A summary of published research, not medical advice. See the Disclaimer.
All 390 studies in the study browser
Included: human randomized controlled trials, systematic reviews and meta-analyses on morning light exposure indexed in PubMed. A PubMed search on October 15, 2026 returned 741 records. 390 remain after excluding protocols, retractions, comments, papers that did not study morning light exposure as the intervention or exposure and trials that measured no effect covered in the article. Below are all 81 reviews and the 25 highest-scored individual studies. The study browser has the rest.
Scores run from 1 to 5 and rate study design only. The rules and reason codes are on Study Scores. Each finding restates the abstract's own conclusion.
Back to Morning light exposure
| Score | Study | Design, n | Finding |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5 (MA +large) | Tong, 2024 | Meta-analysis, 15 studies, n=2,024 | This meta-analysis offers positive evidence that favours BLT in alleviating depressive symptoms in MDD, suggesting that it could be a convenient and easily accessible treatment modality to augment psychotherapy and pharmacotherapy. |
| 5 (MA +large) | Shao, 2024 | Meta-analysis, 18 studies, n=986 | Summer light has a detrimental effect on sleep in polar populations, and moderate natural light may be superior to conventional light. However, specific strategies to improve sleep and artificial lighting in polar populations... |
| 5 (MA +large) | Aini, 2024 | Meta-analysis, 24 studies, n=1,074 | Light therapy could be used as a supportive therapy to improve sleep, depression, cognition, and neuropsychiatric behaviors among PLWD. |
| 5 (MA +large) | Chen, 2023 | Meta-analysis, 31 studies, n=1,031 | Although the superiority of LT with higher circadian stimulus over dimmer light controls remains unproven, greater response potentials of circadian-active BLT have been noticed among AYAs, taking co-medication, disease severity,... |
| 5 (MA +large) | Qu, 2023 | Meta-analysis, 55 studies, n=406 | The overall results of the meta-analysis suggested that light intervention can improve the depressive symptoms of older patients with dementia. |
| 5 (MA +large) | Do, 2022 | Meta-analysis, 582 studies, n=347 | The efficacy of blue-light therapy in the treatment of seasonal and non-seasonal MDD remains unproven. Future trials should be of longer duration, include larger sample sizes, and attempt to better standardize the parameters of... |
| 5 (MA +large) | Tan, 2022 | Meta-analysis, 18 studies, n=1,012 | This study found that the majority of outcomes had a low level of certainty. Therefore, additional well-designed and large-scale trials must be conducted to achieve a more definitive conclusion. |
| 5 (MA +large) | Tao, 2020 | Meta-analysis, 23 studies, n=1,120 | Light therapy has a statistically significant mild to moderate treatment effect in reducing depressive symptoms, can be used as a clinical therapy in treating non-seasonal depression. But the quality of evidence is still low,... |
| 5 (MA +large) | Pjrek, 2020 | Meta-analysis, 19 studies, n=610 | BLT can be regarded as an effective treatment for SAD, but the available evidence stems from methodologically heterogeneous studies with small-to-medium sample sizes, necessitating larger high-quality clinical trials. |
| 5 (MA +large) | Faulkner, 2019 | Meta-analysis, 40 studies | Effects of light on sleep and circadian outcomes have received limited attention in studies in psychiatric disorders, but results were promising in these groups. These findings invite further refinement and testing of light... |
| 5 (MA +large) | Tuunainen, 2004 | Meta-analysis, 49 studies | Hypomania as a potential adverse effect needs to be considered. Due to limited data and heterogeneity of studies these results need to be interpreted with caution. |
| 5 (MA +large) | Lee, 1999 | Meta-analysis, 39 studies | These findings showed that light intensity varied positively with the antidepressant effect for typical but not for atypical symptoms of SAD, suggesting that light intensity tended to have different therapeutic effects on the... |
