Nursing Acceleration Challenge Exam (NACE) PN-RN Practice Test

What should a patient with circadian rhythm sleep disorder do to encourage a phase delay?

1. Seek bright light in the morning

2. Expose to light in the evening

3. Undergo sleep deprivation

4. Avoid all forms of light

The correct answer is: Expose to light in the evening

A phase delay in the circadian rhythm refers to shifting the sleep-wake cycle to a later time. To encourage this shift, exposure to light in the evening is crucial. Light serves as a natural cue to the body's biological clock. When a person is exposed to bright light during the evening hours, it helps signal to the body that it is still time to be awake and active, which can subsequently result in a delay of the sleep-wake cycle, pushing bedtime and wake-up time to later hours. Seeking bright light in the morning, while beneficial for conditions like advanced sleep phase disorder, is counterproductive for a phase delay as it signals the body that it is time to wake up, reinforcing an earlier sleep pattern. Similarly, sleep deprivation is not an effective or healthy method for manipulating the circadian clock; instead, it can lead to further disruptions of sleep patterns. Avoiding all forms of light would also inhibit the ability to shift the sleep-wake cycle, as appropriate light exposure is necessary to influence circadian rhythms effectively.