Orange you sleepy?

Objective

Will wearing blue-light blocking (orange) glasses help you sleep better?

Description

  • Start date: Sunday (night), January 15th
  • Blue-light blocking glasses sponsored by lowbluelights.com
    • Deadline for ordering glasses was December 16th.
This is a small, pilot study looking at sleep quality, as measured by the Zeo, and the effects of wearing blue-light blocking glasses on it.

4 week, ABA design. (See Participant Tasks)

Optional daily questionnaire for factors affecting sleep and notes (encouraged).
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Inclusion Criteria

Materials: Zeo, blue-light blocking glasses
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STUDY STARTS SUNDAY, JANUARY 15TH
  • Fill out the study Intake Form before starting
  • (Optional) Fill out the daily survey/sleep diary
  • Week 1: track sleep using Zeo; don't use blue-blocking glasses
  • Weeks 2 & 3: put on blue-blocking glasses at the same time each night; track sleep
  • Week 4: track sleep; don't use blue-blocking glasses

Notes:
When setting the time of day you will put on the glasses, make it so that it's generally 2 or more hours before you normally go to bed, and pick a specific time. Even if your sleep schedule varies, just pick a specific time that you'll put on the glasses. This will help lock in the circadian rhythm the glasses affect.
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Daily Average ZQ & Weekly Participation Levels

Discussion

Thistlepie

Thistlepie joined as a data participant.

gbiggers

gbiggers What do you think of the new data visualization? This is Genomera's first attempt at automating visualization. So we need your reactions and suggestions for other things to try.

see all 4 comments
chloester

chloester I don't understand what the sleep score count is used for -- how many days per week the Zeo recorded sleep?

chloester

chloester Also, it would be great if the ZQ score graph could show when the pre, during, and post intervention weeks were.

jzempel

jzempel @chloester agreed a differentiation on the ABA protocol would've been nice. re: "sleep score count" it simply shows how many times a ZQ score was recorded per week for each participant. In general, you would probably like to see close to 7 days per data participant per week. The important thing to note is that the clock for participation starts ticking when the study is set "in progress" or when the user joins the study (whichever is the later date).

crtahlin

crtahlin I guess the aim is to build a visualization tool for all the experiments, something generic? I guess a generic solution would be, to enable ticking off the people (units) you want shown on the graph. For instance turning my data "off", since its known to be defective.

EriGentry

New study results are available!

Hi all - a new graph of ZQ scores is available. Kinda interesting: during the 2 weeks wearing the blue-blocking glasses, ZQ scores seems to flatten/stabilize, as well as decrease. What do you make of that? I think we will need to take a look at Time to Z and Deep Sleep, in addition to the surveys you all filled out, before we can make more sense out of the data. (To those who offered to help with data crunching, I'll be pinging you soon.) Another reminder to hook up your Zeo so we can include your data!
posted by EriGentry
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crtahlin

crtahlin What does the first week on the graph represent? I for one started later, on the 2nd of Feb. And if the first week is the first calendar week of the study, I really shouldn't even have data for the first two weeks (as the study started on the 15th Jan, if I am correct).

crtahlin

crtahlin Also, I noticed I have some duplicated data. I had the date one day off on my device and the Zeo customer service were kind enough to correct the date in their database. I guess the data were duplicated because of that (I can see the duplicates in the downloaded Excel file I got by clicking "Download data"). I will try to disconnect/reconnect the Zeo instrument, to see if that fixes the problem.

crtahlin

crtahlin To answer to my own question - the first week of data is probably from the # Period: from 2012-01-24 06:41:55

crtahlin

crtahlin Sorry, I press the enter key and the message gets posted before I finish it. Since the first week of data is probably from 24th Jan, that would explain why my data start on the second week on the graph (which was actually my first week of study). Also, disconnecting/reconnecting the Zeo instrument did not help with the duplicated data. Who could I contact regarding this (to delete all my data, so I can reconnect)?

jzempel

jzempel @crtahlin - You are right that this study actually started collecting data on 2012-01-24. That marks the point that Eri marked the study "in progress". re: your sleep data - I can see that the Zeo API is sending the data that you are claiming is duplicated. There's not much we (Genomera) can do about that. We've raised the issue with them and will need to wait for a fix on their end.

crtahlin

crtahlin @jzempel - thank you for the answer, will wait on fix then.

gbiggers

gbiggers What are other thoughts on the visualization? The Genomera team really wants to hear people's reactions and suggestions for refinement.

brendan

brendan joined as a discussion participant.

jzempel

jzempel Genomera is working on graphing a selection of results for this study. The image in this post is a preview of a more interactive graph that is based on the same Zeo Sleep Manager data that participants can download. Stay tuned for that feature. In the mean time the data is starting to take shape, but it will probably be more meaningful if more data participants use the study instrument to connect their Zeo (the instrument will back-fill your profile with historical Zeo sleep statistics). Take a look at the attached image and comment with your questions for clarification.

gbiggers

gbiggers Y'all can click the picture to see it larger.

jzempel

jzempel joined as a discussion participant.

