Week 4

By week four, I’m well and truly into the routine of waking up, setting up my SAD light and cracking on with my day. Work is extremely busy at the moment but I find that I’m sleeping less in the afternoons after my shift has finished. Once again, is this the Lumie’s doing? I can’t be sure, but it’s definitely not had a negative impact on my wellbeing.

Verdict: are SAD lamps worth it?

I’ve always wanted to try the famed Lumie sunrise alarm clock, but as my partner wakes up at a different time to me, I didn’t think it was fair to blast him with light in the middle of his sleep. However, the Lumie Vitamin L SAD lamp gave me the great option of being able to reap the benefits of light therapy without disrupting anyone in the house.

Although studies have not been conclusive as to the effectiveness of light therapy, plenty of people swear by it. “When the dark weather hit I really struggled even opening my eyes in the morning, and as someone who’s usually up and at ‘em it started negatively impacting my mental health,” Helen Scott, a presenter and content producer, tells Stylist.

“Investing in a Lumie light lamp was a bit of a shot in the dark as there’s mixed opinions on how effective they are, but I’m so glad that I did. Particularly first thing in the morning, my lamp makes me feel less groggy as it imitates a natural sunrise, then using it throughout the morning helps boost my mood and makes me feel ready for the day.”

In my opinion, the Lumie is a great gadget, especially for early risers. I definitely felt my mood and energy levels lifted while using it.

I don’t know whether these results would be sustained long term, and the high price point (it retails at £90) make it an expensive gamble without guaranteed improvement. However, Lumie does offer a 45-day trial for you to see if the product is right for you, where you can return it for a full refund if you’re not satisfied. Worth a try, then, at least.

SAD lamp review: “I used a Lumie SAD lamp every day for a month – this is what I really think of it”