Environmental Therapeutics . . .

Light is a powerful antidepressant and is also the most powerful known zeitgeber (time-setter) for the internal biological clocks of the body. Catch up on the latest findings here.

Symptoms of seasonal affective disorder vary widely. A group of “atypical” symptoms predicts the onset of winter depression and the response to light therapy.

Light therapy is one of the most exciting, unexpected, and scientifically interesting developments in medicine today. It stands apart as one of the rare treatments that developed directly out of basic research in neurobiology: an impressive story of intellectual preparedness and bench-to-bedside crosstalk.

This popular supplement — actually an active hormone — has been widely marketed in the U.S. with doses and claims that don’t pass muster. Did you know that melatonin does not put you to sleep at bedtime, but can konk you out in the middle of the day? Find out the facts here, from the field’s leading research scientist.

You want a device that actually works to banish blue mood, increase alertness and energy, and correct off-schedule sleep times. Despite advertising claims, you won’t find this from the most aggressively marketed devices. Here we explain the benchmark light box properties that have been proved effective in clinical trials.

Talking about depression with someone who is depressed — or seems depressed — isn’t easy. The discussion can be wrenching, surprising, and the biggest favor friends can offer each other. Each case is unique, and the pathways to solutions are ever-expanding as the science inches forward.

The trials and tribulations of adolescence are manifold — the products of both biology and social convention. Sleep is a case in point: your circadian rhythm slows down so you’re not ready for sleep at the “right” time, while your school day forces early awakening, leaving you anxious and depleted. How can we solve the conflict?

Feeling the need to nap is not a sign of slothfulness. Indeed, it can be empowering, if you follow a few basic rules. Find out when is best and when it degrades nighttime sleep. Find out the length of a productive nap versus one that lays you flat out, wishing you hadn’t done it.

My secret may not work for you, and yours may not work for me, because we are built to sleep differently. Midnight for you might feel like early evening for me. Find your best-fit solution: measure your internal clock against the clock on the wall, learn when to seek light and when to control it — and even how to set your hand and foot temperature to bring on those Zzzzs.

Do you think older folks need less sleep than when they were young, just because they wake up earlier? Actually, less sleep presents a risk for quality of life as well as serious geriatric illness. Learn how to adjust meds, naps, and light to normalize sleep timing and duration, in the context of treating illnesses that may occur in old age.

Can you see streetlights through the window in your bedroom? Or do you let the TV turn itself off after you’ve fallen asleep? Controlling these factors can be key to controlling insomnia without recourse to prescription drugs. Let your brain produce its own melatonin in darkness! And learn about non-interfering, blue-free bedroom lighting.