Sleep quality / daytime function
Near-infrared phototherapy device for sleep and daytime function sham-controlled trial
Kennedy KER, Wills CCA, Holt C, Grandner MA. Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine. 2023.
A randomized sham-controlled trial of a wearable red/NIR neck phototherapy device found subjective sleep-related improvements but no clear objective actigraphy difference.
Evidence grade
low
Effect direction
mixed
Panel relevance
partially-replicable
Key findings
- Participants used a neck device emitting 660, 740, 810, and 870 nm light before bed every other night for 3 weeks.
- Subjective sleep, relaxation, and feeling refreshed improved more consistently than objective actigraphy measures.
- No adverse events were reported, though a wearable collar is not equivalent to a whole-body panel.
Protocol details
| Wavelengths | 660, 740, 810, 870 nm |
|---|---|
| Irradiance | Not reported mW/cm2 |
| Fluence | Not reported J/cm2 |
| Session time | 25 minutes |
| Frequency | Every other night before bed |
| Duration | 3 weeks |
| Treatment area | Neck |
| Device type | Wearable red/NIR phototherapy collar |
Caveats
- Subjective sleep improvement without matching objective sleep changes should be written cautiously.
- This was a small trial in adults with sleep complaints, not broad proof for insomnia treatment.