Partial Sleep Deprivation for Sleep

Overseen By Michael Ormsbee

Age: 18 - 65

Sex: Any

Trial Phase: Academic

Sponsor: Florida State University

Disqualifiers: Cardiovascular, Metabolic, Poor sleep, others

No Placebo Group All trial participants will receive the active study treatment (no placebo)

Compensation: Varies

Number of Visits: 3

30 Participants Needed

What You Need to Know Before You Apply

What is the purpose of this trial?

This trial explores how partial sleep deprivation affects heart health, physical and mental performance, and overall well-being in individuals who are either very active or mostly inactive. Participants will sleep less than usual for a few days to assess impacts on factors like blood pressure and reaction time. Suitable candidates have been either regularly active (exercising at least 150 minutes a week) or mostly inactive (exercising 60 minutes or less a week) over the past three months. As an unphased trial, this study provides a unique opportunity to contribute to understanding the broader impacts of sleep on health and performance.

Will I have to stop taking my current medications?

The trial information does not specify whether you need to stop taking your current medications.

What prior data suggests that this partial sleep deprivation protocol is safe?

Research shows that getting 1.5 to 2 hours less sleep than usual can have several effects. People might react faster but could also make more mistakes and feel less happy. Other studies indicate that insufficient sleep causes tiredness, affecting attention and decision-making. Over time, this can lead to serious health issues, such as heart problems. While effects vary among individuals, these findings suggest that insufficient sleep carries known risks. ^{1 2 3 4 5}

Why are researchers excited about this trial?

Researchers are excited about the partial sleep deprivation approach because it offers a non-pharmacological method to potentially improve sleep quality by adjusting the time spent in bed. Unlike traditional treatments like sleep medications, which often focus on altering brain chemistry, this method aims to regulate sleep patterns through behavioral changes. By reducing habitual time in bed by 30%, it may quickly reset the body's sleep-wake cycle, offering a new avenue for those struggling with sleep issues.

What evidence suggests that partial sleep deprivation is effective for improving cardiovascular health and performance?

This trial will compare the effects of Acute Partial Sleep Deprivation, involving a 30% reduction in habitual time in bed, with Normal Sleep. Studies have shown that partial sleep deprivation can have mixed effects. People might react faster, but they often make more mistakes and feel grumpier. When sleep is reduced to less than 7 hours a night, many brain functions, such as thinking and reacting, begin to suffer. Research also suggests that insufficient sleep can harm physical health, increasing the risk of issues like high blood pressure and diabetes. Interestingly, some individuals might perceive better sleep quality, even if they actually need more rest. Overall, these findings suggest that while less sleep might temporarily increase alertness, it generally harms both performance and health. ^{5 6 7 8 9}

Are You a Good Fit for This Trial?

This trial is for individuals who are either physically active or sedentary, to study how not getting enough sleep affects heart health, physical and mental performance, and overall wellbeing. Participants will be assessed before and after having normal sleep and then less sleep than usual.

Inclusion Criteria

Chronically active (≥150 minutes of moderate- and/or ≥75 minutes of vigorous-intensity aerobic exercise per week for the last 3 months)

Sedentary (≤60 minutes of aerobic exercise per week for the last 3 months)

Exclusion Criteria

Pregnant

Poor sleep (regularly achieving <7 hours of sleep per night)

I am significantly overweight.

Timeline for a Trial Participant

Screening

Participants are screened for eligibility to participate in the trial

1-2 weeks

Baseline Assessment

Participants are assessed for markers of cardiovascular health, cardio-autonomic function, physical and cognitive performance, as well as overall wellbeing before the sleep intervention

1 week

1 visit (in-person)

Intervention

Participants undergo three days of normal sleep followed by three days of partial sleep deprivation (30% reduction in total time in bed)

6 days

Daily monitoring

Post-Intervention Assessment

Participants are assessed immediately and 3 days after the intervention for changes in cardiovascular health, cardio-autonomic function, physical and cognitive performance, and overall wellbeing

1 week

2 visits (in-person)

Follow-up

Participants are monitored for any long-term effects of the intervention

4 weeks

What Are the Treatments Tested in This Trial?

Interventions

• Partial Sleep Deprivation

Trial Overview

The study looks at the impact of cutting down on sleep by 30% over three days on various aspects like blood pressure, muscle strength, reaction time, mood states, inflammation levels in both active people and those with a sedentary lifestyle.

How Is the Trial Designed?

