Evening amber-lensed glasses in combination with a prescribed wake time advance circadian timing in adolescents with delayed sleep-wake phase disorder.
Stephanie J Crowley, Ieva Misiunaite, Deanna R Hofschulte et al.
✦ AI-curated · Sources linked
In 30 seconds
This 3-week randomized controlled trial tested evening amber-lensed glasses plus a prescribed stable wake time in adolescents aged 14.3–18.1 years with delayed sleep-wake phase disorder (DSWPD). After 2 weeks, dim light melatonin onset advanced by 40 ± 84 min in the treatment group, while it delayed by - 29 ± 50 min in the clear-glasses control group [t(26) = - 2.63, p = .01]. Weeknight sleep onset and duration remained stable. The treatment group woke earlier on weekends than controls, producing more consistent sleep timing across the week, although sleep onset itself did not advance.
Key findings
- Dim light melatonin onset advanced 40 ± 84 min with amber glasses and a stable wake time, versus a delay of - 29 ± 50 min with clear glasses [t(26) = - 2.63, p = .01].
- Weeknight sleep onset and duration remained stable despite the circadian phase changes.
- Participants in the treatment group woke earlier on weekends than controls [t(25) = 4.13, p < .001], with more consistent sleep timing across the week.
Why it matters
The findings suggest that a timed evening light-filtering strategy combined with a stable wake time can shift circadian phase earlier in adolescents with DSWPD. However, the physiological shift did not advance sleep onset or change weeknight sleep duration, underscoring that circadian timing and sleep behavior may respond differently and that additional intervention components may be needed to affect broader sleep outcomes.
What to keep in mind
The intervention lasted only 2 weeks, and the reported circadian phase advance did not translate into earlier sleep onset or longer sleep duration.