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Morning Bright Light Therapy and Daytime Functioning in University Students

NCT07685262 · Status: RECRUITING · Phase: NA · Type: INTERVENTIONAL · Enrollment: 153

Last updated 2026-07-06

No results posted yet for this study

Summary

This study tests whether a week of morning bright light therapy changes how well healthy young adults sleep and how alert, positive, and mentally sharp they feel during the day.

Morning light is the body's main signal for keeping its internal clock and sleep-wake timing on track. Many university students keep irregular hours and spend most of the day indoors, where light is far dimmer than daylight. This study asks whether adding a short, bright morning light session can help.

Each participant takes part for two weeks. For one week they use a bright light box for 30 minutes each morning, shortly after waking; for the other week they keep their usual lighting. The order of the two weeks is decided at random, and each person serves as their own comparison.

Throughout both weeks, sleep is tracked with a wrist-worn Fitbit and a short daily diary. Participants also rate their sleepiness and mood, complete brief computer-based attention and memory tasks, and take part in a short interview at the end about their experience.

The study compares the bright-light week with the usual-light week to see whether morning bright light improves sleep regularity and efficiency, reduces daytime sleepiness, lifts mood, or affects thinking performance. The trial is being conducted in waves; a first wave has completed and a second wave is planned, pending additional funding.

Conditions

  • Sleep
  • Circadian Rhythm
  • Daytime Sleepiness
  • Mood
  • Cognition
  • Healthy Volunteers

Interventions

DEVICE

Bright light therapy (10,000 lux light box)

Self-administered 30-minute session of 10,000 lux (photopic) bright light each morning, approximately 30 minutes after waking, for one week, using a standard 10,000-lux light therapy lamp positioned per manufacturer guidance. Stimulus characterized in melanopic units (melanopic equivalent daylight illuminance ≈ 8,989 lux).

Sponsors & Collaborators

  • Northumbria University

    collaborator OTHER

  • The Hong Kong Polytechnic University

    lead OTHER

Study Design

Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
BASIC_SCIENCE
Masking
NONE
Model
CROSSOVER

Eligibility

Min Age
18 Years
Sex
ALL
Healthy Volunteers
Yes

Timeline & Regulatory

Start
2024-05-01
Primary Completion
2028-06-30
Completion
2028-06-30

Countries

  • Hong Kong

Study Locations

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Read the full study record

This page highlights key information. For complete eligibility criteria, study locations, investigator contacts, and the full protocol, visit the original record on ClinicalTrials.gov.

View NCT07685262 on ClinicalTrials.gov