Blocking Blue Light in Pregnancy, Effects on Melatonin Profile and Sleep

NCT ID: NCT03114072

Last Updated: 2024-12-18

Study Results

Results pending

The study team has not published outcome measurements, participant flow, or safety data for this trial yet. Check back later for updates.

Basic Information

Get a concise snapshot of the trial, including recruitment status, study phase, enrollment targets, and key timeline milestones.

Recruitment Status

ACTIVE_NOT_RECRUITING

Clinical Phase

NA

Total Enrollment

60 participants

Study Classification

INTERVENTIONAL

Study Start Date

2017-06-06

Study Completion Date

2026-07-31

Brief Summary

Review the sponsor-provided synopsis that highlights what the study is about and why it is being conducted.

Sleep disturbances are common in pregnancy, and the incidence increases during the third trimester. Light and specially the blue wavelengths of light, is affecting sleep and the circadian rhythm. The main aim of this randomized controlled study is to investigate the effect of Blue-blocking glasses (BB-glasses) used in the evening and night on sleep and mood in pregnant women in the third trimester. The outcome measures assess sleep variables, alertness, melatonin level, sleepiness (subjectively), mood and symptoms of anxiety and depression. In addition we want to measure the pregnancy related sleep problems, alcohol intake, physical activity and perceives stress in the study population, and the association with daily/nightly light exposure.

Detailed Description

Dive into the extended narrative that explains the scientific background, objectives, and procedures in greater depth.

Several hormonal and mechanical influences can cause insomnia in pregnancy, and insomnia has been reported by 62% of pregnant women, a number that is significantly higher than found in the general population (10-15%). Disrupted sleep among pregnant women also includes nocturia (a frequent need to get up and urinate at night), dyspnea (shortness of breath), nasal congestion, muscular aches and pelvic pains, fetal activity, leg cramps as well as reflux.

Artificial light in the evening and during the night increases alertness, disturbs sleep, shifts the timing of the circadian clock and impairs the brains' restorative slow waves during deep sleep. Recent studies have however shown that use of BB-glasses in the evening improves sleep quality (subjectively reported) among persons with insomnia, and prevent alertness caused by blue-light emitting screens which are part of devices such as smart-phones and tablets.

This project will contribute with new knowledge on how filtering nightly light exposure in pregnant women in their third trimester affects their sleep and mood. Importantly, the project initiates new research on a potential non-pharmacological treatment of sleep disturbances by blocking blue wavelengths of light in the evening and during nocturnal awakenings. Blue light is known to increase alertness through a recently described retinal receptor; the intrinsically photoresponsive retinal ganglion cell (IpRGC), specialized for detecting daytime light signal. This project is highly innovative and may have significant practical implications Due to the variety of aims and outcome measures, we plan to present the outcomes in separate articles.

Conditions

See the medical conditions and disease areas that this research is targeting or investigating.

Sleep Disturbance

Keywords

Explore important study keywords that can help with search, categorization, and topic discovery.

Pregnancy Blue-blockers Sleep quality Melatonin

Study Design

Understand how the trial is structured, including allocation methods, masking strategies, primary purpose, and other design elements.

Allocation Method

RANDOMIZED

Intervention Model

PARALLEL

Primary Study Purpose

TREATMENT

Blinding Strategy

DOUBLE

Participants Investigators
Consenting participants will be randomized (by www.randomizer.org) to either intervention/control condition. The intervention- and control glasses will be covered in the same looking wrapping, done by a third person, which will blind the investigator as well.

Study Groups

Review each arm or cohort in the study, along with the interventions and objectives associated with them.

Blue-blocking glasses

N=30 The Blue-blocking glasses (orange-tinted), which remove more than 99% of the blue wavelengths (wavelengths within the visible spectrum shorter than 530 nm). Luminous transmittance: 50%.

Group Type ACTIVE_COMPARATOR

Blue-blocking glasses

Intervention Type DEVICE

Wear the BB-glasses from three hours before bedtime, and if needed to turn on the light, also during the night.

Light grey control glasses

N=30 Partially blue blocking light grey glasses, blocking only about 50% of blue wavelengths (wavelengths within the visible spectra shorter than 530 nm). Luminous transmittance: 55%.

Group Type ACTIVE_COMPARATOR

Light grey control glasses

Intervention Type DEVICE

Wear the light grey glasses from three hours before bedtime, and if needed to turn on the light, also during the night.

Interventions

Learn about the drugs, procedures, or behavioral strategies being tested and how they are applied within this trial.

Blue-blocking glasses

Wear the BB-glasses from three hours before bedtime, and if needed to turn on the light, also during the night.

Intervention Type DEVICE

Light grey control glasses

Wear the light grey glasses from three hours before bedtime, and if needed to turn on the light, also during the night.

Intervention Type DEVICE

Other Intervention Names

Discover alternative or legacy names that may be used to describe the listed interventions across different sources.

