Sleep and Light Intervention (SALI) for Menopausal Mood Dysfunction

Our bodies naturally follow a 24-hour internal clock that helps regulate sleep, hormones, mood, and energy. During menopause, hormonal changes can disrupt the timing of this internal clock, which may contribute to mood changes, sleep problems, and low energy.

Participants will be asked to change their sleep timing for one night and use bright light at specific times of day for two weeks. In previous studies, some women experienced improvements in mood within days to weeks. SALI does not use medication and has few side effects.

Participants must live in San Diego County. Interested individuals will first complete a screening process to help determine whether this study is a good match for them and whether participation would be appropriate and safe. The screening includes questionnaires and interviews about health, mood, sleep, and mental health history. Not everyone who is screened will qualify to participate.

Study participation is approximately 4 ½ months, and includes:

• 4 weeks of wearing an activity/light wrist sensor
• 2 overnight urine collections to measure melatonin, the best measure of human circadian rhythms, and a hormone that helps regulate the timing of sleep
• 1 night where the timing and duration of your sleep will be adjusted
• 2 weeks of daily light box usage (30 minutes per day at a specified time) and daily surveys to track mood & side effects
• Regularly scheduled Zoom interviews & online surveys to monitor your mood & sleep before and after SALI

All study activities can be done from the comfort of your home. Researchers hope this work will lead to new ways to improve mood and sleep during menopause and help identify treatments that can be tailored to each person's biological rhythms.

This is a research study, not a clinical treatment. Participation is confidential and voluntary. Participants may or may not benefit directly from participating. To receive full compensation, participants are required to complete study tasks on scheduled days.

Inclusion criteria

• Women aged 45-75 years old
• Experiencing significant down, sad or hopeless feelings that are affecting their daily life
• These mood changes started or got worse during the menopause transition
• Irregular or no menstrual cycle for at least 6 months
• Non-smoking
• Located in San Diego County

Exclusion criteria

• Untreated sleep apnea
• Migraine headaches that are triggered or worsened by bright light
• Currently suicidal or psychotic
• History of bipolar disorder
• A medical condition or job where fatigue or changes in sleep schedule could be unsafe
• Planning to start, stop, or change medications in the next 4 months