| 4 (MA) | Saleh Moussa, 2026 | Meta-analysis, 8 studies | Current evidence remains uncertain regarding the effect of BLT on delirium incidence in hospitalised adults. Further high-quality studies are needed to determine effectiveness, identify optimal intervention characteristics and... |
| 4 (MA) | Tang, 2026 | Meta-analysis, 5 studies, n=343 | BLT may improve subjective sleep quality after stroke; however, evidence for objective sleep continuity remains uncertain because of the small evidence base and substantial heterogeneity. Larger, methodologically rigorous trials... |
| 4 (MA) | Wasilah, 2026 | Meta-analysis, 14 studies | In adults with insomnia with diverse clinical backgrounds, blue light therapy may provide modest improvement in sleep quality and certain sleep parameters related to advancement and continuity of sleep (sleep fragmentation, sleep... |
| 4 (MA) | Wang, 2026 | Meta-analysis | LT had a positive effect on depression, anxiety and subjective sleep quality. LT duration, illuminance, disease subtype and medication status might be significant influencing factors. |
| 4 (SR +large) | Martins, 2025 | Systematic review, 25 studies | While ocular light exposure shows promise for modulating vmHRV, the high risk of bias and variability across studies limit clinical application. Future research should adopt standardized protocols, account for confounding... |
| 4 (MA) | Zhao, 2025 | Meta-analysis, 11 studies | The results showed that light therapy significantly improved the total sleep time (TST) (MD = 32.54, p < 0.00001) and sleep efficiency (SE) (MD = 2.91, p = 0.007) of shift workers compared to the control group. Subgroup analysis... |
| 4 (MA) | Du, 2025 | Meta-analysis, 6 studies, n=167 | This study indicates a beneficial impact of BLT on perinatal depression, subgroup analysis finds no significant mediation effects of different parameters after sensitivity analyses. It is recommended that future studies with... |
| 4 (MA) | Menegaz de Almeida, 2025 | Meta-analysis, 11 studies, n=2,024 | Results of this systematic review and meta-analysis reveal that BLT was an effective adjunctive treatment for nonseasonal depressive disorders. Additionally, results suggest that BLT may improve the response time to the initial treatment. |
| 4 (MA) | Wang, 2024 | Meta-analysis, 10 studies | The preliminary results of the study suggest that LT has some efficacy in improving sleep quality in insomnia. However, it needs to be validated in future clinical trials with larger samples. |
| 4 (MA) | Chen, 2024 | Meta-analysis, 10 studies, n=151 | Bright light therapy did not show efficacy in treating perinatal depression in terms of depression scores and response rates. However, regarding the remission rate, bright light did show efficacy compared to control conditions. |
| 4 (MA) | Lai, 2024 | Meta-analysis, 12 studies, n=679 | BLT may be considered a supplementary therapeutic option to improve sleep quality among cancer patients. However, more extensive and rigorous studies are necessary to determine the optimal timing of BLT delivery and its... |
| 4 (MA) | Zang, 2023 | Meta-analysis, n=598 | Light therapy leads to significant improvement in sleep and psychobehavioral symptoms and is associated with relatively fewer side effects in patients with AD, indicating its potential as a promising treatment option for AD. |
| 4 (MA) | Li, 2023 | Meta-analysis, 8 studies | Light therapy could be considered an effective treatment for depression and sleep disturbances in women during pregnancy and the postnatal period. However, future high-quality trials with larger sample sizes are still needed. |
| 4 (MA) | Lin, 2023 | Meta-analysis, 12 studies | BLT is a promising intervention for managing CRF in cancer patients. Its efficacy in improving sleep quality, and insomnia, reducing depression, and enhancing QoL requires further exploration. |
| 4 (SR +large) | Yaodong, 2023 | Systematic review, 372 studies | First, neural and hormonal light-active pathways for alleviating sleep disturbance or depression were identified, based on which the neural correlates of SDCD were located. Second, the light responses and interactions of hormones... |
