Take 3: Management of circadian rhythm disorder

Some doctors prescribe morning light as a treatment for circadian rhythm disorder, but it needs to be timed correctly

Some doctors prescribe morning light as a treatment for circadian rhythm disorder, but it needs to be timed correctly, says Associate Professor Delwyn Bartlett, a sleep psychologist at the University of Sydney.

“Bright light therapy is very useful but there is a tendency for some of our medical colleagues to just say [patients should get more exposure to] morning light,” she says.

“But if you have morning light before the minimum core body temperature time that will delay their sleep phase more and make their disorder worse.”

The minimum core body temperature is usually two hours before the normal waking time, she says.

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“So it is very important to get at least two weeks of an accurate sleep diary to get some understanding of their minimum core body temperature time.”

However, the best outcome is to have two weeks of actigraphy, which measures movement during sleep through a watch-like device, says Professor Bartlett.