Light Therapy + CBT for Teen Sleep Deprivation
Recruiting in Palo Alto (17 mi)
Age: < 65
Sex: Any
Travel: May Be Covered
Time Reimbursement: Varies
Trial Phase: Academic
Recruiting
Sponsor: Stanford University
Must not be taking: Sleep medications
Disqualifiers: Prone sleeping position
No Placebo Group
Trial Summary
What is the purpose of this trial?
The goal of this clinical trial is to determine whether a combination of a novel lighting intervention and a behavioral intervention are able to increase total sleep time in adolescents. The main questions this trial aims to answer are whether this combination therapy is able to meaningfully increase total sleep time in adolescents, and do so over a sustained period of time, and whether such a changes is associated with concomitant changes in mood and cognitive performance.
Will I have to stop taking my current medications?
If you are currently taking any medications specifically for sleep disorders, you will need to stop taking them to participate in this trial.
What data supports the effectiveness of this treatment for teen sleep deprivation?
Research shows that bright light therapy can help improve sleep patterns in adolescents by encouraging earlier sleep onset and longer sleep periods. Additionally, cognitive-behavioral therapy combined with bright light therapy has been effective for adolescents with delayed sleep phase disorder, suggesting potential benefits for sleep deprivation.12345
Is light therapy safe for humans?
How does the Light Therapy + CBT treatment for teen sleep deprivation differ from other treatments?
The Light Therapy + CBT treatment is unique because it combines bright light therapy, which helps regulate the sleep-wake cycle, with cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), which addresses the thoughts and behaviors affecting sleep. This dual approach targets both the biological and psychological aspects of sleep deprivation, unlike other treatments that may focus on just one aspect.17101112
Eligibility Criteria
This trial is for teens aged 14-18 who are full-time students in grades 9-12. They should be willing and able to go to bed earlier, and plan on sleeping at home most of the time during the study. Teens taking sleep medications or those who only sleep face-down cannot participate.Inclusion Criteria
Planning on sleeping at home in their bedroom for at least 75% of the study
I am either male or female.
I am between 14 and 18 years old and currently in high school.
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Exclusion Criteria
I am taking medication for sleep problems.
You only sleep on your stomach.
Trial Timeline
Screening
Participants are screened for eligibility to participate in the trial
2-4 weeks
Treatment
Participants receive a combination of light therapy and cognitive behavioral therapy to increase total sleep time
20 weeks
Weekly sessions (in-person or virtual)
Follow-up
Participants are monitored for changes in mood and cognitive performance after treatment
4 weeks
Treatment Details
Interventions
- CBT (Behavioural Intervention)
- Light (Procedure)
- Sham Light (Procedure)
Trial OverviewThe trial tests if a new lighting intervention combined with behavioral therapy (CBT) can help teens sleep longer. It checks whether this approach not only increases total sleep time but also improves mood and cognitive performance over an extended period.
Participant Groups
2Treatment groups
Experimental Treatment
Active Control
Group I: Light + Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)Experimental Treatment2 Interventions
1 hour of light flashes (typical wake time - 75 min → typical wake time - 15 min) and cognitive behavioral therapy
Group II: Sham light + CBTActive Control2 Interventions
1 hour of sham light flashes (one flash) and cognitive behavioral therapy
Find a Clinic Near You
Research Locations NearbySelect from list below to view details:
Stanford UniversityStanford, CA
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Who Is Running the Clinical Trial?
Stanford UniversityLead Sponsor
Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD)Collaborator
References
Bright light treatment as mono-therapy of non-seasonal depression for 28 adolescents. [2021]Bright light therapy, an effective therapeutic option for depressive adults, could provide safe, economic, and effective rapid recovery also in adolescents.
Report from a randomized control trial: improved alignment between circadian biology and sleep-wake behavior as a mechanism of depression symptom improvement in evening-type adolescents with depressive symptoms. [2023]An evening circadian preference is common among adolescents. It is characterized by a behavioral predilection for later sleep and wake timing and is associated with higher rates of Major Depressive Disorder (MDD). The present study aims to (a) test the effectiveness of a cognitive behavioral sleep intervention (Transdiagnostic Sleep and Circadian Intervention; TranS-C) in a sample of adolescents with an evening circadian preference and clinically significant depressive symptoms and (b) evaluate improved alignment between circadian biology and sleep-wake behavior as a potential mechanism in the relationship between sleep and depression symptom improvement.