| 4 (MA) | Lu, 2023 | Meta-analysis, 12 studies, n=766 | There were no significant differences in the Cornell Scale for Depression in Dementia score, Cohen-Mansfield Agitation Inventory score (MD: -3.12, 95% CI: -8.05, 1.82, I2 = 0%), Neuropsychiatric Inventory score, sleep... |
| 4 (MA) | Fong, 2023 | Meta-analysis, 11 studies | Light therapy appeared to be more effective in terms of alleviating sleep disturbances, rather than reducing agitation and depression, but its long-term effects remain unclear. |
| 4 (SR +large) | Zhang, 2023 | Systematic review, 21 studies | The efficacy of light therapy in long-term care settings may be affected by the duration of exposure, time and length of intervention, intensity of light, and equipment used to administer the therapy. Further research must be... |
| 4 (MA) | Hung, 2023 | Meta-analysis, 9 studies, n=231 | This meta-analysis provides an updated evidence on the rationale for application of BWL in ameliorating cancer related fatigue in patients with different types of cancer. |
| 4 (MA) | Srisurapanont, 2022 | Meta-analysis, 6 studies | Limited and heterogenous evidence suggests that short-term BWLT is well accepted, has a large treatment effect on post-TBI depressive symptoms, and may have a moderate treatment effect on post-TBI sleep disturbance. |
| 4 (MA) | Sun, 2022 | Meta-analysis | Trial sequential analysis (TSA) verified the analyses outcome and quantified the statistical relevance of the data.[color=#0e101a] [/color] RESULTS Patients receiving LT had significantly better scores for motor function... |
| 4 (MA) | Canazei, 2022 | Meta-analysis, 11 studies | There is insufficient evidence for actigraphically measured circadian light effects in persons with dementia. More high-quality research is needed to recommend the application of adjunctive light. |
| 4 (SR +large) | Lindskov, 2022 | Systematic review, 29 studies | The overall effect of light therapy is beneficial, but evidence for the effect of naturalistic light is still insufficient to be recommended before other modalities. Future research in this area should be conducted in facilities... |
| 4 (MA) | Xiao, 2022 | Meta-analysis, n=551 | Light therapy could be a feasible and effective option for improving CRF in cancer patients. Larger sample, rigor trials design and a standard protocol of intervention are needed to draw more conclusive conclusions. |
| 4 (MA) | Lam, 2021 | Meta-analysis | This study provides evidence regarding the effect of light therapy in reducing sleepiness and shifting circadian phase in shift workers. Exposure to medium-intensity light for a short duration at night reduced sleepiness, whereas... |
| 4 (MA) | Lin, 2021 | Meta-analysis, n=173 | BLT is an effective intervention for improving depressive symptoms and sleep disturbances in patients with PD. |
| 4 (SR +large) | Cibeira, 2020 | Systematic review, 36 studies | Literature has shown potential evidence for positive effects of light therapy on managing sleep, behavioural and mood disturbances in people with cognitive impairment, but a limited effect on cognition, quality of life and... |
| 4 (MA) | Dallaspezia, 2020 | Meta-analysis, 5 studies, n=195 | A significant effect of LT compared to placebo was found also in RCTs (ESs: -0.501, 95% CI: - 0.777 to -0.225; p<0.001). A high heterogeneity between the studies was found when including non-RCTs and the number of RCTs was small... |
| 4 (MA) | Wang, 2020 | Meta-analysis, 12 studies, n=847 | Our results highlight the significant efficiency of BLT in the treatment of bipolar depression. Prospective studies with more rigorous design and consistent follow-up. |
| 4 (MA) | Takeshima, 2020 | Meta-analysis, 6 studies | While a meta-analysis was unable to demonstrate the efficacy of BLT for bipolar depression, a sensitivity analysis did show a significant effect. Further well-designed studies are needed to clarify the effectiveness of BLT, not... |