EriGentry

EriGentry Cool sleep infographic http://medicalbillingandcodingcertification.net/you-need-sleep/

chloester

chloester Nice! Wish they used different colors though.

EriGentry

EriGentry Hi everybody! I've been a busy lady, and I'm sorry for not posting sooner. I've got two requests to get this study completed: (1) Upload your Zeo data! If anyone's having trouble, please refer to crtahlin's post below or use the feedback tab to the right to post your specific query (2) Data crunching! Needs to be done. Any numbers gurus out there able to help out? Thanks so much! How's everyone sleeping?

see all 5 comments
skjonas

skjonas Eri, I would be happy to help with item 2.

skjonas

skjonas Eri, I'm cleaning up my Zeo data by deleting nights where I had total total equipment failure (e.g., the battery was drained after an hour and a half), but I'm not sure what to do about those nights where the Zeo headband didn't capture data for, say, a fifteen minute period because it traveled too far up my forehead. Is there a threshold recommendation for how much data can be lost before that night's data is no longer salvageable?

DoctorJ

DoctorJ I noticed that the myZeo website and the data uploaded to Genomera exclude measurements from shorter time periods, i.e. naps. However, I can still see the nap data in my phone. Too bad, since I was definitely a biphasic sleeper throughout the trial, though interestingly not so much since.

crtahlin

crtahlin Would love to have a look a the data. I guess the data will be available via the "Download data" button, when everyone uploads it. What about the daily sleep diary data and info about when people started. (I for one started later than most.)

gbiggers

gbiggers @DoctorJ, let's connect about the data discrepancy in the study vs on your phone. Email gregatgenomeradotcom

gbiggers

gbiggers If you are having any trouble connecting your Zeo to the study, email me and we will help. gregatgenomeradotcom

aidanw

aidanw Hi, everyone else still sleeping? :) Sorry if I'm being dense... completed my sleeping, how do I submit Zeo data? Thanks

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crtahlin

crtahlin I belive you have to go to Instruments->Zeo Sleep Manager and input your ZEO account login data. Link to the above mentioned Instrument, for convenience: http://www.genomera.com/instruments/zeo-sleep-manager

edyson

edyson I'm trying, but it doesn't accept my login info...

crtahlin

crtahlin I have tried "disconecting" from ZEO account and then "reconecting" and I didn't have any problems.

crtahlin

crtahlin I suggest you try the same username and password on ZEO site, to verify it works there.

williamhoos

williamhoos I'm checking in on how this went? I was only getting about half of my nights captured with Zeo on Android and then I had to go to Europe in the middle of it, so I dropped. I'm curious how many were able to complete the study and if I should restart?

skjonas

skjonas I was able to complete the study. Since then, I've found the combination of the blu-blockers, timed-release melatonin taken at dusk, and a premium sleep mask has led to some of the best sleep that I can remember getting.

skjonas

skjonas I should add that if I were to do it again, I definitely would have filled out the survey every day, just keep track of all the little variances that popped up (like equipment failure).

aveeck

aveeck joined as a discussion participant.

Megan

Megan joined as a data participant.

cjohns

cjohns joined as a discussion participant.

skjonas

skjonas Just to make sure that I'm on the same page with everyone else, for those who started on the 15th, last night was the first night of the second no-glasses week? Also, Eri or Nagle, in the sidebar, should the last bullet say "Week 4" instead?

chloester

chloester Yes, Nick and I stopped wearing our glasses last night. EVERYTHING IS SO BLUE X_X

EriGentry

EriGentry The last bullet should be 4, indeed. Just changed. Thanks for catching that! How was everyone's orange glasses time?

timafield

timafield joined as a data participant.

crtahlin

crtahlin Status update: unfortunately I have a problem with my ZEO, so I'm unable to track my sleep at the moment. I will describe my problems and as it might benefit or interest some of you. I have problems as captured by some other user in the video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mKGArcswwOM When I purchased the ZEO (last year, sometime in the summer) it worked OK for approx. a month. Than came a period that I haven't used it for a couple of months, after which, I started getting the "battery drained" message (featured in the video) on some, not all nights. If I put the headband back on the base unit a couple of times, I could trick it into working normally - so it wasn't a battery issue. Contacting ZEO customer support, we established it must be a headband problem, so they sent a replacement unit. With the replacement, the unit worked OK maybe 3 weeks, then started exhibiting the same problems (worse, since the trick does not work anymore). Currently waiting for a replacement base station from ZEO...

jamesckim

jamesckim joined as a discussion participant.

yoni

yoni Did anyone else wake up too early after the first orange evening? I stopped wearing orange glasses several months ago because of this, and today it happened again (glasses on at 8pm, sleep at 10pm, woke up at 3am and couldn't fall back to sleep - exactly the problem I had before when I used them). Could be psychsomatic of course but even if it is, what can I do about it?

