REVIEW: All I want for Christmas is....a Lumie® Vitamin L SAD light

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Every year, without fail, the clocks go back at the end of October and the whole of Britain collectively gasps, “Why is it pitch black at 4pm?!” You’d think we’d be used to it by now but nope....well I'm not anyway!

Even after 37 years I’m still in shock at how early the darkness hits and how tiny the days feel. The end of British Summer Time (BST) always hits me with a slightly grim feeling even though autumn is actually my favourite season. I love it for so many reasons, mainly the explosion of colours in the trees and the cosy excuse to live off PSLs, and of course the build up to Halloween. But once the clocks go back and the evenings suddenly vanish into darkness there's always that little pang of "oh....here we go again." It's a strange mix of loving the season itself while dreading how early it starts to feel like midnight.

Winter however is definitely not my favourite season. If I had to rank them, it's autumn proudly in first place, then spring with its little bursts of hope, followed by summerrrr bringing the vibes seeing as I'm a summer baby and then right at the end of the line, comes winter. It's cold, it's grey, it's moody and honestly it's just not me. It doesn't give me the same joy the other seasons do. Winter feels less like a vibe and more like something to simply survive until the sunshine and my personality return, even though I love Christmas!

I know most of ours energy and motivation tends to dip this time of year thanks to SAD (seasonal affective disorder. The NHS says SAD is a type of depression that comes and goes in a seasonal pattern and sometimes known as "winter depression" because the symptoms are usually more apparent and more severe during the winter.

Dr. Victoria Revell, sleep expert and chronobiologist at the Surrey Clinical Research Centre explains that light therapy can genuinely help our bodies adjust after the clocks change. Morning light is a key signal for our internal clock, keeping it synced to the 24-hour day. But in winter, when mornings are gloomy, our body clocks can drift later which makes waking up for work or school feel like wading through mud.

Using a SAD lamp shortly after getting up can stop this drift and help you feel actually ready for the day. Vicky also stresses the importance of getting as much daylight as possible throughout the day. It’s scarce in winter, so you have to grab it whenever you can even if that’s just a lunchtime walk, a sunrise alarm or a SAD lamp on your desk to fight off that notorious afternoon slump.

If you're like my mama and not sure what a SAD lamp is, basically it's a device used for light therapy to mimic natural sunlight, helping to treat SAD aka winter blues. The light exposes you to a bright light that stimulates the brain, increasing serotonin levels and suppressing melatonin to improve mood and sleep-wake cycles. It's not just a fad, SAD lamps are science-backed and based on over 30 years of research. Modern living disconnects us from natural light cues, but we have technology that we can help to support our body clock instead of fight it YAY, what a time to be alive!

Lumie invented the world’s first ever wake up light back in 1992 and have spent more than 30 years developing light therapy devices to support circadian rhythm, ease winter blues, improve sleep and boost daytime alertness which is especially important in low light seasons or for anyone who spends a lot of time indoors or working in a basement office like me.

After years of saying I’d treat myself to a SAD lamp, I finally took the plunge and for the past week I've been using a Lumie® Vitamin L SAD light every morning for 30 minutes. I’d already done endless research and Lumie consistently came out on top.

Like I mentioned before, I work in a basement office with no real window (wellllll technically there’s a door to a tiny courtyard that permanently smells like pigeon poo) so we do get a tiny bit of daylight but honestly not much at all, especially this time of the year. It can be cosy on a chilly day with a hot choccy, but also incredibly draining mentally when you're there all day and it’s dark walking to work and dark walking home.

One week later after using a Lumie® Vitamin L SAD light every morning for half an hour, I genuinely felt more alive and....brand new! That spark, that lust for life I usually only feel in spring and summer, suddenly came rushing back baby!

I genuinely wasn’t expecting such a a dramatic difference. Even my colleagues noticed a difference in themselves and some of them are very sceptical people….although maybe everyone seems like a sceptical next to an optimistic olive like me.

The Lumie® Vitamin L light produces 10,000 lux at 20cm (so you've basically got to have it quite close to you when it's on for maximum benefits) and is medical device class IIa - a slim, portable therapy lamp that works in both portrait and landscape and gives off a cool white, UV-free light. It simulates sunlight to improve mood, energy, and focus and honestly when I close my eyes with it on, it feels like I’m stretched out on a sun lounger in Gran Canaria....

The amount of lux a device gives off really matters because lux is how we measure light intensity. Basically a single candle one metre away only produces about one lux. Sitting by a bright window might give you around 3,000 lux but move to the middle of the room and that can drop to just a few hundred. On a sunny day, even in England, outdoor light can soar to 80,000-100,000 lux. So the Lumie® Vitamin L delivering 10,000 lux is really good. The rippled diffuser keeps it bright but soft and because it’s so lightweight I pop it in my backpack and take it to work every day.

Oh and sometimes when I work from homo* (*not a typo), my cat loves it too, she literally crawls into a ball in front of it. So cute!

If you’re missing the sunshine like myself and Fiona Melita-Robson (my furbaby), I genuinely can't recommend the Lumie® Vitamin L light enough huns. It's now become part of my morning routine. I’ve been using it for 30 minutes each morning basically as soon as I wake up at home, even on the weekends when I'm not working. I take it into the office too and as soon as I'm all set up at my desk, I just have it on my desk and it’s making working through the darker months so much easier and my colleague's appreciate it too.

Lumie recommend using your SAD lamp at approximately an arms’ length away from you by the way, for maximum results. I think a common misconception about SAD lamps is that you have to stare directly into the light to get the benefits but that’s not true at all. In fact, looking straight at the lamp can be uncomfortable because it’s so bright….just like staring at the sun!

The great thing about Lumie light therapy is that you can use it while you go about your day. Whether you're having breakfast, reading, checking your emails or working, just plug your Lumie in nearby to help lift your mood and energy levels. After about five minutes, you barely notice it and it feels like natural daylight.

Lumie sell a range of SAD lamps but the Lumie® Vitamin L is a great "starter" option in my opinion especially if you're feeling a bit nervous or sceptical about trying light therapy. It is a lot of money to spend when you're unsure whether it'll help, and honestly, I spent years going back and forth about it myself.

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Oh also, the Bodyclock™ Glow 150 looks amazing as does the Lumie® Halo and Lumie® TASK (I'd loveee the Golden Yellow one). Lumie also offer a 45-day trial, so you can try a Lumie light yourself and make sure it’s right for you and if not, they’ll give you a full refund. Truly a win-win.

Plus they make such a good Christmas pressie idea if your partner keeps asking what you want and you’re completely out of ideas or the other way around.

GOOD NEWS: the Winter Solstice (the shortest day of the year) is on 21st December so it's not long now until the days will start getting lighter again. That's what I keep telling myself while I'm sat in front of my SAD lamp!