| 4 (MA) | Lam, 2020 | Meta-analysis, 7 studies, n=259 | There is positive but nonconclusive evidence that adjunctive light therapy reduces symptoms of bipolar depression and increases clinical response. Light therapy is well tolerated with no increased risk of affective switch. |
| 4 (MA) | Geoffroy, 2019 | Meta-analysis, n=397 | No potential publication biases were observed by statistical tests and visual inspection of the funnel plots. No differences were observed between LT and AD, with a clear superiority of the combination, thus both LT monotherapy... |
| 4 (SR +large) | Tähkämö, 2019 | Systematic review, 128 studies, n=10 | In addition, even the longest wavelengths (631 nm, red) and intermittent light exposures induced circadian resetting responses, and exposure to low light levels (5-10 lux) at night when sleeping with eyes closed induced a... |
| 4 (SR +large) | Mitolo, 2018 | Systematic review, 32 studies | Key Messages: Overall, the current literature suggests that the effects of light treatment in AD patients are mixed and may be influenced by several factors, but with a general trend toward a positive effect. Bright light seems... |
| 4 (MA) | Zhao, 2018 | Meta-analysis, 6 studies, n=359 | Light therapy has a positive effect on geriatric non-seasonal depression. Studies with larger sample sizes are needed to confirm the curative effect of light therapy in the future. |
| 4 (SR +large) | Brouwer, 2017 | Systematic review, 6708 studies | Results suggest that light therapy is safe for the eyes in physically healthy, unmedicated persons. The ocular safety of light therapy in persons with preexisting ocular abnormalities or increased photosensitivity warrants further study. |
| 4 (MA) | Chiu, 2017 | Meta-analysis, 9 studies | Light therapy can relieve BD, improve sleep quality, and alleviate symptoms of depression for cognitively impaired persons. |
| 4 (MA) | Penders, 2016 | Meta-analysis, 10 studies, n=458 | Analysis of pooled data from randomized trials provides evidence for the efficacy of use of bright light therapy ≥ 5,000 lux for periods ≥ 30 minutes when used as augmentation to standard antidepressant pharmacotherapy in the... |
| 4 (SR +large) | Beauchamp, 2016 | Systematic review, 34 studies | Future research should systematically control for placebo response, assess symptom change frequently and across a broad range of systems, and evaluate the longer-term efficacy of bright light therapy for eating disorders. |
| 4 (MA) | Al-Karawi, 2016 | Meta-analysis, 9 studies | BLT appears to be efficacious, particularly when administered for 2-5 weeks' duration and as monotherapy. There is an obvious need to optimize the duration and intensity of exposure, the timing and the duration of treatment sessions. |
| 4 (MA) | Tseng, 2016 | Meta-analysis, 9 studies, n=489 | However, the detailed mechanism of LT still remains elusive. Further well-designed controlled trials are required to investigate the optimal intensity and frequency of LT in the treatment of bipolar depression. |
| 4 (MA) | Forbes, 2014 | Meta-analysis, 11 studies | There is insufficient evidence to justify the use of bright light therapy in dementia. Further research should concentrate on replicating the suggested effect on ADLs, and establishing the biological mechanism for how light... |
| 4 (SR +large) | Even, 2008 | Systematic review, 62 studies | Bright light therapy is an excellent candidate for inclusion into the therapeutic inventory available for the treatment of nonseasonal depression today, as adjuvant therapy to antidepressant medication. Future clinical trials of... |
| 4 (MA) | Golden, 2005 | Meta-analysis, 8 studies | Many reports of the efficacy of light therapy are not based on rigorous study designs. This analysis of randomized, controlled trials suggests that bright light treatment and dawn simulation for seasonal affective disorder and... |
| 3 (MA -nonRCT) | Zalta, 2026 | Meta-analysis, 5 studies | Later bedtime was a moderate but non-significant predictor of depression symptom improvement, providing preliminary evidence that later chronotypes may have better responses to MLT. Season and photoperiod were weak and... |