Virtual darkness eyewear, orange glasses Grey sunglasses

Eligibility Criteria

Check the participation requirements, including inclusion and exclusion rules, age limits, and whether healthy volunteers are accepted.

Inclusion Criteria

* nulliparous women
* expecting one child
* being in the third trimester of a normal pregnancy
* able to wear an actigraph during daytime and nighttime
* able to fill out a questionnaire in Norwegian

Exclusion Criteria

* somatic or psychiatric disorders
* fever and other health conditions affecting sleep
* working at night during the study protocol
Eligible Sex

FEMALE

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Sponsors

Meet the organizations funding or collaborating on the study and learn about their roles.

The Norwegian Competence Center for Sleep Disorders (SOVno)

UNKNOWN

Sponsor Role collaborator

Western Norway University of Applied Sciences

OTHER

Sponsor Role collaborator

University of Bergen

OTHER

Sponsor Role lead

Responsible Party

Identify the individual or organization who holds primary responsibility for the study information submitted to regulators.

Randi Liset

Principal Investigator

Responsibility Role PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Principal Investigators

Learn about the lead researchers overseeing the trial and their institutional affiliations.

Randi Liset, PhD

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

University of Bergen

Locations

Explore where the study is taking place and check the recruitment status at each participating site.

Randi Liset

Bergen, , Norway

Site Status

Countries

Review the countries where the study has at least one active or historical site.

Norway

References

Explore related publications, articles, or registry entries linked to this study.

Abbott SM, Attarian H, Zee PC. Sleep disorders in perinatal women. Best Pract Res Clin Obstet Gynaecol. 2014 Jan;28(1):159-68. doi: 10.1016/j.bpobgyn.2013.09.003. Epub 2013 Oct 7.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 24144530 (View on PubMed)

Akerstedt T, Gillberg M. Subjective and objective sleepiness in the active individual. Int J Neurosci. 1990 May;52(1-2):29-37. doi: 10.3109/00207459008994241.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 2265922 (View on PubMed)

AMERICAN ACADEMY OF SLEEP MEDICINE 2014. International classification of sleep disorders Darien, IL: American Academy of Sleep Medicine, 3.

Reference Type BACKGROUND

Beck AT, Epstein N, Brown G, Steer RA. An inventory for measuring clinical anxiety: psychometric properties. J Consult Clin Psychol. 1988 Dec;56(6):893-7. doi: 10.1037//0022-006x.56.6.893. No abstract available.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 3204199 (View on PubMed)

BECK, A. T., STEER, R. A. & BROWN, G.A. 1996. Manual for the Beck Depression Inventory-II. San Antonio, TX:Psychological Corporation.

Reference Type BACKGROUND

Bennett S, Alpert M, Kubulins V, Hansler RL. Use of modified spectacles and light bulbs to block blue light at night may prevent postpartum depression. Med Hypotheses. 2009 Aug;73(2):251-3. doi: 10.1016/j.mehy.2009.01.049. Epub 2009 Mar 28.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 19329259 (View on PubMed)

Berson DM. Phototransduction in ganglion-cell photoreceptors. Pflugers Arch. 2007 Aug;454(5):849-55. doi: 10.1007/s00424-007-0242-2. Epub 2007 Mar 10.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 17351786 (View on PubMed)

Brainard GC, Hanifin JP, Greeson JM, Byrne B, Glickman G, Gerner E, Rollag MD. Action spectrum for melatonin regulation in humans: evidence for a novel circadian photoreceptor. J Neurosci. 2001 Aug 15;21(16):6405-12. doi: 10.1523/JNEUROSCI.21-16-06405.2001.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 11487664 (View on PubMed)

Burkhart K, Phelps JR. Amber lenses to block blue light and improve sleep: a randomized trial. Chronobiol Int. 2009 Dec;26(8):1602-12. doi: 10.3109/07420520903523719.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 20030543 (View on PubMed)

Carney CE, Buysse DJ, Ancoli-Israel S, Edinger JD, Krystal AD, Lichstein KL, Morin CM. The consensus sleep diary: standardizing prospective sleep self-monitoring. Sleep. 2012 Feb 1;35(2):287-302. doi: 10.5665/sleep.1642.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 22294820 (View on PubMed)

Cohen S, Kamarck T, Mermelstein R. A global measure of perceived stress. J Health Soc Behav. 1983 Dec;24(4):385-96. No abstract available.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 6668417 (View on PubMed)

Dorheim SK, Bjorvatn B, Eberhard-Gran M. Insomnia and depressive symptoms in late pregnancy: a population-based study. Behav Sleep Med. 2012;10(3):152-66. doi: 10.1080/15402002.2012.660588.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 22742434 (View on PubMed)

Facco FL, Kramer J, Ho KH, Zee PC, Grobman WA. Sleep disturbances in pregnancy. Obstet Gynecol. 2010 Jan;115(1):77-83. doi: 10.1097/AOG.0b013e3181c4f8ec.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 20027038 (View on PubMed)

