Distribution of dim light melatonin offset (DLMOff) and phase relationship to waketime in healthy adults and associations with chronotype

Rebecca C Cox; Alivia B Blumenstein; Tina M Burke; Christopher M Depner; Molly K Guerin; Emily Hay-Arthur; Janine Higgins; Oliver A Knauer; Shannon M Lanza; Rachel R Markwald; Edward L Melanson; Andrew W McHill; Sarah J Morton; Hannah K Ritchie; Mark R Smith; Alexandra N Smits; Kate E Sprecher; Ellen R Stothard; Dana Withrow; Kenneth P Wright Jr

doi:10.1016/j.sleh.2023.08.017

Distribution of dim light melatonin offset (DLMOff) and phase relationship to waketime in healthy adults and associations with chronotype

Sleep Health. 2024 Feb;10(1S):S76-S83. doi: 10.1016/j.sleh.2023.08.017. Epub 2023 Sep 28.

Authors

Rebecca C Cox¹, Alivia B Blumenstein¹, Tina M Burke², Christopher M Depner³, Molly K Guerin¹, Emily Hay-Arthur¹, Janine Higgins⁴, Oliver A Knauer¹, Shannon M Lanza¹, Rachel R Markwald⁵, Edward L Melanson⁶, Andrew W McHill⁷, Sarah J Morton¹, Hannah K Ritchie¹, Mark R Smith¹, Alexandra N Smits¹, Kate E Sprecher¹, Ellen R Stothard⁸, Dana Withrow¹, Kenneth P Wright Jr⁹

Affiliations

¹ Sleep and Chronobiology Laboratory, Department of Integrative Physiology, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, Colorado, USA.
² Sleep and Chronobiology Laboratory, Department of Integrative Physiology, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, Colorado, USA; Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, Silver Spring, Maryland, USA.
³ Sleep and Chronobiology Laboratory, Department of Integrative Physiology, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, Colorado, USA; Department of Health and Kinesiology, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA.
⁴ Division of Endocrinology, Metabolism, and Diabetes, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado, USA.
⁵ Sleep and Chronobiology Laboratory, Department of Integrative Physiology, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, Colorado, USA; Naval Health Research Center, San Diego, California, USA.
⁶ Division of Endocrinology, Metabolism, and Diabetes, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado, USA; Division of Geriatric Medicine, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado, USA.
⁷ Sleep and Chronobiology Laboratory, Department of Integrative Physiology, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, Colorado, USA; Oregon Institute of Occupational Health Sciences, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, Oregon, USA.
⁸ Sleep and Chronobiology Laboratory, Department of Integrative Physiology, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, Colorado, USA; Colorado Sleep Institute, Boulder, Colorado, USA.
⁹ Sleep and Chronobiology Laboratory, Department of Integrative Physiology, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, Colorado, USA; Division of Endocrinology, Metabolism, and Diabetes, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado, USA. Electronic address: Kenneth.Wright@Colorado.edu.

PMID: 37777359
DOI: 10.1016/j.sleh.2023.08.017

Abstract

Objectives: Dim light melatonin onset, or the rise in melatonin levels representing the beginning of the biological night, is the gold standard indicator of circadian phase. Considerably less is known about dim light melatonin offset, or the decrease in melatonin to low daytime levels representing the end of the biological night. In the context of insufficient sleep, morning circadian misalignment, or energy intake after waketime but before dim light melatonin offset, is linked to impaired insulin sensitivity, suggesting the need to characterize dim light melatonin offset and identify risk for morning circadian misalignment.

Methods: We examined the distributions of dim light melatonin offset clock hour and the phase relationship between dim light melatonin offset and waketime, and associations between dim light melatonin offset, phase relationship, and chronotype in healthy adults (N = 62) who completed baseline protocols measuring components of the circadian melatonin rhythm and chronotype.

Results: 74.4% demonstrated dim light melatonin offset after waketime, indicating most healthy adults wake up before the end of biological night. Later chronotype (morningness-eveningness, mid-sleep on free days corrected, and average mid-sleep) was associated with later dim light melatonin offset clock hour. Later chronotype was also associated with a larger, positive phase relationship between dim light melatonin offset and waketime, except for morningness-eveningness.

Conclusions: These findings suggest morning circadian misalignment risk among healthy adults, which would not be detected if only dim light melatonin onset were assessed. Chronotype measured by sleep timing may better predict this risk in healthy adults keeping a consistent sleep schedule than morningness-eveningness preferences. Additional research is needed to develop circadian biomarkers to predict dim light melatonin offset and evaluate appropriate dim light melatonin offset timing to promote health.

Keywords: Chronotype; Circadian misalignment; Dim light melatonin offset; Dim light melatonin onset; Melatonin duration; Phase angle of entrainment.

MeSH terms

Adult
Chronotype
Circadian Rhythm
Health Promotion
Humans
Melatonin*
Sleep
Surveys and Questionnaires

Substances

Melatonin

Abstract

MeSH terms

Substances

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