Philips GoLite P1 Blue Spectrum Light Therapy Device
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Customer Reviews of Philips GoLite P1 Blue Spectrum Light Therapy Device
Customer Review: VERY worthwhile investment in finding relief from SAD.
Summary: 5 Stars
I have to say, I was pretty skeptical about purchasing this. I've been affected by SAD - primarily in the form of sluggishness and lack of motivation - for as long as I can remember, and before I even knew what SAD even was. I'd never really done any research into how to treat the problem until last winter, when my energy was at an all-time low and I was having trouble just staying awake during the afternoon. I looked into various light-therapy options, and the GoLite seemed to have a good deal of scientific evidence to back up its claims. I really wasn't willing to spend $180 on something that would end up in the trash in a month, so I did a fair amount of homework trying to determine whether this was a legitimate treatment option or something out of a "miracle cure" infomercial. The Apollo website has some great information on how the GoLite works with your body's daily rhythms and also offers you the ability to plug in your own specific sleep/wake profile - which in turn tells you how to best use the light to meet your needs. Even with all of that info, I was still leery - but I decided to give it a try anyway.
To my relief and, frankly, amazement, the light delivered on its promises. I followed the schedule recommended for my profile, and within about 2 to 3 days started noticing a real boost in my energy level - particularly during the afternoon, which had been my real "blah" time. I used the light daily for the better part of last winter and started up with it again this fall, and it really has done wonders. The unit seems to be well made, is easy to use, and is nice and compact. Whether the light will work for others may depend upon the individual, but my experience with the GoLite has been excellent, and I would highly recommend to others who suffer from SAD. I don't write many product reviews, but I felt this one was truly worth sharing. Hope that helps.
Customer Review: Got my life back!
Summary: 5 Stars
I bought this on impulse--after feeling lousy for several years, and noticing that winters were worse than summers. After years of treatment by a slew of doctors, I figured this might help a little bit and at least it wasn't more pills to take. Within a couple of days I was waking up, with energy, in the morning with my family, not two or three hours later--which always happened once the winter months set in. Once I was up, I was able to get things done, not just crawl back in bed under the covers and watch TV and nap most of the day. No one could believe the change in me--so drastic and so quick!
I grew up in sunny Southern California and my winter illnesses started shortly after we moved to Seattle. Since then we moved to the East Coast and it's been problematic here as well. I would have terrible months with no relief from migraines and "chronic fatigue" (what the doctors say when they can't figure out what is wrong). Lately I had noticed I would start feeling a little better in the spring and summer. Since I dealt with the SAD and did some other treatments for the migraines, this past summer I was able to put the GoLite away and had my best health in years! But as soon as the days got short, my energy fell rapidly and my family had to remind me to use the light box again. If I skip a few days because of early-morning events or a short trip, I notice it.
I start with 30 minutes a day, but once I get going on a good schedule, I can often go down to 20 minutes until I slack off the schedule for a while, and then have to start back at 30 and work myself down. I put my GoLite on my computer desk and use it in the mornings when I check email and read articles online.
I've tied a 20" piece of string on to the cord connector so I can easily pull the string towards my face to make sure I'm at the optimal distance from the box.
Customer Review: Big relief in a little package
Summary: 5 Stars
I've had the P1 for around 3 years (bought it elsewhere for around the same price) because I was traveling a lot and couldn't bring my giant Verilux with me. The Verilux gave me a little relief from my sleep disorder, and I didn't expect any more from the P1. Surprise!!
I've got delayed-phase patterns, which requires light right when I get up. I had my doubts about getting up early enough. The first day I had to force myself out of bed; the second was a little easier; within another few days I was actually waking up at the same time I had been using the light. After my light therapy I'm awake and alert, I have better mood, more energy in the afternoon, and get tired at the appropriate time at night. I still drink my coffee, but need much less of it. I can use it as little as 10 minutes to get the continued effect, and missing a day or two doesn't give my body enough time to 'relapse.'
Someone else mentioned using the light for 1 1/2 hours to cause euphoria. BAD IDEA!! This thing is not a drug; if you're getting euphoria you should have yourself checked for a mood disorder. Apollo's recommendations for me are to use the light first thing for 30 minutes the first three days and then to reduce it to 15-20 minutes. Watch yourself; if you get jittery, move it further away or reduce the treatment time.
Also, be aware when your sleep pattern changes. Mine is different depending on the season, and has changed since menopause, so I visit Apollo's site regularly to update my treatment schedule, and I just stop using it in the summer. I also suggest starting to use it before you need it; it's a drag to be so down in October that I don't notice it until I've been suffering since September.
Customer Review: Not a panacea, but helps change your body clock
Summary: 3 Stars
Not a kid, just anonymous:
Two years ago I moved from an apartment with significant light exposure from the south, to a narrow northern exposure. In the old apartment, I got hyper in summer; in this apartment, I'm never hyper, and am very sluggish of a winter morning.
The box arrived on time and was very lightweight. More than half of it was empty, with a cardboard divider to fill up room. More than half of the remainder was a black cloth bag (the "travel case") and the rest was the device, sized like a portable CD player but lighter. The manual mostly said to go to the manufacturer's website, where you can use the device's serial number to log in and fill out a personalized questionnaire that calculates your current circadian rhythm, your desired rhythm, and a recommended usage schedule to shift the former to the latter.
It did help me shift my schedule almost two hours earlier, but I don't have any more energy than I used to, and certainly no feelings of euphoria or improved mood, at the schedule that was recommended for me (30-45 minutes at 90% intensity). If anything, it's just two more hours in the morning for me to feel really tired during. It's a LOT easier for me to fall asleep now, but I find myself having a lot more dreams than I did before, and most of them are nightmares. Also, the glare of the lights gives me a headache, so it's hard to use a computer during the treatment (instead, I write in a notebook).
I like it, and will continue to use it or lend it to slug-a-bed friends.
A side note: as an engineer I don't understand how an array of blue LEDs can retail for more than $50. The profit margins on this thing must be incredible.
Customer Review: S.A.D. and AMD
Summary: 5 Stars
The Blue light is the only thing that has helped me have a normal life for the last two years. I used the bright lites starting in 1996 and they helped a bit but nothing like this device.
I went to the sites described by some reviewers here. These sites do expound that this blue light may affect AMD. This includes the bright lights and also the sun - it is not limited to this device. To get the same therapeutic affect with the bright lights and the sun I would need several hours more a day so the total blue light would be the same. I read Rosenthal's new book and I do not believe he checked into the lights much as he dismisses them off-hand.
I have no choice but to use the blue light. Before I bought mine I suffered suicidal depression, an inability to have coherent speech, and a affect on my body where the slightest effort was not worth it. The bright lights diminished this affect but the blue light eliminated it, except for a bit of lethargy in the dark winters.
There are many medications out there that cause complications if the user is not carefull and maybe the blue light is one of them. Even the medication alternatives to light therapy cause problems. I can not go back to the way I felt prior to this product and will not. I will limit my light time to 30 minutes as recommended by the manufacturer. This is after all a medical device and as such should only be used by people who suffer S.A.D.
A note: I bought another blue light as a gift for a non-sighted friend and she is absolutely thrilled with it. Her depression is gone and her creativity is back. The blue light does not work on the sight receptors. She can not get AMD.