| 3 (SR) | Murukesu, 2025 | Systematic review | To outline opportunities and challenges for developing evidence-based recommendations for the effective use of ocular light exposure for older adults. To highlight areas of remaining uncertainty and gaps in the evidence regarding... |
| 3 (MA -nonRCT) | Ho, 2025 | Meta-analysis, 10 studies | The findings indicate that premature infants exposed to CL experience substantially less LOS and more weight gain than their peers exposed to either DL or CBL. As premature infants require CL exposure after discharge, its... |
| 3 (SR) | Nibbio, 2025 | Systematic review | In this context light therapy has showed promising results, providing a safe and potentially effective treatment for a variety of psychological symptoms (especially sleep disturbances and fatigue, but also mood and anxiety... |
| 3 (SR) | Semyachkina-Glushkovskaya, 2023 | Systematic review | Photobiomodulation (PBM) is considered to be a non-pharmacological and safe approach for AD therapy. Here, we highlight the most recent and relevant studies of PBM for AD. We focus on emerging evidence that indicates the... |
| 3 (MA -few) | Chambe, 2023 | Meta-analysis, 2 studies, n=685 | A light dose-response may exist but the studies' heterogeneity and publication bias limit the interpretation. To conclude, light therapy shows some effectiveness for sleep maintenance in insomnia disorders, but further research... |
| 3 (SR) | Reis, 2023 | Systematic review | The extant literature supports the efficacy of BLT for seasonal and non-seasonal depression, although higher quality systematic reviews are needed to increase confidence in these findings. There was no specific funding for this... |
| 3 (SR) | Cheng, 2021 | Systematic review | The reported adverse effects of melatonin in elderly populations must be carefully considered. Future studies should investigate the separate and combined effect of melatonin and bright light on sleep and circadian outcomes in... |
| 3 (MA -few) | Srisurapanont, 2021 | Meta-analysis, 4 studies, n=117 | Moderate-quality evidence suggests that BWLT may be useful for post-TBI depression and fatigue. |
| 3 (MA -few) | Hirakawa, 2020 | Meta-analysis, 4 studies, n=190 | Bright light therapy is an effective treatment for reducing depression symptoms among patients with bipolar depression. |
| 3 (SR) | Hjetland, 2020 | Systematic review | Employing rigorous designs and detailed reporting of intervention characteristics, i.e., the illumination, correlated color temperature, timing, and duration of light utilized, are of utmost importance to establish the optimal... |
| 3 (SR) | Faulkner, 2020 | Systematic review | For the next phase of translational research, user acceptability and adherence should receive increased attention during intervention design and study design. We suggest framing light therapies as complex interventions, and... |
| 3 (SR) | Nussbaumer-Streit, 2019 | Systematic review, n=46 | Evidence on light therapy as preventive treatment for people with a history of SAD is limited. Methodological limitations and the small sample size of the only available study have precluded review author conclusions on effects... |
| 3 (MA -few) | van Maanen, 2016 | Meta-analysis, 3 studies, n=1,154 | Light therapy is effective for sleep problems in general, particularly for circadian outcomes and insomnia symptoms. However, most effect sizes are small to medium. |
| 3 (SR) | Nussbaumer, 2015 | Systematic review, n=46 | Evidence on light therapy as preventive treatment for patients with a history of SAD is limited. Methodological limitations and the small sample size of the only available study have precluded review author conclusions on effects... |
| 3 (SR) | Mårtensson, 2015 | Systematic review, 8 studies | Most studies of BWL have considerable methodological problems, and the results of published meta-analyses are highly dependent on the study selection. Even though quality criteria are introduced in the selection procedures of... |
| 3 (MA -few) | Griefahn, 2010 | Meta-analysis, 3 studies | This suggests that morning-oriented career shift workers might have a higher health risk. These results need to be replicated by directed studies and verified by epidemiological studies. |
