Light Treatment to Shift-working Nurses

• ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT02978053
• Recruitment Status: Completed
• First Posted: November 30, 2016
• Last Update Posted: October 2, 2019
• Sponsor: University of Bergen
• Information provided by (Responsible Party): Bjorn Bjorvatn, University of Bergen

Study Description

Brief Summary:

This project examines 1) the effects of appropriately timed bright light on adaptation (in terms of sleep and sleepiness) to three consecutive night shifts; and 2) the effects of such bright light on re-adaptation (in terms of sleep and sleepiness) to a day-oriented schedule after the night shift period.

Condition or disease	Intervention/treatment	Phase
Shift-Work Sleep Disorder	Behavioral: Bright light; Behavioral: Red light	Not Applicable

Detailed Description:

Shift workers frequently experience sleepiness during night shifts, which may have consequences for performance. Sleep duration is often shortened after a night shift. Properly timed bright light treatment is efficient in delaying the circadian rhythm and can enhance alertness, increase performance and prolong sleep after night shifts. There is a lack of studies on light treatment to rotating shift workers. This study is a randomized controlled crossover trial evaluating the effect of bright light treatment on sleep and sleepiness in rotating shift workers with three consecutive night shifts. The aim is to evaluate whether bright light treatment improves adaptation to three consecutive night shifts (reduces sleepiness during night shifts and improves sleep after night shifts), as well as whether such treatment affects re-adaptation to a day-oriented schedule after the night shift period.

Study Design

• Study Type: Interventional (Clinical Trial)
• Actual Enrollment: 35 participants
• Allocation: Randomized
• Intervention Model: Crossover Assignment
• Masking: Triple (Participant, Investigator, Outcomes Assessor)
• Primary Purpose: Treatment
• Official Title: The Effects of Bright Light on Adaptation to Night Work Among Nurses
• Actual Study Start Date: November 2016
• Actual Primary Completion Date: June 2019
• Actual Study Completion Date: June 2019

Arms and Interventions

Arm	Intervention/treatment
Experimental: Bright light; 10 000 lux	Behavioral: Bright light; Bright light for 30 minutes during night shifts (between 2 AM and 3 AM the first night, between 3 AM and 4 AM the second night, between 4 AM and 5 AM the third night).
Placebo Comparator: Red light; 400 lux	Behavioral: Red light; Red light for 30 minutes during night shifts (between 2 AM and 3 AM the first night, between 3 AM and 4 AM the second night, between 4 AM and 5 AM the third night).

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcome Measures :

1. Sleepiness during the night shifts [ Time Frame: 3 days ]
   Self-reported using the Karolinska Sleepiness Scale (KSS)

Secondary Outcome Measures :

1. Psychomotor vigilance during night shifts [ Time Frame: 3 days ]
   Objective data from a 5 min computer based psychomotor vigilance test (PC-PVT) taken once during each night shift
2. Sleep after the night shifts [ Time Frame: 3 days ]
   Self-reported using a sleep diary; objective data from actigraphs
3. Sleepiness during the days after the night shift period [ Time Frame: 3 days ]
   Self-reported using the Karolinska Sleepiness Scale (KSS)
4. Sleep during the days after the night shift period [ Time Frame: 3 days ]
   Self-reported using a sleep diary; objective data from actigraphs
5. Functioning on each shift, and shift period in total, compared to under normal conditions [ Time Frame: 6 days ]
   Self-reported perception of effect of intervention

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 18 Years and older (Adult, Older Adult)
• Sexes Eligible for Study: All
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes

Criteria

Inclusion Criteria:

• A rotating shift work schedule involving three days without night shifts, followed by three consecutive night shifts, followed by three days without night shifts
• Problems with sleepiness during night shifts

Exclusion Criteria:

• Pregnancy

Contacts and Locations

Locations

Norway

University of Bergen

Bergen, Hordaland, Norway, 5018

Sponsors and Collaborators

University of Bergen

Investigators

• Principal Investigator: Bjørn Bjorvatn, MD, PhD; University of Bergen

More Information

• Responsible Party: Bjorn Bjorvatn, Professor, University of Bergen
• ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT02978053
• Other Study ID Numbers: UiB112016
• First Posted: November 30, 2016
• Last Update Posted: October 2, 2019
• Last Verified: October 2019

Individual Participant Data (IPD) Sharing Statement:

• Plan to Share IPD: No

Keywords provided by Bjorn Bjorvatn, University of Bergen:

Bright light; Sleepiness; Sleep; Psychomotor vigilance

Additional relevant MeSH terms:

Sleep Wake Disorders; Sleep Disorders, Circadian Rhythm; Nervous System Diseases; Neurologic Manifestations; Mental Disorders; Chronobiology Disorders; Dyssomnias; Occupational Diseases