Sleep Restriction for Glucose Metabolism in Sleep Deprivation

Age: 18 - 65

Sex: Any

Trial Phase: Academic

Sponsor: Brigham and Women's Hospital

Must not be taking: Sleep medications, Hormonal birth control

Disqualifiers: Neurological, Psychiatric, Sleep disorders, others

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

Compensation: Varies

Number of Visits: Unknown

What You Need to Know Before You Apply

What is the purpose of this trial?

This trial aims to determine how sleep restriction affects sugar metabolism in healthy men and women. Participants will either maintain their regular sleep schedule or limit their sleep to 4 hours per night. The researchers seek to identify any differences in sugar processing between these two groups. Healthy adults with regular sleep schedules who can stay at the lab for a total of 10 days may be suitable candidates. As an unphased trial, this study offers a unique opportunity to contribute to understanding the impact of sleep on health.

Will I have to stop taking my current medications?

Yes, you will need to stop taking any current prescription, herbal, or over-the-counter medications, including hormonal birth control, to participate in this trial.

What prior data suggests that sleep restriction is safe for glucose metabolism studies?

Research has shown that getting less sleep can affect the body. In one study, participants who slept only 4 hours a night for six nights experienced a 40% decrease in their ability to process sugar. Another study found that even one night of reduced sleep made people feel more tired and less focused the next day.

Regarding safety, these studies suggest that less sleep can alter sugar metabolism and reduce alertness. While these are not major safety issues, they could impact daily activities. Consider these points when thinking about joining a sleep restriction study. ^{1 2 3 4 5}

Why are researchers excited about this trial?

Researchers are excited about the sleep restriction approach in this trial because it explores how limiting sleep to just four hours a night might impact glucose metabolism, especially in the context of sleep deprivation. Unlike conventional methods that primarily focus on medication or lifestyle changes to manage glucose levels, this research investigates how a specific sleep pattern might directly influence metabolic processes. This could open up new avenues for understanding the relationship between sleep and metabolic health, potentially offering an alternative strategy for managing conditions like diabetes.

What evidence suggests that sleep restriction might affect glucose metabolism?

This trial will compare the effects of sleep restriction with a control condition on glucose metabolism. Research has shown that insufficient sleep can affect how the body processes sugar. For example, one study found that just one night of poor sleep reduced insulin effectiveness by 19–25%. Insulin controls blood sugar levels, so this means the body might struggle to manage sugar properly. Another study found that losing sleep over several nights reduced insulin effectiveness by 20–30%. This suggests that inadequate sleep might make it harder for the body to handle sugar, increasing the risk of diabetes, especially in women. Overall, evidence shows that lack of sleep can negatively impact sugar management in the body. ^{2 6 7 8 9}

Are You a Good Fit for This Trial?

This trial is for healthy adults who sleep and wake at regular times, don't smoke, and women with regular menstrual cycles. Participants must be able to stay in the lab for 10 days across two visits. It's not open to shift workers, those with recent eye trauma or surgery, neurological issues, drug/alcohol dependency, or anyone who has traveled across time zones recently.

Inclusion Criteria

Healthy adults with conventional sleep-wake timing

Completion of medical, psychological, and sleep screening tests

Non-smokers

Exclusion Criteria

Worked night or rotating shift work within past year

I have hearing loss.

Drug or alcohol dependency

Timeline for a Trial Participant

Screening

Participants are screened for eligibility to participate in the trial

2-4 weeks

Control Condition

Participants undergo the control condition with no sleep restriction

4 days

Daily monitoring

Sleep Restriction

Participants undergo sleep restriction to 4 hours/night

3 nights

Daily monitoring

Follow-up

Participants are monitored for safety and effectiveness after treatment

1 week

What Are the Treatments Tested in This Trial?

Interventions

• Sleep restriction

Trial Overview The study investigates how lack of sleep affects sugar processing in the body differently between men and women. Participants will undergo a glucose tolerance test after having their sleep restricted while staying in a laboratory setting.

