Sleep Disorders Clinical Trials 2023

What Are Sleep Disorder Clinical Trials?

Sleep disorders are an umbrella term for conditions that affect sleep quality, timing, or duration. When sleep is compromised for an extended period, the outcome can be detrimental to your health. Sleep disturbances are associated with psychological disorders, chronic conditions, and neurological problems.

Some patients suffering from sleep disorders have trouble falling or remaining asleep. However, others find it difficult to remain awake. Patients may also be prone to behaviors or conditions that disrupt their sleep quality.

Clinical trials for sleep disorders investigate chronic sleep disorders' physiological and psychological outcomes. Furthermore, trials aim to find new and effective treatment strategies to mitigate the development of secondary complications.

Why Are Sleep Disorders Being Studied Through Clinical Trials?

The amount of sleep required varies; however, most adults need a minimum of seven hours each night. However, epidemiology studies report that thirty percent of adults sleep less than six hours per night and more than fifty million Americans suffer from chronic sleep disorders.

Therefore, clinical trials are essential to addressing the threat that sleep disorders impose on global health. Researchers aim to discover more about the long-term outcomes of sleep disorders and more effective ways of improving sleep in patients suffering from these disorders.

What Are The Types of Treatments Available For Sleep Disorders?

Sleep specialists use polysomnograms to diagnose patients who experience sleep disturbances. Furthermore, patients are encouraged to keep a record of the quality and length of their sleep. Keeping a diary helps reveal sleeping patterns and identify factors contributing to poor sleep.

Encouraging good sleep hygiene is a conservative first-line approach to managing sleep disorders. Noise, light, temperature, exercise, and strict bedtimes are all factors that contribute to good sleep hygiene. Cognitive behavior therapy helps patients identify behaviorisms and thoughts that negatively impact their sleep.

Alternatively, drug therapies may be indicated in patients who struggle with disturbed sleep despite following conservative treatment routes. Some patients who struggle with sleep prefer natural agents, such as melatonin. However, in patients with severe insomnia, agents such as zolpidem may be more appropriate.

What Are Some Recent Breakthrough Clinical Trials For Sleep Disorders?

Researchers have made several significant discoveries about sleep disorders and the treatment thereof, such as the following:

2019: The five subtypes of insomnia: using personality types and brain activity, researchers at the Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience have identified five subtypes of insomnia. This classification system enables specialists to create individualized treatment plans for insomnia patients.

2021: The eXciteOSA® therapy for sleep apnea: The FDA recently approved a new therapy for sleep apnea. The eXciteOSA® improves the muscle function of the tongue through electrical stimulation, which assists in preventing airway collapse.

Who Are Some Of The Key Researchers Conducting Sleep Disorder Clinical Trial Research?

The OHSU is a world leader in sleep disorder research. Under the leadership of Dr. Asha Singh, the OHSU Sleep Medicine Program director, the university has made groundbreaking strides in new and effective ways of treating sleep disorders.

Under Dr. Clete Kushida, The Chief Of The Division And Medical Doctor Of Sleep Medicine, researchers at Stanford University are global leaders in sleep disorder research.