| 3 (SR) | Forbes, 2009 | Systematic review, 8 studies | There is insufficient evidence to assess the value of light therapy for people with dementia. Most of the available studies are not of high methodological quality and further research is required. |
| 3 (SR) | Barron, 2007 | Systematic review | In women with a psychopathology such as bipolar disorder or an endocrinopathy such as polycystic ovary syndrome, there seems to be greater vulnerability to the influence of light-dark exposure. Research on the complex role of... |
| 3 (MA -few) | Krasnik, 2005 | Meta-analysis, 4 studies, n=55 | The small size of trials and correspondingly wide confidence limits, and methodologic limitations of the trials, leaves the impact of bright light therapy for relief of premenstrual depressive symptoms uncertain. The current... |
| 3 (SR) | Forbes, 2004 | Systematic review, 5 studies | There is insufficient evidence to assess the value of BLT for people with dementia. The available studies are of poor quality and further research is required. |
| 3 (SR) | Montgomery, 2002 | Systematic review | When the possible side-effects of standard treatment (hypnotics) are considered, there is a reasonable argument to be made for clinical use of non-pharmacological treatments. In view of the promising results of bright light... |
| 2 (SR -nonRCT) | Böhmer, 2021 | Systematic review, 5 studies | The evidence on an association between light exposure and circadian phase, sleep estimates, sleep quality, and mood is conflicting. Data from intervention studies are needed to gain insight into the causal mechanism of the... |
| 1 (NOABS) | Barry, 2018 | Meta-analysis | No abstract in PubMed; not summarized. |
| 1 (NOABS) | Mårtensson, 2008 | Systematic review | No abstract in PubMed; not summarized. |
| Score | Study | Design, n | Finding |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5 (RCT +blind +n200) | Riemersma-van der Lek, 2008 | RCT, n=2,004 | Light has a modest benefit in improving some cognitive and noncognitive symptoms of dementia. To counteract the adverse effect of melatonin on mood, it is recommended only in combination with light. |
| 5 (RCT +blind +n200) | Martiny, 2004 | RCT, n=282 | Light therapy was found to have and early onset of action. On the HAM-D6 and the MES citalopram significantly reduced the relapse rate in the continuation phase. |
| 4 (RCT open +n200) | Do, 2026 | RCT, n=219 | In the SleepCARE RCT of CBT-I and BLT administered for 6 weeks to women receiving chemotherapy for breast cancer, CBT-I improved insomnia but not fatigue compared with SHE or BLT. BLT did not produce greater improvements in... |
| 4 (RCT +blind) | Schmid, 2026 | RCT, n=42 | Given that daytime functioning is of high clinical relevance for patients with insomnia disorder, daytime sleepiness should be further evaluated as treatment target and may be addressed with light therapy. TRIAL REGISTRATION:... |
| 4 (RCT +blind) | Li, 2026 | RCT, n=81 | These findings suggest that morning BLT significantly alleviates anhedonia in depression, an effect associated with delayed melatonin peak phase. Depressive symptoms improved following both morning and evening BLT. These results... |
| 4 (RCT +blind) | Chen, 2026 | RCT, n=110 | Additionally, the pairwise interaction effects between glymphatic markers, ReHo values, and serum levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines were independent predictors of improvements in depressive symptoms, particularly anhedonia.... |
| 4 (RCT +blind) | Aspelund, 2025 | RCT, n=60 | These findings suggest that light therapy may help mitigate the adverse effects associated with BC surgery on CRCI and intrusive thoughts, although further research is warranted. |
| 4 (RCT +blind) | Videnovic, 2025 | RCT, n=150 | ENLITE-PD did not meet the criteria for advancing daily LT to a phase 3 trial. LT was safe and well-tolerated with good adherence. |
| 4 (RCT +blind) | Geoffroy, 2025 | RCT, n=38 | Occurring hypomanic symptoms, if any, resolve quickly after dose reduction, provided there is careful monitoring. Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT03396744. |
