Using Ecological Momentary Assessment (EMA) to Study the Impact of Colored Glasses on Sleep Quality, Energy Level, and Mood

The connection between sleep disturbance and mood dysregulation is a current point of interest in the field. The circadian rhythm system, which influences both sleep and mood, is itself influenced by a variety of internal and external factors, one of which is light. Light manipulation is a low-cost, non-invasive possibility for improving sleep and mood disturbances; blocking blue wavelengths of light with amber-tinted glasses has been shown to improve sleep quality, energy levels and mood. However, methods historically employed in studying sleep and mood are limited in that assessments are generally given once per day, and may not give a complete picture as to how well these interventions work. The present study used ecological momentary assessment (EMA) to assess responsiveness to amber glasses (and blue lensed control glasses) four times a day. Using a randomized crossover design, 38 participants at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill were assigned to starting condition and wore colored glasses three hours before bed for 12 of the 18 days of the study. Overall, the results did not support the hypothesis that the amber glasses condition would improve sleep quality, energy, and mood: on some outcome measures (sleep quality, energy level, positive affect), amber glasses steadily increased sleep quality over the course of the condition, but this effect was also seen in the blue glasses control condition. Future studies should include a washout period between conditions, a larger, more diverse sample, more objective measures of sleep, and other colors of potential control lenses.Bachelor of Scienc