Institute for Continuing Education

Light, Sleep and Depression

Course Objectives

Upon successful completion of this module, you will be able to:

• Explain why modern people get less light and how light is properly measured.
• Identify and discuss how to treat depression with the use of enhanced light.
• Explain the differences between advanced and delayed sleep phase and how bright light treatment can benefit patients with depression disorders.

Course Information

People were designed to be outside. It is part of what makes us human. Perhaps somewhere back in evolution, our ancestors may have resembled monkeys or chimpanzees who climbed trees and lived in dark forests. For example, the “Gorillas In The Mist” lived in a gloomy rainforest. In contrast, as our ancestors became human, they moved out more into equatorial fields and savannahs, became able to run further, and started looking about further for food. Some seasons had clear bright sun every day and some had rain, but it was always bright near the equator where they lived. Much of the time, there was hardly even partial shade. Our modern human ancestors became intelligent in places which were indeed very sunny. It is for such a life that our bodies are adapted.