Timed sleep and light to improve mood during menopause
Official title: Chronobiological Basis of Depression during the Menopause Transition
Funded at University of California, San Diego · NIH-11303378 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project tests whether timed sleep and light treatments that shift the body clock can improve mood and sleep in women going through perimenopause who are depressed.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of California, San Diego NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (La Jolla, United States) |
| Project start | May 9, 2024 |
| Project end | February 28, 2029 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $781,233 |
| NIH project number | 5R01MH134120-03 |
| Project ID | NIH-11303378 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are women currently in the perimenopause transition who are experiencing depressive symptoms and sleep problems and who can follow scheduled sleep and light timing and attend study visits.
✕Less likely to help
People who are not in perimenopause, do not have mood or sleep complaints, or cannot follow strict sleep/light schedules are unlikely to benefit from this intervention.
What this research studies
You would receive carefully timed sleep and bright-light sessions designed to move your internal clock earlier or later to correct misalignment thought to worsen mood and sleep during the menopause transition. The team will measure melatonin timing as the main biological target, along with mood and sleep symptoms, before and after the interventions. The study includes women in perimenopause with depression and a group of normal controls to compare responses. Changes in melatonin timing will be examined to see if they explain any improvements in mood and sleep.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this approach could reduce depressive symptoms and improve sleep for perimenopausal women by resetting the body clock without relying on new medications.
How similar studies have gone: Prior smaller studies by this group reported mood and sleep improvements within 1–2 weeks when melatonin timing was shifted, but larger confirmatory trials are still limited.
Where this research is happening
-
University of California, San Diego
La Jolla, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Parry, Barbara L — University of California, San Diego
- Study coordinator: Parry, Barbara L
Related research
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About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.