Blue light treatment may alleviate PTSD symptoms related to sleep deprivation

University of Arizona researchers exploring the use of non-invasive, drug-free treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) have found that exposure to blue light therapy is an effective treatment for symptoms related to trauma-induced sleep disruption.

Sleep is well-known to be crucial for physical and mental health, and deprivation or inadequate sleep over time can impact all aspects of life with severe implications for long-term health and cognitive abilities. The influence of sleep disruption on PTSD has been well documented. Those in treatment for PTSD often face a cycle where poor sleep interferes with treatment effectiveness, diminishing treatment outcomes and, in turn, contributing to more sleep disruption.

Treating the blues with blue is a commonly used seasonal therapy, although the treatment’s utility for PTSD has been less known

Routinely the treatment for PTSD relies on the processing of the emotional impact of the traumatic memories; however, to do this, the client requires quality interrupted sleep to integrate the reforming of these memories.

To improve this sleep-psychotherapy relationship, a team of researchers assessed the use of daily morning blue wavelength light exposure treatment on individuals with clinically significant levels of PTSD.

Blue light treatment uses light to treat certain dermatological and seasonal mental health conditions. The procedure involves using led lights on the skin, usually the face, to increase light absorption or limit the spread of bacteria.

In this case, 82 study participants committed to 30 minutes of morning light exposure daily for six weeks, with half using blue-wavelength light and the other half using amber light. While the researchers analysed the neurobiological, autonomic, and behavioural outcome changes of the study.

The study found that for those who received the blue light therapy, there were improvements in the severity of their PTSD symptoms and reported improvements in sleep and consequentially increased retention of ‘fear extinction memories’. On the other hand, those who received the amber light did not show the same level of therapeutic benefit.

Senior author, Prof William Killgore, director of the Social, Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience (SCAN) Lab, said:

“This research is exciting and unique because it points to an easy-to-use method for helping those with PTSD to retain the benefits of therapy long after the treatment ends […] Morning blue light treatment improves sleep complaints, symptom severity, and retention of fear extinction memory in PTSD.”

“While the limitations of the research include its modest sample size and difficulties monitoring compliance, the possibilities of utilising a treatment that is relatively simple, drug-free and inexpensive can offer hope for the large population of people living with the intense challenges of post-traumatic stress disorder.”