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Artificial dawn simulators make for a great addition to light therapy
treatment or simply for those that have trouble getting moving in
the morning. They work by plugging a bedside lamp into the simulator
that will turn the lamp on and slowly increase the lighting intensity
prior to the desired waking time. Even though the eyes are closed
during sleep it is believed that a small amount of light reaches the
back of the retina through the eyelids stimulating specialized photoreceptors
that send a chemical signal to the brain telling us that it is time
to wake up. This natural wake cycle through light is also seen in
people that have lost their vision but still retain the photoreceptors
called "intrinsically photosensitive retinal ganglion cells" or ipRGCs
for short.
Some studies have shown that using artificial dawn simulators
can be as effective as traditional light therapy treatment for mild
cases of seasonal mood disorders or be of additional benefit by combining
with light therapy treatment. Combined with light therapy in the morning
hours, dawn simulators can help to shift the circadian clock
of individuals suffering from sleep phase delay problems. Phase delay
is where a person typically has difficulty going to sleep until very
late in the evening and an even more difficult time waking in the
morning. By measuring body temperature before and during sleep it
is possible for doctors to measure how an individual's internal clock
is functioning. For those suffering with phase delay problems the
minimum body temperature that typically would occur around 3:30am
does not occur until up to several hours later when it should be increasing
prior to awakening. Using dawn simulation with light therapy will
effectively turn the clock back counterclockwise and align the sleep
cycle with desired sleep and waking times.
We carry a few different styles of artificial
dawn simulators
to help fit your budget and desired functions. The UltraLux™ Dawn
Simulator is very simple to use and will turn your bedside lamp on
at the same time everyday creating a very regulated sleep cycle. For
more flexability there is the SunRizr Dawn Simulator that can be programmed
like a typical alarm clock and can also be programmed to create a
dusk simulation at night gently seeing you off to sleep.
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