| 4 (RCT +blind) | Chen, 2025 | RCT, n=47 | Findings suggest BLT modulates amygdala-thalamocortical circuits and serotonergic pathways, highlighting FC biomarkers for treatment efficacy assessment. |
| 4 (RCT open +n200) | Chen, 2025 | RCT, n=2,022 | Light therapy improves depressive symptoms and sleep quality in individuals with SD, and facial expressions can serve as an objective biomarker to support its effectiveness. |
| 4 (RCT +blind) | Vreijling, 2024 | RCT, n=77 | Findings do not support the efficacy of light therapy in reducing IMD features in patients with depression and T2DM. We find limited evidence that light therapy is a more beneficial depression treatment among those with more IMD... |
| 4 (RCT +blind) | Legenbauer, 2024 | RCT, n=116 | The findings in this study did not indicate superiority of bright light therapy over placebo red light therapy in a large sample of adolescent inpatients with moderate or severe major depressive disorder. Both groups benefited... |
| 4 (RCT +blind) | Chen, 2024 | RCT, n=38 | Altered VTA-SFG connectivity was associated with HDRS changes in the BLT group. Moreover, the baseline FC between DRN and mPFC could predict HDRS changes in BLT. These results suggested that BLT improves depressive symptoms and... |
| 4 (RCT +blind) | Chan, 2023 | RCT, n=93 | In this study, we found that depression severity influenced subjective report of sleep. BLT led to a greater advance in subjective sleep timings when compared to the placebo group. |
| 4 (RCT +blind) | Chen, 2023 | RCT, n=30 | Blue-enriched light therapy is a feasible low-cost intervention that could be integrated as a comprehensive therapy program for BPSD among older adults with dementia. |
| 4 (RCT +blind) | Donmez, 2022 | RCT, n=30 | The results indicate that BLT is more effective than placebo and is reliable in terms of side effects in PND patients. In order to expand the use of BLT in PND, new studies with larger sample sizes are needed. |
| 4 (RCT +blind) | Li, 2022 | RCT, n=122 | Light therapy significantly improved social and family life functioning in patients with MDD. However, work functioning was not significantly improved despite large effect sizes; these results were limited by low statistical... |
| 4 (RCT +blind) | Kim, 2022 | RCT, n=112 | Bright light therapy is a nonpharmacological treatment of early, poststroke insomnia in patients who had a mild to moderate stroke. In addition, bright light therapy is effective for the treatment of daytime sleepiness, fatigue,... |
| 4 (RCT +blind) | Hjetland, 2021 | RCT, n=69 | Proxy-rated sleep improved among nursing home patients with dementia following 16 and 24 weeks of BLT. These improvements were not corroborated by actigraphy recordings. |
| 4 (RCT +blind) | Morton, 2021 | RCT, n=32 | The findings of this study emphasize that improvement in QoL and reduction in depressive symptoms in MDD, while related, cannot be taken to be synonymous. Adjunctive therapies may be required to address unmet QoL needs in... |
| 4 (RCT +blind) | Bais, 2020 | RCT, n=67 | Depressive symptoms of pregnant women with depression improved in both treatment arms. More research is necessary to determine whether these responses represent true treatment effects, non-specific treatment responses, placebo... |
| 4 (RCT +blind) | Raikes, 2020 | RCT, n=35 | Daytime sleepiness, fatigue, and sleep disruption are common following a mild traumatic brain injury. These findings further substantiate blue light therapy as a promising nonpharmacological approach to improve these... |
| 4 (RCT +blind) | Killgore, 2020 | RCT, n=32 | Relative to placebo, morning blue light led to phase-advanced sleep timing, reduced daytime sleepiness, and improved executive functioning, and was associated with increased volume of the posterior thalamus (i.e., pulvinar),... |
| 4 (RCT +blind) | Brouwer, 2019 | RCT, n=51 | Although this trial is essentially inconclusive, secondary analyses indicate that light therapy might be a promising treatment for depression among a subgroup of highly insulin-resistant individuals with type 2 diabetes. |