Chronotherapy refers to treatments for depression, mania, or both, that focus on changing sleep and wakefulness patterns. This blog post provides an update of this important area. Background The International Society of Bipolar Disorders (ISBD) task force on chronobiology and chronotherapy published a comprehensive review of chronotherapy techniques and their effectiveness in bipolar disorder in 2019. This article summarizes the …
Supercharge Your Circadian Rhythms
Why a post about how to supercharge your circadian rhythms? The fact is that for a lot of us our bodies and our brains have a hard time adapting to modern life and the result is poor quality sleep, daytime fatigue, and, for some, depression. What Are Circadian Rhythms? Circadian rhythms are what allow your body to go from vigorous …
Blue Blocking Glasses for Mania
Blue blocking glasses may be a useful adjunct to medications for mania. Bright light is one of the most rapidly effective treatments for depression and may be helpful for depression even in people without a clear seasonal pattern (winter depression). A recent study suggests that the opposite may be true, that avoiding light may treat mania. The portion of the …
CBT for Seasonal Affective Disorder
CBT May Be More Durable Treatment for SAD Than Light Therapy Six weeks of cognitive-behavioral therapy sessions tailored for seasonal affective disorder (CBT-SAD) may lead to longer-lasting effects than those seen with light therapy, according to a recent study in AJP in Advance. Light therapy is a proven approach to treat acute SAD, but previous studies show that most patients …
Bright Light for Non-Seasonal Depression
Bright light may work for non-seasonal depression. This is the conclusion of a study published in the prestigious psychiatric journal JAMA Psychiatry. Researchers at the University of Toronto and the University of British Columbia in Canada conducted a randomized, double-blind, placebo- and sham-controlled, 8-week trial in adults (aged 19-60 years) with major depression of at least moderate severity. 122 patients were …