So I’m on day 5 of the light therapy experiment. I’m not particularly sure it’s working out the way it’s supposed to. I kind of got the impression from the bits of research I did that there would be some positive improvements right away even if they were small ones.
According to the directions, you are supposed to take an assessment at Apollo Health’s website. This determines the start-up schedule for using your light. For example, since my body naturally wants to wake up at 9am and I want to wake up about 6 or 6:30am every morning, it recommended starting on a Saturday with 15-30 minutes at 8am, then Sunday at 7am, then Monday at 6am and continuing from then on at 6am and eventually you may be able to go to every other day at 6am, etc.
I had no problem waking up on Saturday morning and sitting on my sofa with my cereal and my dog while the blue light shined it’s light in my eyes direction for 30 minutes. I guess that was in the middle of my cleaning spree and I was in a fairly good mood and anxious to gt going.
Sunday I was a little sleepy but I still got out of bed fairly easily and sat on the sofa with my cereal, the dog, and the Sunday coupons and ads for 30 minutes while the blue light shined at my eyes. Around 8:15am I was feeling a little sleepy again but I was driving and missing my exit on the Maine Turnpike kind of cured that.
Monday was a bit of a struggle. 6am was horrible. I crawled out of bed like death rewarmed. To be honest, I don’t remember much of Monday. My fibromyalgia was flaring up; I felt miserable, I was tired, and I didn’t want to be out of bed. I know I dutifully did my 30min with the blue light and my bowl of cereal though.
Tuesday things really began to go awry. Tuesday I took longer to get up and get arranged on the sofa after feeding the animals. I forgot to get my cold caffeine and I could barely keep my eyes open for the full 30 minutes. When the light clicked off, I still had 10 minutes until 7am, which is the time I absolutely need to start getting ready for work. My clothes were all ready picked out and I was so tired I could barely function. It occurred to me that I could take a 10 minute doze. So I laid down on the sofa, thinking that Pugly would wake me up with his patrol of the neighborhood from the window, but that sucker curled up on the sofa next to me — I guess it was too early for him too. Next thing I knew it was 7:30am and I was suddenly running around like a chicken with her head cut off.
And that extra 40 minutes sleep just seemed to make me more tired the rest of the day. 
This morning, I dragged myself out of bed at 6:15am after my dog walked all over me and repeatedly stuck his nose in my face. Again there was trouble getting sorted, but I dutifully did my 30 minutes with the light. I did not allow myself any doze time afterwards, but I’ve never felt like I’ve actually fully woken up today.
I was under the impression that I’d start feeling some sort of improvement in my daytime “sleepiness” by now. Maybe that was wishful thinking. Maybe my body is just fighting the idea of waking up before 7am. It just seems so unnatural.
{ 1 comment… read it below or add one }
Dear D3,
I’m the Director of Research at Apollo Health. The vast majority of people respond quickly to light therapy, but there can be a number of reasons why you didn’t. First of all, you have several forces working on your sleep/wake cycle. One, called the ‘homeostatic process’, is the constant drive for sleep. As you have been shifting your circadian rhythm, this homeostatic drive is habitual, and wants you to sleep and wake up for the same amount of time. Sometimes it takes a few more days for the homeostatic pressure to become aligned with the new circadian time. Secondly, there may be a number of confounding events or triggers that are counter-acting the morning light that you have received. For example, evening light (bright bathroom lights at night, or late night activities, computers, etc.) can send the opposite signal to your body clock and cancel the effectiveness of the morning light.
In order to improve your response, I would consider a few things: First, consider taking time-release melatonin about 7:00 pm for a few days. Look for the lowest amount — less than 1 mg. (I like the 300 mcg amounts my local Wal*Mart sells, but it’s not time release.) You should only have to take melatonin for a week or so. Taking melatonin in large doses or for long periods is not recommended, as it may build up in your system and create an artificial ‘Winter Blues’ effect. Second, try to avoid bright light in the evening time, especially late at night. You can wear sunglasses or even blue-blocker glasses. 3rd, your circadian system may be weaker and not respond as well to shifting. I know this isn’t easy, but I would suggest starting over with the light, but only shift 15 minutes or 1/2 hour each day. Finally, I’m a little suspicious that your internal circadian time may be occurring later than 9:00 am. if that is the case, you can try using the light later, say around 10:00 am and then shifting each day to an earlier time.
I know this may start to seem a bit complicated, but remember, your body’s sleep/wake and energy cycles are very complex. Bear with it, and you should be fine within a few more days.