These kinds of lamps usually cost less than $10. Staples has them for $7.99.
Most hardware stores carry them.
Lighten Up! as Therapy:
Light signals the brain that daylight is approaching (even through closed eyelids) and the brain then sends a message to the thyroid gland to increase the metabolism of the rest of the body. This lets you wake up in the morning and feel awake and ready to go! When the days get short and you have to wake up before the light gets to your eyes your metabolism is still at the sleep level and waking up is hard and feels unnatural. The sunrise simulator is intended to trick the brain into raising your metabolic rate by slowly lighting your room and this allows you to at least function in the morning. The full spectrum light therapy does not work the same way as the sunrise simulator. You don't need full spectrum light with the sunrise simulator because your eyes are closed during this time and at sunrise the light is normally red/orange anyway. A physical device is not likely to cure your depression but this one should keep you active during the fall and winter and that will help.
The principle is simple and so is the product. The other products available are very fancy and will dim and brighten lights at adjustable rates at any time. I thought the prices were too high for a product I wasn't sure would help my wife's depression so I made a simple version for her use. It seemed to help and I decided to make these units available for others to experiment with. She has gotten to where she no longer dreads autumn and winter. Big change! Winter is still a slow time for her but she can get up in the morning instead of lying in bed for 2-3 hours. The Lighten Up! is the simplest unit I could come up with, it just works in the morning and does not have any adjustments except the time of activation. The box itself is a 2"X2-1/2"X3" plastic box with a socket that your lamp plugs into.
http://www.officemax.com has a lamp similar to the one I personally use. It
looks like this:
These kinds of lamps usually cost less than $10. Staples has them for $7.99.
Most hardware stores carry them.
Credit: I developed this device after I saw the research done by David Avery, MD at the Harborview Medical Center, Seattle, WA. I learned of this work from an article in SCIENCE NEWS , vol. 142, July 25, 1992. I then contacted The Society for Light Treatment and Biological Rhythms and contacted some of their listed suppliers.