Seven million Americans work the graveyard shift - hacking on iron at the steel mill, flipping switches at the nuke plant, slinging Slurpies at the 7-Eleven. They're all waging battle against a circadian clock that says, Hey, it's dark. Go to sleep. Night workers are more prone to health and emotional problems as they attempt to stay awake with stimulants or fight after-work insomnia with sleeping pills or alcohol. Relationships are frequent casualties.
Recent studies at the Harvard Medical School have demonstrated that artificial bright light suppresses the secretion of the hormone that researchers believe makes you feel tired at night and thereby fools the brain into thinking it's daylight. Properly timed bursts of bright light can induce a complete adaptation to night work in as little as three days.
The Sun Box Co. of Gaithersburg, Maryland, a pioneer in the field of bright-light therapy, manufactures a line of full-spectrum, non-ultraviolet light products that can be used to reset the body clock. Sun Box products are relatively unobtrusive - or at least as unobtrusive as intense white light can be. They range from a visor with tiny high-intensity lights built in to a 24-by-24-inch light panel. Their best seller is a 24-by-15-inch briefcase-sized desktop unit that's easy to use while reading, typing, or eating.
Park yourself in front of the Sun Box for 15 to 30 minutes before starting a late shift. Read, check in with your favorite alt.newsgroup, or balance your checkbook. You'll feel better and be more productive all night long.
The Sun Box Co.'s products range from US$349 for the visor unit to $499 for the large light panel. Some health care plans may cover the cost.
The Sun Box Co.: (800) 548 3968, +1 (301) 869 5980, fax +1 (301) 977-2281.
STREET CRED
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