back into winter now, I’m no longer dreading the constant feelings of lethargy.
As winter approaches, those dark mornings can make waking and getting up harder and harder for many of us, especially if you fall in the 24%* on the winter blues spectrum in the UK. Add in the grind of an early commute five days a week, or a shift pattern that means waking up in the early hours, and life can quickly become unbearable.
Pete Southern is a 25 year-old Purchasing Manager who lives in the north-east of England. He is affected by SAD and his commute to work means he has to wake up early. Here he tells his Lumie story:
“For years, I’ve really hated the lack of sunlight in winter. It has always lowered my mood, even since I was at school. I now drive 37 miles each way to work every day so, to beat the traffic, I usually leave around 6:45am. I set off for home around 6pm. This means my commute is in darkness for most of winter, and while I sit near a large window at work, I get very little direct sunlight.
"I’d read about SAD, and the more I found out about it, the more I believed it was affecting me. I had my doubts about how effective light therapy would be for me, but after witnessing my downward spiral throughout autumn, my girlfriend bought me Lumie Bodyclock Starter for my birthday. Within a week I could see the difference. When my alarm goes off, I no longer turn it off and go back to sleep feeling so grumpy about the thought of starting the day that I don’t care that I might be late for work. I have loads more energy and my mood has totally improved.
"I decided I still wasn’t getting enough, so I decided to try Lumie Brazil. I doubted it would have much effect, but, given the 30-day trial period, I thought I had nothing to lose. I was astounded by the results; I stopped falling asleep at work, and needing so much coffee just to get through the day. I have since added regular exercise, daily meditation and vitamin D supplement to my routine, all of which are helpful, but light therapy has definitely made the biggest difference for me.
"My brother, who I work with, was so impressed he asked to borrow my Lumie Brazil. Three days later he ordered one for himself. I lent it to my mother who also bought her own. Now I can’t see how I ever lived without it, and coming back into winter now, I’m no longer dreading the constant feelings of lethargy. Thanks Lumie you changed my life!”
Would you like to tell your Lumie story? Please email tellmyLumiestory@lumie.com
If you are considering light therapy but don’t know where to start, the Lumie Customer Care team is here to help. You can email info@lumie.com or call us on 01954 780500.
*Data based on an ICM Online Omnibus Survey conducted for Lumie in 2007/8 in which 2,000 people in the UK were polled.
About Lumie
Since 1991 Lumie has been researching and designing bright lights to treat seasonal affective disorder (SAD) and other conditions. Our first Bodyclock dawn simulator – an alarm that wakes you up with increasing levels of light – was the world’s first wake-up light and brought light therapy into the mainstream.
Over the years Lumie has worked closely with the scientific community. All of our products – the broadest range in Europe – are based on published research and designed by us from our base in Cambridge. Lumie is in the EuRhythDia consortium investigating circadian rhythms and type 2 diabetes, and is working with Liverpool John Moores University sports science department. We continue to find new applications for light therapy, such as treating acne.
Lumie products are medical devices, certified to the Medical Devices Directive (EC93/42) and supplied to the NHS on an occasional basis. Distance and brightness levels (lux) are independently verified and Lumie is registered with the government's Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency.
The benefits of light therapy reach far beyond SAD. Our lights help you to sleep well and get up in the morning, beat the afternoon slump, conquer jetlag and look after your skin. They also optimise sports performance. As official suppliers to British Swimming and British Rowing we are proud to provide lights some of Great Britain’s elite athletes.
Two of our wake-up lights, Active and Elite, provide white noise as an option. If you are trying to sleep in a noisy environment or during the day, white noise helps to muffle other sounds, like traffic or people talking.
In the UK our products are available through www.lumie.com as well as major retailers like John Lewis, Boots, amazon and wiggle.co.uk and we have an expanding network of distributors across Europe and in North America. For consumers buying through www.lumie.com we provide a home trial on all products.
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Contact:
Ruth Jackson
PR Manager, Lumie
Tel: 01954 780500
Mob: 07914 812261
Facebook: Lumie.light.therapy
Twitter: @lumie_lights
Pinterest: Lumie Lights
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