Gronli J, Byrkjedal IK, Bjorvatn B, Nodtvedt O, Hamre B, Pallesen S. Reading from an iPad or from a book in bed: the impact on human sleep. A randomized controlled crossover trial. Sleep Med. 2016 May;21:86-92. doi: 10.1016/j.sleep.2016.02.006. Epub 2016 Mar 2.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 27448477 (View on PubMed)

Hauge ER, Berle JO, Oedegaard KJ, Holsten F, Fasmer OB. Nonlinear analysis of motor activity shows differences between schizophrenia and depression: a study using Fourier analysis and sample entropy. PLoS One. 2011 Jan 28;6(1):e16291. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0016291.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 21297977 (View on PubMed)

Henriksen TE, Skrede S, Fasmer OB, Hamre B, Gronli J, Lund A. Blocking blue light during mania - markedly increased regularity of sleep and rapid improvement of symptoms: a case report. Bipolar Disord. 2014 Dec;16(8):894-8. doi: 10.1111/bdi.12265. Epub 2014 Sep 27.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 25264124 (View on PubMed)

Johns MW. A new method for measuring daytime sleepiness: the Epworth sleepiness scale. Sleep. 1991 Dec;14(6):540-5. doi: 10.1093/sleep/14.6.540.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 1798888 (View on PubMed)

Meyer TJ, Miller ML, Metzger RL, Borkovec TD. Development and validation of the Penn State Worry Questionnaire. Behav Res Ther. 1990;28(6):487-95. doi: 10.1016/0005-7967(90)90135-6.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 2076086 (View on PubMed)

Milton K, Bull FC, Bauman A. Reliability and validity testing of a single-item physical activity measure. Br J Sports Med. 2011 Mar;45(3):203-8. doi: 10.1136/bjsm.2009.068395. Epub 2010 May 19.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 20484314 (View on PubMed)

Nicassio PM, Mendlowitz DR, Fussell JJ, Petras L. The phenomenology of the pre-sleep state: the development of the pre-sleep arousal scale. Behav Res Ther. 1985;23(3):263-71. doi: 10.1016/0005-7967(85)90004-x. No abstract available.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 4004706 (View on PubMed)

Nodine PM, Matthews EE. Common sleep disorders: management strategies and pregnancy outcomes. J Midwifery Womens Health. 2013 Jul-Aug;58(4):368-77. doi: 10.1111/jmwh.12004. Epub 2013 Jul 15.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 23855316 (View on PubMed)

Pallesen S, Bjorvatn B, Nordhus IH, Sivertsen B, Hjornevik M, Morin CM. A new scale for measuring insomnia: the Bergen Insomnia Scale. Percept Mot Skills. 2008 Dec;107(3):691-706. doi: 10.2466/pms.107.3.691-706.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 19235401 (View on PubMed)

RØYSAMB, E., VITTERSØ, J. & TAMBS, K. 2014. The Relationship Satisfaction scale-psychometric properties. Norsk Epidemiologi, 24, 187-94.

Reference Type BACKGROUND

Sivertsen B, Omvik S, Havik OE, Pallesen S, Bjorvatn B, Nielsen GH, Straume S, Nordhus IH. A comparison of actigraphy and polysomnography in older adults treated for chronic primary insomnia. Sleep. 2006 Oct;29(10):1353-8. doi: 10.1093/sleep/29.10.1353.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 17068990 (View on PubMed)

Watson D, Clark LA, Tellegen A. Development and validation of brief measures of positive and negative affect: the PANAS scales. J Pers Soc Psychol. 1988 Jun;54(6):1063-70. doi: 10.1037//0022-3514.54.6.1063.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 3397865 (View on PubMed)

Wilson DL, Barnes M, Ellett L, Permezel M, Jackson M, Crowe SF. Decreased sleep efficiency, increased wake after sleep onset and increased cortical arousals in late pregnancy. Aust N Z J Obstet Gynaecol. 2011 Feb;51(1):38-46. doi: 10.1111/j.1479-828X.2010.01252.x. Epub 2010 Dec 7.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 21299507 (View on PubMed)

Liset R, Gronli J, Henriksen RE, Henriksen TEG, Nilsen RM, Pallesen S. A randomized controlled trial on the effects of blue-blocking glasses compared to partial blue-blockers on sleep outcomes in the third trimester of pregnancy. PLoS One. 2022 Jan 28;17(1):e0262799. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0262799. eCollection 2022.

Reference Type DERIVED
PMID: 35089982 (View on PubMed)

Study Documents

Access uploaded study-related documents such as protocols, statistical analysis plans, or lay summaries.

Document Type: Study Protocol

View Document

Other Identifiers

Review additional registry numbers or institutional identifiers associated with this trial.

2016/1394/REK vest

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id