An at-home evaluation of a light intervention to mitigate sleep inertia symptoms

• DOI: 10.1016/j.sleh.2023.07.015
• Publication Date: 2023-09-09T10:24:55Z
• Authors: Cassie J. Hilditch; Sean Pradhan; Gregory Costedoat; Nicholas G. Bathurst; Zachary Glaros; Kevin B. Gregory; Nita L. Shattuck; Erin E. Flynn-Evans
• Keywords: Psychomotor vigilance task; Vigilance (psychology); Alertness; Sleep inertia

Under laboratory settings, light exposure upon waking at night improves sleep inertia symptoms. We investigated whether a field-deployable source would mitigate in real-world setting. Thirty-six participants (18 female; 26.6 years ± 6.1) completed an at-home, within-subject, randomized crossover study. Participants were awoken 45 minutes after bedtime and wore light-emitting glasses with the either on (light condition) or off (control). A visual 5-minute psychomotor vigilance task, Karolinska sleepiness scale, alertness mood scales, 3-minute auditory/verbal descending subtraction task performed 2, 12, 22, 32 awakening. then went back to for opposite condition. series of mixed-effect models fixed effects test bout, condition, bout × random effect participant, relevant covariates. rated themselves as more alert (p = .01) energetic .001) condition compared control There was no outcomes when including all participants, but there significant improvement total responses subset from N3 .03). outcomes, faster < fewer lapses Our findings suggest that modestly self-rated energy home regardless stage, lower aggression improvements working memory only N3. Contrary studies, we did not observe improved performance task. Future studies should include measures acuity comfort assess feasibility interventions settings.