I promised to check on the numbers so I did: SLEEP 2009 organizers are reporting 6,500 attendees...so I wasn't off with my estimate of "more than 5,000." Though ok that is a big percentage difference. But you know how tricky these things are. That many people won't sit still and let you count them at once.The light in my exhausting, fascinating, overwhelming day today was meeting Sherrie Baxter, who makes intense light boxes for people suffering from Seasonal Affective Disorder, that winter blues condition caused by low light exposure in far latitudes that's usually referred to by the acronym SAD.
Sherrie is a cool lady who just fell into this manufacturing business 20 years ago after being part of an early study. She didn't know she had it at the time, though getting through the first week of testing, in the low light phase, almost made her crazy. It got better though. And she got wise to the condition.
She also saw a need. There were only two kinds of light boxes on the market then. They were expensive. And to Sherrie's estimation, they weren't using the best technology. She figured out how to make them better and cheaper...and business took off.
Check out her stuff and more on SAD at her website.
Me, I'm just suffering from conference-induced Information Overload Disorder.
bt: 10:45 pm wu: 5:34 am (drunk guy outsidel this is an inexpensive hotel!), 10 minutes up 2ndwu: 8:35 am total: 9 h 40 m score: excellent! though getting into the too much category according to some sleep docs