[Effect of light therapy on the night sleep of children with sleep problems]. [2020]Effect of light therapy on the night sleep of children with sleep problems Abstract. Studies on the effect of light therapy on the nighttime sleep of adolescents revealed earlier sleep onset and longer sleep periods. The present study examines the corresponding effects in children. A group of 28 children (M = 10.0; SD = 1.65 years) with difficulties falling asleep and sleeping through the night received a light therapy device for home application. The effect was investigated by an A-B-A-B design with four measurement points. We detected significant, small- to medium-sized effects on the children's sleep-onset problems and ability to sleep through the night as well as mood. Sleep onset was reduced by approximately 10 minutes. The representativeness of the sample is limited, but the results largely correspond to the findings in adolescents. Because of the weekly switch between application and nonapplication, the true circadian effects might be underestimated. In principle, however, the effects found in adolescents appear to be transferable to children, though further research is necessary.
A randomized controlled trial of cognitive-behavior therapy plus bright light therapy for adolescent delayed sleep phase disorder. [2021]To evaluate cognitive-behavior therapy plus bright light therapy (CBT plus BLT) for adolescents diagnosed with delayed sleep phase disorder (DSPD).
A Morning Bright Light Therapy Intervention to Improve Circadian Health in Adolescent Cancer Survivors: Methods and Preliminary Feasibility. [2021]Circadian rhythm disturbances are common among children with cancer, and are associated with poor health outcomes. Social zeitgeber theory suggests that intervening in the cascade of events that disrupt circadian rhythms may improve health outcomes. Light, most potently sunlight, is a "zeitgeber," or environmental cue instrumental in maintaining entrainment of circadian rhythms. Bright white light (BWL) therapy, a proxy for sunlight, has been used successfully to prevent deterioration of circadian rhythms in adult cancer patients, and to reentrain these rhythms in adolescents with circadian rhythm disorders. This study aimed to develop and assess preliminary feasibility of a BWL therapy intervention for supporting circadian health of adolescent cancer survivors. We hypothesized that adolescents could independently manage BWL in their home, coordinated by nurses using a mail-, phone- and internet-based format, with minimal side effects. Adolescents were instructed to use BWL for 30 minutes daily on awakening, for 28 days. Actigraphs, measuring the circadian activity rhythms of sleep and wake, were worn for 7 days at baseline and Week 4. Adverse events were screened serially. Analyses were descriptive and nonparametric. Eight adolescents participated. On average, BWL was used on 61% of days, for 15 minutes per day. Adverse events were generally mild, although one participant discontinued BWL due to persistent BWL-related nausea. This nurse-guided remote BWL therapy intervention in adolescent cancer survivors demonstrated preliminary feasibility. Future studies with larger samples are required to verify the feasibility of this study, and to determine its safety and effectiveness in supporting circadian activity rhythms.
Bright light therapy: Minimizing light induced side effects with an innovative light setup. [2014]Abstract Objective. Bright light therapy (BLT) is regarded to be an effective treatment against seasonal depression (SAD). Conventional BLT devices are reported to evoke few, but inconvenient symptoms. This study evaluated side effects associated with a new technology for BLT in a healthy population. Methods. In an uncontrolled study design 20 healthy Caucasians received 30 min light exposures on three consecutive mornings. Immediate side effects were evaluated using questionnaires. The new light cabin was equipped with fluorescent lamps (light colour 965 = 6,500 K, CRI >90) with a maximum illumination of 5,000 lux and a maximum luminance of 1,500 cd/m(2). Occurrence of headache was determined to be the main objective. Results. Nineteen volunteers completed the study. No headache was reported at any time. With a prevalence of 21.1% blurring was observed to occur more often after light exposure. Conclusion. With the evaluated light cabin the most prominent short-term side effects of BLT can be minimized, enhancing patients' adherence.
Combined sleep deprivation and light therapy: Clinical treatment outcomes in patients with complex unipolar and bipolar depression. [2019]The combination of sleep deprivation and light therapy, called combined chronotherapy, may yield positive short- and long-term results, even in patients with treatment resistant depression (TRD). The implementation of combined chronotherapy in daily clinical practice is rare. This study describes the implementation and the effectiveness in a clinical setting.
