Depression and diabetes frequently occur in tandem. This can be due to the overwhelm brought on by learning you have a chronic condition and/or the result of medication and diabetes complications. Regardless of the root cause, depression is problematic not only for its effect on mood and behavior but also for its interactions with diabetes.

What Is Light Therapy?

Light therapy is a simple concept: unfettered access to the sun is used as a means of improving mood, health, and wellness, and absorbing vitamin D. The time of day and the duration you stay out in the sun are both extremely important as the sun’s rays can also do a lot of damage. Typically, light therapy requires sun exposure in the morning, before 10 or 11 am, or in the afternoon after 4 PM.

Most light therapy requires patients to sit in the sun for only 30 minutes, which allows them to soak in nutrients, without running the risk of burning or overheating. For people with fair skin, this time frame may be even smaller, sitting in the light for 10 or 15-minute increments.

What Is It Usually Used For?

Light therapy is most commonly used for mood disorders by providing assistance with depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, and other disorders in which the mood has become erratic or difficult to maintain. The sun can also be used without a diagnosis of a mood disorder or condition as it provides a gentle boost to your mood without draining your bank account or requiring you to meet with a physician.

Light Therapy in Diabetes Treatment

Depression brought on by diabetes can be tricky, in that it can be a frustrating cocktail of causes. Depression can be caused by medication prescribed for diabetes management, and further exacerbated by the mood fluctuations brought about by blood sugar highs and lows and the reality of living with a chronic condition.

Fortunately, light therapy is not a treatment that interacts with other medications. This makes it a safe, simple alternative to traditional depression treatment such as antidepressants, which can interfere with diabetes medication and even insulin. It is also great for children and teenagers with diabetes because the treatment is noninvasive, easy to work into your routine, and has few—if any—side effects.

A peripheral effect is light’s effect on insulin sensitivity. One study found that sunlight actually helped the body become more sensitive to insulin, decreasing the need for injections and improving the ability to keep blood sugar stable and consistent.