Back to search results

Bright Light Therapy for Obstructive Sleep Apnea

This study is exploring if Bright Light Therapy (BLT) delivered through special glasses can help people with Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) who still feel sleepy during the day, even while using CPAP or BiPAP. Researchers want to see if BLT improves daytime sleepiness and mood. You might be able to join if you are 40 to 65 years old, have a diagnosed OSA, use CPAP or BiPAP regularly and effectively, and still experience significant daytime sleepiness. The study will compare BLT to a sham treatment (s-BLT), where the glasses have a filter to reduce the light. The main goals are to measure changes in your sleepiness (Epworth Sleepiness Scale) and mood (QIDS score) over 12 weeks. The current status of this study is unclear, and it plans to enroll 60 participants.

Study design
This is an interventional study with 60 planned participants. It uses a crossover design, meaning each participant will receive both the active Bright Light Therapy and a sham treatment in a randomized order.
What's involved
You would participate in two 4-week treatment periods, separated by a 4-week washout period. Your sleepiness and mood will be measured at the start, after each treatment period, and after the washout period.
Compensation
Not stated in the trial record.
Follow-up
Your sleepiness and mood will be measured at baseline, week 4 (end of treatment 1), week 8 (end of wash out), and week 12 (end of treatment 2).

AI-generated from the public study record. Only the study team can confirm whether you're eligible — confirm details with them before making decisions.

NCT05917119

Bright Light Therapy for OSA

Recruiting
NAAges 40–65InterventionalTreatment
VA Office of Research and Development
~60 participants
Updated 2026-01-09 on ClinicalTrials.gov
What's tested:BLTs-BLT

At a glance

Recruiting sites
1 of 1 listed site is recruiting right now
RecruitingSuspended, closed, or not yet open
What they're measuring
Change in Epworth sleepiness scale
Measured over baseline, week 4 (end of treatment 1), week 8 (end of wash out), week 12 (end of treatment 2)
+1 more outcome measured

Conditions

Obstructive Sleep Apnea

Explore related trials

Obstructive Sleep Apnea

Where it's being run

1 sites across 1 states
Pennsylvania1

Study leadership

  • Isabella Soreca, MD · PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR · VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System University Drive Division, Pittsburgh, PA

Who to contact

Isabella Soreca, MD
[email protected]
(412) 688-6000
Email the study team

Opens a ready-to-send draft in your own email app — review before sending.

Do you actually qualify for this trial?

Add a private profile and we'll compare every criterion below against your situation — and tell you which ones are met, uncertain, or excluding.

Check eligibility for this trial ~2 min · HIPAA-protected · delete anytime
Eligibility criteria

Inclusion

Documented diagnosis of OSA
Currently on CPAP or BiPAP for at least 3 months
with documented adherence (defined as wearing CPAP/BiPAP for \>6h/night on at least 75% of nights), and adequate control of sleep apnea, as indicated by an AHI of 10 or less when on CPAP
Excessive residual daytime sleepiness (Epworth score \> 10)
If taking alertness promoting medication, the investigators will require that they are on a stable dose for at least one month prior to entering the study and that they refrain from dose changes while participating in the study
If already prescribed BLT, subjects must not have used it for at least one month prior to participating

Exclusion

Shift work
Travel across time zones in the past month
Narcolepsy
Regular hypnotics use
Decompensated congestive heart failure (CHF)
Primary central sleep apnea, needing O2 therapy via nasal cannula
Poorly controlled diabetes (HgA1c\>8%)
Active substance use disorder
Dementia
Untreated bipolar disorder
the investigators will consider individuals with a diagnosis of bipolar disorder who are currently in treatment and stable
Macular degeneration, recent lasik surgery (within 3 months)
Legally blind
Taking medication that will cause photosensitivity to blue-green light spectrum wavelength
Already using bright light therapy

What this trial measures

  • Change in Epworth sleepiness scalebaseline, week 4 (end of treatment 1), week 8 (end of wash out), week 12 (end of treatment 2)

    self report questionnaire assessing daytime drowsiness and tendency to fall asleep if inactive

  • Change in QIDS scorebaseline, week 4 (end of treatment 1), week 8 (end of wash out), week 12 (end of treatment 2)

    self report assessment of depressive symptoms severity