Total Sleep Deprivation Followed by Bright Light Therapy as Rapid Relief for Depression: A Pragmatic Randomized Controlled Trial. [2021]Background: Total sleep deprivation (TSD) combined with bright light therapy (BLT) has been suggested as a valuable add-on to standard treatment for rapid relief of depression. However, there is a lack of randomized controlled trials in real-life clinical settings. The aim of this pragmatic randomized clinical trial was to investigate the effectiveness, acceptance, and feasibility of TSD combined with BLT as add-on to standard treatment for depression in a real-life clinical setting. Methods: Thirty-three inpatients were randomly assigned to either: a) an intervention group receiving a single-night TSD followed by 6 days BLT (10.000 lux, 30 min/day) as add-on to standard treatment; or b) a control group receiving a short sleep-hygiene consultation in addition to standard treatment. The follow-up period was 1 week. Results: No statistical differences were found in response rates, reduction of depressive and insomnia symptoms, length of stay, readmission rate, and clinical improvement. Both groups reported positive experiences toward the received treatment with low drop-out rates. Conclusions: One-night TSD followed by BLT was not effective as a rapid relief for depression at 1-week follow-up; however, the treatment was feasible and well-tolerated.
The acute side effects of bright light therapy: a placebo-controlled investigation. [2023]Despite the emergence of numerous clinical and non-clinical applications of bright light therapy (LT) in recent decades, the prevalence and severity of LT side effects have not yet been fully explicated. A few adverse LT effects-headache, eye strain, irritability, and nausea-have been consistently reported among depressed individuals and other psychiatric cohorts, but there exists little published evidence regarding LT side effects in non-clinical populations, who often undergo LT treatment of considerably briefer duration. Accordingly, in the present study we examined, in a randomized sample of healthy young adults, the acute side effects of exposure to a single 30-minute session of bright white light (10,000 lux) versus dim red light (
Morning light therapy for juvenile depression and severe mood dysregulation: study protocol for a randomized controlled trial. [2021]The prevalence of depression in young people is increasing. The predominant co-morbidities of juvenile depression include sleep disturbances and persistent problems with the sleep-wake rhythm, which have shown to influence treatment outcomes negatively. Severe mood dysregulation is another condition that includes depressive symptoms and problems with the sleep-wake rhythm. Patients with severe mood dysregulation show symptoms of depression, reduced need for sleep, and disturbances in circadian functioning which negatively affect both disorder-specific symptoms and daytime functioning. One approach to treating both depression and problems with the sleep-wake rhythm is the use of light therapy. Light therapy is now a standard therapy for ameliorating symptoms of seasonal affective disorder and depression in adults, but has not yet been investigated in children and adolescents. In this trial, the effects of 2 weeks of morning bright-light therapy on juvenile depression and severe mood dysregulation will be evaluated.
Sleep deprivation as a predictor of response to light therapy in major depression. [2019]While the majority of depressed patients benefit from total sleep deprivation (TSD), light therapy is regarded as a first-line treatment only for seasonal affective disorder (SAD). The results of light therapy in nonseasonal major depressive disorder have been non-conclusive. We examined the correlation of TSD response and light therapy response in major depressed patients.
Chronotherapeutic treatments for depression in youth. [2018]Chronotherapeutics such as wake therapy and bright light therapy are well-established methods in treating adults with depressive disorders and are additionally beneficent for sleep regulation. Few studies concerning chronotherapeutics in juvenile depression exist, though the established treatments are insufficient and sleep disorders often co-occur. In this study, we investigate the impact of two types of chronotherapeutics on depressive symptoms and sleep behavior in a juvenile setting. Juvenile inpatients (n = 62) with moderate to severe depressive symptoms took part in either a combined setting consisting of one night wake therapy followed by 2 weeks bright light therapy or in a setting of bright light therapy alone. Depressive symptoms, general psychopathology, clinical impression and sleep behavior were measured before (T1), directly after (T2) and 2 weeks after intervention (T3). Depressive symptoms decreased while sleep quality increased in both groups. The bright light therapy alone group showed further improvement at T3 in regards to depressive symptoms. Correlation analyses indicated significant negative correlations between sleep quality and awaking after restorative sleep with the depressive symptoms. However, only awaking after restorative sleep had a predictive impact on treatment outcome. The present study provides first evidence for a positive impact of chronotherapeutic interventions on treatment outcome in depressed juvenile inpatients. Bright light therapy seems to stabilize and further enhance reduction of depressive symptoms during follow-up, whereas one night wake therapy does not have an additional long-lasting impact on depressive symptoms and sleep parameters.