INCREASING LIGHT THERAPY COMPLIANCE BY USE OF LUX TRACKING WEARABLE:

A “SAD” THERAPEUTIC

By Dante Gabriel Moroni B.S.

Millions of Americans struggle with Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) and Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) every year. While the electrification of modern society has increased the amount of light we receive each day, this increase has been offset by other factors such as: more time spent indoors, sunscreen, sunglasses, shift work, lockdowns, pollution, and more. These changes have exacerbated the incidence of SAD/MDD and increased their global burden.

Increased exposure to morning light or “lux” in general, has been shown to be as effective as anti-depressant therapy in SAD and has benefits for MDD as well. Patients are often recommended to obtain a “sad light” to increase their light exposure. While this simple “treatment” really does work for many, the hard part is remembering to use the light consistently and for enough time.

One way to address the issue of light therapy compliance would be giving patients a way to track their lux exposure each day. This could help them, and their provider, gain a clearer picture of how much lux they are taking in each day and adjust accordingly to meet their goals. Lux tracking has potential to be a valuable tool in fighting and conquering these mental health disorders. It could also have the added benefit of alerting the user when they have been exposed to too much lux, potentially reducing skin cancer risk. This function would be like how some smart watches alert the user if they are in an environment that’s too loud and potentially damaging to hearing.

With the rise of smart phones, watches, glasses, rings, and other tech wearables; technology has become increasingly intertwined with the human persona. These devices are already quite capable of taking in ambient light and adjusting their brightness output accordingly. It would be feasible to create a new device, app, or added feature that tracks how much lux the device is exposed to each day and relay that information to the user.

I came up with this idea after starting to use a 10,000 lux “sad light” myself. I struggle with seasonal depression and the light has been a nice stabilizing mood boost. I started to research the different amounts of lux certain sources produce each day and I was fascinated. For example, a sunny day can reach 100,000 lux, while a cloudy day may be less than 5,000. I have been focusing on increasing my winter light exposure and having a way to track it seemed like a no brainer to me!

This solution is a viable business opportunity as to my knowledge there are no wearable lux trackers or apps available to date. The time is now to file a patent and get ahead of any potential competition. Making lux tracking apps and/or tech wearables available to those struggling with mental health would be a game changer. The lives of millions could be improved by this simple concept. Further, I imagine sharing lux tracking with friends and family will propel the idea to the forefront of society, and it could become as commonplace as tracking steps someday!

With a serious mental health crisis currently gripping the world, there is no better time to continue working on solutions and treatments for all. Lux tracking is a simple way to increase patient compliance with light therapy.

*This idea is 100% my own and this article was written originally written in February 2023.*