"Dark light therapy 'or "dark therapy' 'is simply this: removing blue light to achieve improvements in
sleep and mood.

     There is a psychiatrist, Jim Phelps, MD, who writes about this on his website. He has used this to
even stop mania and hypomania in his patients (This is remarkable, because usually nothing but heavy-duty tranquilizers or mood stabilizers can generally accomplish this. He also uses dark light therapy to
dramatically improve sleep in patients with insomnia. His website is: psycheducation.orq

     Dark therapy is particularly helpful in bipolar mania, but that means it can be helpful in some
patients with mood dysregulation or mood instability that is more characterized by insomnia, anxiety,
irritability. And might be more relevant for patients whose sleep was disrupted by antidepressants.

This is how it is done:

     Eliminate the blue part of light coming from light bulbs, screens, or through windows, for about 10
hours surrounding the time you sleep at night. {Remove the light waves that create blue light)
Depending on your results, you may be able to adjust downward the number of hours of dark therapy
needed. Some patients had depression surface at 10 hours but were fine and free of mania with 9 hours
eliminating blue light, so it is individual. A full trial would be eliminating the blue light for a couple hours
before and during sleep. Some people need to completely cover their bedroom windows to keep
ambient nighttime light out as well, in this case perhaps using night-lights that contain no blue light.
​
     Keep in mind that for a good trial of this therapy, you need to eliminate the blue light, not just most
of the time, but you should avoid all of it, including brief pulses. This enables you to support a natural
melatonin surge in response to the reduced blue light, and the accompanying other hormones will be
released in a more physiologic manner. Any pulses of blue light interrupting this can throw off that
normal surge and interfere with sleep. Each person has their level of resilience to this, so initially it
appears best to try to do it completely, then back off from there. So, do one or a combination of
these options below, depending on how your house is lighted, and the pattern of electronic screen use
in your house.

     Use filters placed over computer or hand-held electronic screens the night settings on
electronics are not 100% so they may well be inadequate.)

     Use no-blue bulbs for evening lighting in the home, and for night-lights.

     Wear glasses that completely filter the blue light. {They will appear orange}. So, whenever
walking into rooms or opening doors where regular bulbs and lights are used, wear the
complete filtering glasses over your eyes. {clip on, fit over, or simply glasses containing a
complete filter)

     This might require some extra lamps, so that you can -- as a regular habit - turn off the blue light and
turn on the nighttime lighting in the rooms you use during the evening. lf watching TV, using the
computer, or going into rooms with blue (regular) lighting, keep the blue filtering glasses on.
It can take a few days to a few weeks to see an effect. However, you may find eliminating the nonblue
lighting calming right away. Good Luck!

Eliminate Blue Light for 10hrs starting a few hrs. before bedtime:
(Even brief exposure said to undo the benefits. Sometimes improvement is quick, sometimes takes time
for the adjustment to occur)

Blue Light Blocking Glasses

Uvex (7-10S) Amazon

Ultraspec2000modelS0360X SkylermodelS1933X

Any model at www.LowBlueLights.com, (50$)

***Most others don't block enough blue light

Blue Free Bulbs: Any option at www.LowBluelishts.com

Bulbs SCS Nite-Nite Light Bulb

Lighting Science

Goodnight, Sleep

Nightlights Maxxima MLN-16Amber LED (515)

Apps: Not good enough, don't block enough of the blue light

Apple: Candlelight, Night tv mode

Windows: JustcetFlux.com

Android: Twilight and Bluelight Filter

Kindle: Blue Shade

*** LowBluesLights.com has filters (screens to put onto the device) for laptops, monitors, handheld
devices, Kindle, etc.

Dawn Simulators (not 10,0001ux light and reportedly safe for bipolar)

NatureBright (16060 PER2 LED) naturbright.com

Philips Morning Wake-up Light: HF3500, HF3510, HF3520

     There are timers also that plug into a lamp and require dimmable bulbs, etc... apps on phones are
probably not bright enough.

https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/922781

​
Here’s how to keep screens from ruining your vision

     Blue light has gotten a bad rap, getting blamed for loss of sleep and eye damage. Personal electronic devices emit more blue light than any other color. Blue light has a short wavelength, which means that it is high-energy and can damage the delicate tissues of the eye. It can also pass through the eye to the retina, the collection of neurons that converts light into the signals that are the foundation of sight. Laboratory studies have shown that prolonged exposure to high-intensity blue light
​https://www.fastcompany.com/90416548/im-an-eye-doctor-heres-how-to-keep-screens-from-ruining-your-vision?partner=rss&utm_campaign=rss+fastcompany&utm_content=rss&utm_medium=feed&utm_source=rss