Amber Glasses for Pediatric/Adolescent Delayed Sleep-Wake Phase Disorder: A Placebo-Controlled Study
2017 Strategic Research Grant
R. Robert Auger, MD
Mayo Clinic
Key Project Outcomes
Adolescents with Delayed Sleep-Wake Phase Disorder (DSWPD) participated in a trial that evaluated the impact of evening eyewear (amber vs. clear lenses) and prescriptive sleep/wake scheduling on circadian phase and sleep/wake outcomes. Adolescents who wore the amber glasses advanced 0.7 ± 1.3 h (dim light melatonin onset or DLMO), whereas those assigned to the clear glasses group delayed by 0.5 h ± 0.8 h (DLMO) [t(26)=-2.6, p=.01]. Actigraphy data analyses are ongoing, but interim results suggest sleep onset advancements in the amber glasses group compared to the clear glasses group on non-school nights only. Final analyses will confirm these findings, as well as explore how compliance (measured using an iButton on the glasses) may moderate DLMO and sleep outcomes. The results support the use of a low-cost multicomponent intervention to mitigate the sleep restriction associated with adolescent DSWPD. Increased total sleep time in this age group may mitigate the numerous described adverse consequences associated with chronic insufficient sleep. These data may also inform future studies that seek to maximize the potential of the interventions in relation to DSWPD phenotype (e.g., circadian vs. non-circadian) and may also spur investigations into optimal timing of the interventions.