Sleep, Wake and Light Therapy for Depression

Summary

The aim of this study is to determine if altering the pattern of one's sleep and having light therapy can speed up the treatment of depression. In the UK, the large majority of patients with depression in the NHS are treated in the community, and one of the major objectives of the study one is to determine if this therapy is a practical treatment in the community. We will be comparing two treatments:

1. Sleep Therapy and a Light Box: Participants will be given information and advice on how to get a good night's sleep. Participants will be given a light box to use in the morning for 1 week. Treatment with a light box will last 30 minutes when a person gets up. Participants may continue to have any treatment as usual (for example medication or talking therapies).
2. Wake therapy and a Light Box: Participants will be helped to change the pattern of sleep by depriving participants of sleep for one night. Participants will go bed at 5pm on the following day for 8 hours and get up at 1am. Participants' sleep will then be advanced by 2 hours each night for the next three nights. Participants will be also given a light box to use in the morning for 1 week. Treatment with a light box will last 30 minutes when participants get up. Participants may continue to have any treatment as usual (for example medication or talking therapies).

Conditions

• Depression
• Depressive Disorder, Major
• Depression, Unipolar
• Depression Moderate

Interventions

BEHAVIORAL

Wake and Light Therapy

Participants will be helped to change the pattern sleep by depriving participants of sleep for one night. On Day 1 participants will be supported to stay up all night and the following day at the Hospital. Participants can go to bed by 5pm at home on Day 2. Participants will need to get up by about 1am and return to the hospital to be supported to stay awake. Participants will then go to bed at 7pm on Day 3. Participants will be asked to sleep until 3am and then stay awake at home until bed at 9pm on Day 4. Participants will then get up by 5am on Day 5 and stay awake until 11pm to resume a normal sleep routine waking by 7am on Day 6. Participants will also be given a light box to use each morning. For the light box, participants will be asked to sit about one foot away from a light box. You will be free to have breakfast, read or use a computer while facing towards the light. Treatment with a light box will last 30 minutes. Participants may continue to have treatment as usual.

BEHAVIORAL

Sleep and Light Therapy

Participants will be given information and advice on how to get a good night's sleep. Participants will be also given a light box to use in the morning for 1 week. For the light box, participants will be asked to sit about one foot away from a light box. Participants will be free to have breakfast, read or use a computer while facing towards the light. Treatment with a light box will last 30 minutes when you get up. Participants may continue to have any treatment as usual (for example medication or talking therapies).

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Kings Health Partners

  collaborator OTHER

• King's College London

  lead OTHER

Principal Investigators

• David Veale · King's College London

Study Design

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

TREATMENT

Masking

SINGLE

Model

PARALLEL

Eligibility

Min Age

18 Years

Max Age

65 Years

Sex

ALL

Healthy Volunteers

No

Timeline & Regulatory

Start

2018-01-18

Primary Completion

2019-09-23

Completion

2019-09-23

Countries

• United Kingdom

Study Locations