Can sleep deprivation and light therapy beat the blues in just one week?

NCT ID NCT05691647

First seen Jun 24, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026 · Updated 1 time

Summary

This study tests whether chronotherapy—a combination of staying awake for 34 hours, light therapy, and a fixed sleep schedule—can quickly improve depression symptoms when added to standard care. 76 adults with moderate to severe depression will be randomly assigned to get chronotherapy plus usual treatment or usual treatment alone. The main goal is to see if symptoms drop more in the chronotherapy group after one week.

What this could mean

Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only — not medical advice or a prediction.

Active substance

chronotherapy (sleep deprivation, sleep-phase advancement, light therapy)

What this could lead to

If it works, this could offer a fast-acting, drug-free way to reduce depression symptoms within a week.

What could go wrong

This is a small, early-stage trial with only 76 participants, so results may not apply to everyone. Sleep deprivation can be tough to tolerate and may not work for all.

Disclaimer Read more

This is a summary of the original study . Summaries may miss details or leave out important information. Before applying or accepting participation, make sure you have read and understood the full study. Curemydisease.com takes no responsibility whatsoever for anything missed, misunderstood, or acted upon as a result of our summary — we know it does not capture everything.

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Conditions

The condition(s) this trial relates to.

major depressive disorder

As listed by the trial registrant

The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.

Contacts and locations

Study contacts

  • Contact

    Phone: •••-•••-•••• Email: •••••@•••••

Locations

  • St. Olavs Hospital, Nidaros DPS

    RECRUITING

    Trondheim, Norway

    Contact