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The Use of Amber Glasses in Improving Sleep

The Use of Amber Glasses in Improving Sleep and Reducing the Use of Hypnotic Medication in an Inpatient Mental Health Setting: Pilot Study

Status
Completed
Phases
NA
Study type
Interventional
Source
ClinicalTrials.gov
Registry ID
NCT04751019
Enrollment
15
Registered
2021-02-11
Start date
2019-03-11
Completion date
2020-01-31
Last updated
2021-02-11

For informational purposes only — not medical advice. Sourced from public registries and may not reflect the latest updates. Terms

Conditions

Insomnia, Sleep Disturbance

Brief summary

The use of amber glasses will aid the patient to fall asleep without the need for the use of hypnotic medication.

Detailed description

Sleep disturbance and insomnia is extremely common and affects up to 30% of adults at any given time. Moreover, sleep disturbance is known to be particularly prevalent in patients suffering from mental illness including affective disorders, schizophrenia, anxiety (Baglioni, 2016). We hypothesise that the use of amber glasses will aid the time taken to fall asleep without the need for the use of hypnotic medication.A prospective study looking at 15 new patients admitted to one mental health ward will be undertaken. Data will be collected on twice weekly basis on the patient's use of: amber glasses alone, hypnotic medication alone or both. Hypnotic medication will include sedating antihistamines, benzodiazepines and non-benzodiazepine hypnotics such as zopiclone. Medication prescribed for dual purpose will be assumed to be used for the treatment of insomnia if given after 2300 hours. Each patient will be enrolled for a period of 4 weeks and the review of use and suitability will take place in ward review meetings. Sleep quality will be assessed using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Assessment tool at baseline and at the 2 and 4 weeks. At the end of the study period, percentage use of amber glasses and zopiclone will be used to compare against a historical average of hypnotic use for the most recent 15 admissions over a similar 4 week period.

Interventions

It is hoped that the use of amber glasses to complement the natural sleep-wake by inducing a perceived 'physiological darkness' to aid the secretion of melatonin should help sleep and reduce the use of hypnotic medication

Sponsors

Surrey and Borders Partnership NHS Foundation Trust
Lead SponsorOTHER

Study design

Allocation
NA
Intervention model
SINGLE_GROUP
Primary purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
NONE

Eligibility

Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
18 Years to No maximum
Healthy volunteers
No

Inclusion criteria

* Age over 18 years * Male or female gender * Presentation of mental illness (of psychotic nature, severe depression or anxiety) * Able to provide informed consent

Exclusion criteria

* Patient does not consent * High risk assessment of self-harm or harm to others

Design outcomes

Primary

MeasureTime frameDescription
The difference in the use of hypnotic medication as compared with existing data from a similar population.4 weeksSleep quality will be assessed using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Assessment (PSQI) tool at baseline and at the 2 and 4 weeks. At the end of the study period, percentage use of amber glasses and zopiclone will be used to compare against a historical average of hypnotic use for the most recent 15 admissions over a similar 4 week period. These historic admissions will be matched for diagnosis.

Secondary

MeasureTime frame
Change in sleep quality as measured by a point score change in the PSQI.4 weeks

Countries

United Kingdom

Outcome results

None listed

Source: ClinicalTrials.gov · Data processed: Feb 4, 2026