Individually Tailored Lighting System to Improve Sleep in Older Adults

Sleep Disturbances Clinical Trial

Official title: Individually Tailored Lighting System to Improve Sleep in Older Adults

Status Completed

Clinical Trial Summary

In conjunction with investigators at the Cecil G. Sheps Center for Health Services Research, University of North Carolina (UNC) at Chapel Hill, we propose to develop and evaluate a low-cost, minimally obtrusive device that delivers individualized light therapy to adults with early-awakening insomnia - the most common sleep disturbance in older adults, and a significant problem because of its relationship to daytime sleepiness, use of potentially hazardous sleep medication, and reduced quality of life. The proposed device will measure light/dark exposure data over 24 hours, estimate optimum timing for light delivery, and deliver an individualized light dosage while subjects are asleep. Light applied through closed eyelids in the early part of the night will delay the dim light melatonin onset, a marker of the circadian clock, and help those with early sleep onset to fall asleep later

Clinical Trial Description

We will recruit 50 subjects who report going to bed early and desiring later bedtimes and will ask them to wear an active and an inactive light mask for 8 consecutive weeks each. A 2-week washout period between active and inactive conditions will be applied. Outcome measures will be collected periodically throughout the 8 weeks. Baseline (no intervention) will be collected prior to the active and inactive lighting interventions. ;

Related Conditions & MeSH terms

• Dyssomnias
• Parasomnias
• Sleep Disturbances
• Sleep Wake Disorders

• NCT number: NCT01855126
• Study type: Interventional
• Source: Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
• Status: Completed
• Phase: N/A
• Start date: March 2013
• Completion date: April 2017