Group I: Acute Partial Sleep Deprivation Experimental Treatment 1 Intervention

30% reduction in habitual time in bed

Group II: Normal Sleep Active Control 1 Intervention

Who Is Running the Clinical Trial?

Florida State University

Lead Sponsor

Trials

234

Recruited

41,100+

Published Research Related to This Trial

Sleep deprivation is linked to serious health issues such as increased risk of all-cause mortality, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease, highlighting the importance of addressing sleep disorders for public health.

Treating obstructive sleep apnea is a cost-effective healthcare intervention, providing significant quality-adjusted life years gained compared to other medical therapies, making it a valuable focus for improving patient outcomes.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

The public health and safety consequences of sleep disorders. Sigurdson, K., Ayas, NT.[2007]

Therapeutic sleep deprivation has been shown to have antidepressant effects, supported by numerous studies since its introduction in 1971, making it a potential treatment option for depressive disorders.

Partial sleep deprivation late at night is as effective as total sleep deprivation, offering a simpler and more practical method for inducing wakefulness in patients.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Sleep deprivation therapy. Kuhs, H., Tölle, R.[2019]

Positive airway pressure (PAP) therapy is the gold standard for treating sleep-disordered breathing, significantly reducing apnea-hypopnea index (AHI) and improving patient quality of life, but many patients struggle with adherence due to discomfort.

Emerging treatments like the hypoglossal nerve stimulator and phrenic nerve stimulator offer promising alternatives by directly stimulating nerves to alleviate airflow obstruction and stabilize breathing patterns, respectively, thus improving AHI severity and quality of life for patients with obstructive and central sleep apnea.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Advances in Treatment of Sleep-Disordered Breathing. Lou, BX., Greenberg, H., Korotun, M.[2021]

In a study of 23 unmedicated patients with major depressive disorder, it was found that lower baseline REM density in sleep correlated with a greater antidepressant response to late-night partial sleep deprivation, suggesting REM density may be a marker for treatment response.

The study indicates that increased REM density could be linked to poorer prognosis in psychiatric disorders, highlighting its potential role in understanding depression and treatment outcomes.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Preliminary evidence of an association between increased REM density and poor antidepressant response to partial sleep deprivation. Clark, C., Dupont, R., Golshan, S., et al.[2019]

In a 25-day trial involving 18 patients with treatment-resistant depression, periodic sleep deprivation combined with ongoing medication showed better results than medication alone, suggesting a potential enhancement in treatment efficacy.

Some patients experienced rapid recovery after just one or a few sessions of sleep deprivation, indicating that this approach may accelerate remission from depressive episodes.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Periodic sleep deprivation in drug-refractory depression. Dessauer, M., Goetze, U., Tölle, R.[2018]

Sleep deprivation significantly impairs cognitive performance, affecting areas such as attention, memory, and overall cognitive speed, which can lead to serious social and health-related consequences.

Chronic sleep restriction can cause cognitive deficits to accumulate over time, often without the individual realizing it, and genetic factors may influence how vulnerable a person is to these cognitive impairments from sleep loss.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Neurocognitive consequences of sleep deprivation. Goel, N., Rao, H., Durmer, JS., et al.[2022]

Citations

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pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4075951/

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The consequences of sleep deprivation and daytime sleepiness are especially problematic to college students and can result in lower grade point averages, ...

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academic.oup.com

academic.oup.com/sleep/article/43/10/zsaa078/5822126

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We conclude that sleeping 1.5–2 hours less than usual leads to faster response speed, but more commission errors and decreased positive affect.

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sciencedirect.com

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Subjective sleep quality improved, while sleep need (p < 0.001) and fatigue (p < 0.001) deepened. These effects declined rapidly after one recovery night.

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jcsm.aasm.org

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In summary, when sleep duration in healthy adults was experimentally reduced <7 h per night, many waking neurobehavioral functions progressively deteriorated. A ...

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ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

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Sleep loss and sleep disorders have been associated with a wide range of deleterious health consequences including an increased risk of hypertension, diabetes, ...

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ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

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A review of the relevant literature over the past 15 years reveals that insufficient sleep (or partial sleep deprivation) has a variety of adverse effects.

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acog.org

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bcmj.org

bcmj.org/articles/impact-sleep-deprivation-resident-physicians-physician-and-patient-safety-it-time-wake-call

The impact of sleep deprivation in resident physicians on ...

There is mounting evidence that sleep deprivation has long-term health consequences such as premature death, cardiovascular death, obesity, and ...