Circadian Sleep-Wake Cycles, Well-Being, and Light Therapy in Borderline Personality Disorder
Abstract
Individuals with borderline personality disorder (BPD) frequently suffer from sleep disturbances. The authors investigated circadian rhythms, sleep, and well-being in women with BPD in their habitual life conditions during 3 weeks with morning light therapy (LT) and 3 weeks without LT (oLT). Sleep-wake cycles were measured using wrist actimetry, proximal skin temperature as an indirect index of relaxation, as well as weekly salivary melatonin to document the internal circadian rhythm phase. Questionnaires assessed clinical state throughout the 6-week protocol. Ten matched healthy women followed the same 6-week protocol without light treatment. Women with BPD had significantly worse subjective sleep quality and reduced daytime alertness compared to controls. Sleep-wake cycles in BPD ranged from highly disturbed to extremely regular patterns. Melatonin and proximal skin temperature profiles revealed appropriate synchronization of the circadian system with the sleep-wake cycle in most BPD women and in all controls. Morning LT significantly phase-advanced activity in BPD compared to oLT, shortened sleep duration, decreased movement time, and increased skin temperature during sleep (a marker of relaxation). Although general depression scores and borderline symptoms did not change, daytime alertness improved with morning LT, and atypical depression scores were attenuated. Morning LT is a potential adjunct treatment for BPD.
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BLT is a useful additional treatment in adult attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), borderline personality disorder, and other conditions characterised by sleep-wake disruption, such as schizophrenia or neurodegenerative diseases.
“The stabilising effects of light also make BLT a useful additional treatment in adult attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) [69], borderline personality disorder [19], and other conditions characterised by sleep–wake disruption, such as schizophrenia [18] or neurodegenerative diseases [103].”
From Effects of light on human circadian rhythms, sleep and mood (2019) · cites this paper as [19]
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- Authors
- Bromundt, V., Wirz-Justice, A., Kyburz, S., Opwis, K., Dammann, G., & Cajochen, C.
- Affiliations
- University of Basel (CH)
- Kantonsspital Münsterlingen (CH)
- Venue
- Journal of Personality Disorders
- Publisher
- Guilford Publications
- Published
- 2013-10
- Volume
- 27
- Issue
- 5
- Pages
- 680-696
- ISSN
- 0885-579X (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W2113286663
- Cited by
- 49
- References
- 0
- Citations by year
- 2025: 5 · 2024: 4 · 2023: 2 · 2022: 3 · 2021: 6 · 2020: 5 · 2019: 7 · 2018: 5 · 2017: 1 · 2016: 1 · 2015: 3 · 2014: 3 · 2013: 3 · 2012: 1
- FWCI
- 4.29
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Journal of Personality Disorders (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Experimental and Cognitive Psychology › Sleep and related disorders
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Endocrine and Autonomic Systems › Circadian rhythm and melatonin
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Personality Disorders and Psychopathology
- Keywords
- borderline personality disorder, phototherapy, circadian rhythm, sleep-wake cycle, sleep disorders, melatonin, skin temperature, daytime alertness, atypical depression, women, adjunct treatment
- MeSH terms
- Adult, Borderline Personality Disorder, Circadian Rhythm, Female, Humans, Melatonin, Monitoring, Physiologic, Phototherapy, Quality of Life, Surveys and Questionnaires, Saliva, Skin Temperature, Sleep, Time Factors, Wakefulness, Case-Control Studies, Treatment Outcome, Young Adult
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