Chronotherapeutic Approaches to Target Insufficient and Late Sleep in Adolescents: A Randomized Clinical Trial
Abstract
IMPORTANCE: Many adolescents experience sleep that is too short and mis-timed for their circadian clock, which can adversely impact psychological and physical health. Feasible, targeted interventions to modify sleep behaviors and circadian timing could improve adolescent sleep and ultimately, health, and functioning.
OBJECTIVE: To determine whether a novel intervention integrating chronotherapeutic approaches (sleep scheduling, morning bright light glasses, and evening blue-light blocking glasses) would increase weeknight sleep duration and shift circadian timing earlier in adolescents with late sleep.
DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: This randomized clinical trial was conducted in a research setting in an academic medical center during school months (late August to mid-June) between 2018 and 2024. All analyses were intention to treat. Adolescents aged 16 to 19 years enrolled in a traditional high school who reported habitual weekend sleep onset later than 1 am. Participants were randomized to a Sleeping Late Teens Program or sleep monitoring control.
INTERVENTIONS: The Sleeping Late Teens Program included 1 collaborative, problem-solving session (<1 hour) followed by 2 weeks of a personalized sleep schedule that shifted bedtimes and wake times earlier. Participants wore morning bright-light glasses for 30 to 60 minutes on waking and amber-tinted blue light-blocking glasses for 2 hours before bed.
MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES: Primary outcome measures included weeknight…
How strong is the evidence?
Evidence Hub reads this as a randomized trial, done in people. Its evidence level is 2 of 5 (High · randomized trial). Randomized trials of a reasonable size are the strongest single-study design. Reported size: 86 participants or records.
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