How Is the Trial Designed?

Group I: Sleep restriction Experimental Treatment 1 Intervention

Participants undergo sleep restriction to 4 hours/night

Group II: Control condition Active Control 1 Intervention

Participants undergo the control condition (no sleep restriction)

Who Is Running the Clinical Trial?

Brigham and Women's Hospital

Lead Sponsor

Trials

1,694

Recruited

14,790,000+

National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK)

Collaborator

Trials

2,513

Recruited

4,366,000+

Published Research Related to This Trial

Prolonged sleep restriction combined with circadian disruption, as experienced by shift workers, negatively impacts glucose regulation and metabolism, leading to increased plasma glucose levels after meals.

After a recovery period of 9 days with adequate sleep and circadian re-entrainment, metabolic parameters returned to normal, suggesting that proper sleep and circadian alignment are crucial for maintaining healthy metabolism.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Adverse metabolic consequences in humans of prolonged sleep restriction combined with circadian disruption. Buxton, OM., Cain, SW., O'Connor, SP., et al.[2022]

Chronic partial sleep loss is linked to an increased risk of obesity and diabetes, as it negatively affects glucose regulation and insulin sensitivity, leading to a higher likelihood of developing diabetes.

Sleep deprivation disrupts appetite regulation by decreasing leptin (which signals fullness) and increasing ghrelin (which promotes hunger), potentially causing individuals to misinterpret their energy needs and leading to overeating.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Associations between sleep loss and increased risk of obesity and diabetes. Knutson, KL., Van Cauter, E.[2022]

Citations

1. pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5393445/

Implications of Sleep Restriction and Recovery on ... In particular, these data show that one (78), six (73), and 14 (74) nights of sleep restriction can each reduce peripheral insulin sensitivity by 20–30%, ...

2. jcsm.aasm.org jcsm.aasm.org/doi/10.5664/jcsm.7758

Effects of Two-Week Sleep Extension on Glucose Metabolism ... In conclusion, sleep extension in chronically sleep-deprived individuals resulted in improved glucose metabolism but only among those who could ...

3. academic.oup.com academic.oup.com/jcem/article/95/6/2963/2598810

Single Night of Partial Sleep Deprivation Induces Insulin ... The results indicate that partial sleep restriction during only a single night reduces insulin sensitivity by 19–25% of hepatic and peripheral glucose ...

4. sciencedirect.com sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0002916522030726

Impact of sleep restriction on metabolic outcomes induced ... Sleep restriction significantly decreased total sleep time, and the duration of stages 1 and 2 and rapid eye movement sleep (all P < 0.001), whereas slow-wave ...

5. cuimc.columbia.edu cuimc.columbia.edu/news/shortening-sleep-time-increases-diabetes-risk-women

Shortening Sleep Time Increases Diabetes Risk in Women Study results. The study found that curtailing sleep by 90 minutes for six weeks increased fasting insulin levels by over 12% overall and by ...

6. pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC1978335/

Behavioral and Physiological Consequences of Sleep ... Several studies have reported an increased incidence and risk of medical disorders and health dysfunction related to shift work schedules, which have been ...

7. academic.oup.com academic.oup.com/sleep/article/48/2/zsae253/7845181

Insights from Ng et al. (2024) | SLEEP | Oxford Academic Spiegel's study restricted participants to 4 h of sleep per night for six consecutive nights, resulting in a 40 per cent reduction in glucose ...

8. sciencedirect.com sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1087079224000443

Impact of one night of sleep restriction on sleepiness and ... Overall, results suggest that a single night of restricted sleep can increase subjective sleepiness and impair sustained attention, a cognitive function crucial ...

9. frontiersin.org frontiersin.org/journals/physiology/articles/10.3389/fphys.2021.764737/full

Chronic Sleep Restriction While Minimizing Circadian ... In a groundbreaking 1999 study, Spiegel and colleagues reported that 1 week of chronic sleep restriction (CSR) in healthy participants reduced glucose tolerance ...