Low-Level LED Light Therapy for Sleep and HRV in Shift-Work Nurses: Randomized Trial

Registration: PMCID: PMC12187440

Status: Published

Tags: Anxiety, Circadian, Clinical trial, Depression, Fatigue & alertness, Health outcomes, Healthcare workers, Hospital, Insomnia, Light, Light & environment, Light therapy devices, Lighting, Mental health, Night-shift workers, Nurses, Practical, RCT, Recovery, Rotating shift workers, Shift work, Sleep, Sleep hygiene, Stress, Well-being / Quality of life

External URL: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12187440/

Summary

This randomized controlled trial tested low-level LED photobiomodulation (red/near-infrared, 660/850 nm) delivered by a wearable cap for 30 minutes, three times per week for four weeks in shift-working nurses with insomnia (n=64). Compared with no-treatment controls, the intervention group showed substantial improvements in insomnia severity and in depression, anxiety, and stress scores over the 4-week period. Heart-rate variability (HRV) measures did not differ significantly between groups. The trial was unblinded and lacked a sham control.

Why It Matters For Night Shift Workers and Night Owls

For nurses struggling with sleep and mood on rotating shifts, this study suggests that low-level LED photobiomodulation may help reduce insomnia and psychological distress over a few weeks. However, because HRV didn’t improve and the study didn’t include a sham treatment, results should be viewed as promising but preliminary.

Notes

Trial in active hospital staff.

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