Circadian Light Exposure Adjustment for Restfulness
University of Arizona
Summary
Many young children are exposed to light int he evening hours before bedtime. Children's biological clocks are highly sensitive to evening light exposure, which can delay the timing of the clock and make it harder to fall asleep. The purpose of this study is to test three strategies (adjustment to home lighting, amber-tinted glasses, clear glasses) to reduce evening light exposure in children ages 5-6 years with parent-reported sleep onset difficulties in order to improve their sleep and the timing of their biological clock. This study takes place over approximately 5 weeks. After baseline assessments of children's sleep timing, light exposure, cognition, and circadian rhythms, they will be randomly assigned to one of three interventions to reduce evening light exposure for two weeks. After the two-week intervention period, the baseline measures are repeated and parents are interviewed about their and their child's experiences with the intervention.
Description
Evening sleep difficulties are common in young children and can contribute to behavioral and health problems. Sleep timing is regulated in part by the circadian clock, which is highly sensitive to light exposure. Light in the hour before bedtime can suppress melatonin, delay circadian timing, and make it harder for children to fall asleep. Despite evidence of high circadian sensitivity to evening light, few studies have tested interventions to improve sleep timing in early childhood using light-based strategies. This study evaluates the feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary efficacy of…
Eligibility
- Age range
- 5–6 years
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- No
Inclusion Criteria: * Inclusion requires that children are aged 5.0-6.9 years at the time of enrollment with a parent-reported sleep onset of ≥ 60 min after parents' desired bedtime at least three nights per week. One adult parent of each participating child will also take part in the study. Parents must be able to provide consent for themselves and their child and to complete the interview at the end of the study. Exclusion Criteria: * Children are excluded for the following reasons: * All sleep disorders as indicated on the telephone screener or by clinical cut-off scores on the Child…
Interventions
- DeviceAmber Tinted Glasses
Children will wear amber-tinted glasses in the evening hours before bedtime to reduce exposure to short-wavelength (blue) light. The glasses are intended to reduce circadian disruption associated with evening light exposure.
- DeviceClear Glasses
Children will wear clear glasses in the evening hours before bedtime. This sham intervention controls for wearing glasses without reducing light exposure.
- DeviceSmart Lightbulbs
Smart light bulbs will be installed in the child's home and programmed to reduce short-wavelength light exposure during evening hours before bedtime.
Location
- University of ArizonaTucson, Arizona