English - Philips HF3330/01 User Manual

EnglisH

6
introduction
Congratulations on your purchase and welcome to Philips! To fully benefit
from the support that Philips offers, register your product at www.philips.
com/welcome.
intended use
The goLITE BLU energy light is intended to make people feel more
energetic, to adjust circadian rhythms and to provide mood relief from
the winter blues. The medical intended use of the goLITE BLUE energy
light is to treat winter depression (seasonal affective disorder). This
treatment should always take place under supervision of a specialist.
light, health and circadian rhythms
The human body uses light cues, such as those provided by the sun, to
time certain internal functions. Properly timed rhythms regulate mood,
sleep, energy, appetite and digestion. These daily internal cycles, called
circadian rhythms, sometimes fall out of sync, resulting in a dysregulated
body clock.
Unfortunately, modern living has dramatically altered nature's cues. A
modern day no longer starts at the crack of dawn and ends at 8:00 p.m.
Workdays are getting longer and many people face shift-work schedules.
Additionally, the advent of electric lighting allows social gatherings and
personal activities to extend well into the night. These factors have
diminished the body's natural ability to regulate the body clock.
Rapid travelling across time zones is another source of disharmony
between the internal clock and the external time, which is referred to as
jet lag. Proper timing of bright light exposure allows quick adjustment to
the new time zone.
Besides regulating the body clock, light has direct alerting and energising
effects and improves our performance. Bright light therapy is also
successfully used for mood relief, especially for seasonal mood swings.
In countries with long winters, many people experience loss of energy
and low spirits due to lack of light. These symptoms are referred to as the
winter blues. They typically start in autumn and may last for several weeks.
Exposure to bright light sources can help alleviate these symptoms and
restore the summer mood and summer energy level.
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