Wake and Light Therapy: What is it and how can it help?

What is Wake and Light Therapy?

Wake and Light Therapy is a pioneering new therapy for depression.

With standard anti-depressant medication or a psychological therapy, it might take 4-6 weeks to see any benefit. However, Wake Therapy combined with Light Therapy can result in a rapid response within one week, and often within a few days. From our own and other’s research about 50% of patients will improve.¹

We do not yet know who may get better with these therapies or exactly why. We know that depression often has altered biological rhythms, for example when a person with depression awakes early in the morning. They may feel worse in the mornings or in the winter season. Some people with depression release the hormone melatonin at the wrong time of the day and this may contribute to the development of depression in vulnerable individuals.

The theory is that if we can reset the system so that hormones like melatonin to be released at the right time of the evening then this can help control symptoms of depression.

¹ Veale, D., Serfaty, M., Humpston, C., Papageorgiou, A., Markham, S., Hodsoll, J., & Young, A. H. (2021). Out-patient triple chronotherapy for the rapid treatment and maintenance of response in depression: feasibility and pilot randomised controlled trial. BJPsych Open, 7(6), e220. doi:10.1192/bjo.2021.1044; Humpston, C., Benedetti, F., Serfaty, M., Markham, S., Hodsoll, J., Young, A. H., & Veale, D. (2020). Chronotherapy for the rapid treatment of depression: A meta-analysis. Journal of affective disorders, 261, 91–102. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jad.2019.09.078.

How can Wake and Light Therapy help?

We know that a hormone called melatonin is released at night by the pineal gland in the brain, which crucially helps regulate our sleep patterns, as well as other circadian rhythms. In some people affected by depression, the time at which melatonin is released becomes disrupted, which can often perpetuate the problem. It is thought that if the circadian rhythm and the release of melatonin can be reset to the correct time, this can help relieve depression.

How does Wake and Light Therapy work?

There are two distinct parts to this therapy: Wake Therapy and Light Therapy.

In Wake Therapy, you will be given a one-week programme which is broken down by the hours in which you are prescribed to stay awake, stay awake while using amber glasses, sleep and use Light Therapy.

In Light Therapy, you will complete a Morning-Eveningness Questionnaire to determine the duration and timing of when you should be using the bright light. The duration of Light Therapy is usually 30 minutes between 6:45am and 9:00am each morning.

For an example one-week Wake and Light Therapy programme, you can download our brochure below.