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jphynes

jphynes If you think it might be psychosomatic, then what are you doing contaminating everyone else's minds with this suggestion!? But, yes, I did wake up too early. (I decided to make this comment purely based on the first point then realized the second point, so no selection bias here)

yoni

yoni I did consider this, but then realized that if YOU think it's psychosomatic it shouldn't contaminate your mind, and if you don't, there is nothing to worry about :)

jphynes

jphynes Well, that's actually not true :P. Here's an example: http://www.plosone.org/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0015591 But there's also the worry about contaminating peoples minds that aren't sure if it's all in their heads or caused by the lack of blue light itself.

yoni

yoni Oh, you're right, I actually saw that study a while ago and completely forgot about it. Well, I hope I didn't pollute too many innocent orange minds or else we'll have an army of zombies in orange glasses roaming the streets at 3am :)

janet

janet Waking up in the middle of the night signifies either drops in blood glucose (hypoglycemia) or body temperature (http://www.myzeo.com/sleep/knowledge-center/stories/how-rem-syncs-with-temperature). Haven't investigated body temperature regulation methods but for hypoglycemia, a dietary tweak may help. How are you currently eating?

yoni

yoni I didn't have this problem before using the orange glasses, and now it happened two days in a row. I'd say it's not related to diet. In fact, my sleep has been extremely regular pre-glasses, but today I woke up early again at 4:30am.

DoctorJ

DoctorJ This happened to me on my first night too! I ended up staying awake for 3 hours in the middle of the night before I finally went back to sleep. Didn't happen on night #2, but I only had my blockers on for an hour (vs 3 hours the first night). Both times I wore them right up until bedtime.

skjonas

skjonas JD Moyer did a related experiment where he would live by candlelight after dusk for a month. Although he would fall asleep earlier, he would often get up in the middle of the night for an hour or more before going back to sleep. Apparently, a similar phenomenon occurred during a study by Thomas Wehr, where volunteers were subjected to 14 hours of darkness a day. From Wehr: “another state emerged, not sleep, not active wakefulness, but quiet rest with an endocrinology all its own.” That may not necessarily be the case here, especially since this 'state' developed over time, but it's still an interesting idea to keep in mind over the course of our study. Here's a link to JD Moyer's experiment (with quotes from Wehr's study): http://jdmoyer.com/2010/03/04/sleep-experiment-a-month-with-no-artificial-light/

EriGentry

EriGentry The owner at lowbluelights.com advised that people typically experience something akin to changing time zones (jetlag) during the first few days of use. I'd like to see how/if the waking up early changes in a few days. For those of you waking up too early, do you feel tired when you wake up, or less alert throughout the day? (Sorry if you do, but I hope you keep with the experiment!)

DoctorJ

DoctorJ My experience this week is confounded with actual jet lag, so I can't answer with certainty whether any recent changes are due to travel or the glasses. However, the one time I woke up for a prolonged period of time (night #1 with glasses), I was able to catch up once I fell back asleep. Had I not had the extra sleep, I absolutely would have been more tired and less alert.

williamhoos

williamhoos Zeo only lasted about 90 minutes on my first night. Anyone else have issues and suggestion on fixing? Sounds like making it tighter?

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beau

beau Definitely try making it a little tighter. Also make sure it's not resetting during the night. I had a bad power supply and the display on my Zeo would flash brightly and reset every once in a while. Took me a few nights to figure that out. Seemed to happen mostly when the display brightness was turned to the very lowest setting. I complained and they sent me a new unit and power supply.

EriGentry

EriGentry Yep, making it tighter helps. I found that I sometimes rub my face when I'm sleeping fitfully, so I've learned to do a "Zeo check" when I wake up during the night to make sure it's still on my head.

williamhoos

williamhoos it was still on my head. I used to have the old version of Zeo and never had much problem, so I am suspecting my android phone. I've sent a note to Zeo support for trouble shooting tips. Let me know anyone else who has a suggestion for phone settings to avoid resetting.

skjonas

skjonas I run the Zeo app on an iPad and had an issue where iTunes would try to sync with the device, but an error would occur because a certain song couldn't be copied over. For whatever reason, this error message would disrupt the Zeo app every time. The Zeo Mobile is more convenient, but it introduces more variables.

EriGentry

EriGentry updated the stage of this study to be "In Progress."

mellisa713

mellisa713 joined as a data participant.

EriGentry

EriGentry As nick says, "Orange glasses, go!" Make a note of when you put them on. If you're absentminded, like me, I suggest you make a recurring note on your calendar. The daily sleep survey is optional but encouraged for every day.

nick

nick Orange glasses, go! Everything is much more orange than I expected.

chloester

chloester Are we starting the glasses tonight and filling out the daily form every morning for the next 2 weeks?

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