Issues in mental health nursingAug 30, 2005

Light therapy’s effects on sleep, mood, and body temperature in women with major depression not linked to seasons

Circadian Biology Weekly Brief ↗PubMed ↗DOI ↗

Updated Mar 22, 2026

Abstract

Light therapy significantly improved depressed mood and energy levels in women with nonseasonal depression compared to a placebo.

Women receiving light therapy showed notable reductions in depressive symptoms over 28 days.
Energy levels increased significantly in the treatment group, with no similar changes observed in the placebo group.
Core temperature patterns normalized in the light therapy group, with reduced wake time during the first third of sleep.
No significant changes in circadian phase were detected, possibly due to the absence of baseline disturbances.
Observed relationships between temperature, sleep, and mood suggest avenues for further research and clinical practices.

Simplified

Research has supported the applicability and efficacy of light therapy in the treatment of nonseasonal depression. The investigators examined the effects of light therapy on sleep, core temperature, depressed mood, and perception of fatigue and energy in a sample of pre-menopausal and post-menopausal women diagnosed with nonseasonal, nonbipolar depression. Women were randomly assigned to either light therapy (n = 16) or placebo (n = 13) for a 28-day period. Pre and post measures of sleep and core temperature were collected. In addition, measures of depressed mood, fatigue, and energy were collected throughout the study period. Significant changes in depression and energy were found in the treatment group, but not in the placebo group. There was a significant reduction in the temperature mesor and less wake time during the first third of the sleep period in the treatment group but not in the placebo group. Light therapy yielded significant improvement in depression when compared with placebo intervention and core temperature mesor returned to normal. There was no significant phase shift, perhaps due in part to the absence of any baseline circadian phase disturbances. Relationships between temperature, sleep, depressed mood, fatigue, and energy variables offer potential directions for future research and clinical intervention.

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Light therapy’s effects on sleep, mood, and body temperature in women with major depression not linked to seasons

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