What is Sleep?
Although everyone needs to sleep to maintain their health, the question “what is sleep?” has proven surprisingly difficult. During the state of sleep, the brain exhibits profound changes.
It is now believed the function of sleep is to clear metabolic waste products from the pathways of the brain. This helps explain why healthy sleep must be sufficient in both duration and depth.

What Conditions Are Associated With Sleep?
The most common health condition associated with sleep is insomnia. Insomnia is difficulty falling asleep, staying asleep, or both. Sleep disturbances can be physiological in nature (for example, Restless Legs Syndrome) or psychological (for example, nightmares.)
Experts have estimated that about 25% of Americans develop some degree of insomnia in any given year. In 75% of cases, it passes without long-term damage to sleep habits.
Other common sleep disorders include:
- Snoring
- Sleep apnea, “pauses” in breathing often caused by soft tissue blockage in the airway
- Sleep hypoventilation, trouble breathing in sleep caused by respiratory muscle weakness
- Restless Legs Syndrome, which causes discomfort only alleviated by moving the legs
- Bruxism, the grinding of the teeth during sleep, which can damage the teeth and jaw
Sleep medicine experts also recognize several less common sleep disorders. These include things like narcolepsy, nightmares and night terrors, and Rapid Eye Movement Behavior Disorder.
Maintaining Sleep Health
Many chronic sleep conditions arise with no known cause. However, maintaining good sleep hygiene can help. Sleep hygiene refers to the whole collection of habits that affect sleep health.
In general, it is a good idea to develop a consistent bedtime and routine for “going to bed.” Discontinue the use of phones and other “screens” an hour before bed, since the blue light of these devices inhibits the brain’s natural response to reduced lighting at night.
Remember, many factors can contribute to sleep health issues:
- Certain medications, such as those used for high blood pressure and asthma
- Chronic pain disorders and other conditions that cause persistent discomfort
- Stress in your personal or work life and conditions like anxiety or depression
Each individual has a slight variance in sleep need. Likewise, the duration of sleep needed does change depending on life stage. However, it is important to know everyone needs about eight hours of nightly sleep to maintain mental and physical health.
Medical Research on Sleep
With the answers to key questions on “why do we sleep?” coming into view, sleep researchers are continuing to pursue clinical sleep studies looking for new sleep disorder treatments.
Sleep clinical care has undergone revolutionary changes in recent years thanks to imaging technology that precisely pinpoints sleep-related changes in the human brain at any age.
Current Clinical Trials on Sleep
This list includes all clinical trials on sleep recognized by ClinicalTrials.gov. To add sleep clinical trials to our list, contact us.
- The Cardiovascular Consequences of Sleep Apnea Plus COPD (Overlap Syndrome)on April 18, 2025 at 4:00 am
Conditions: Obstructive Sleep Apnea; Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease; Overlap Syndrome Interventions: Device: bi-level positive pressure non invasive ventilation; Drug: Oxygen gas Sponsors: University of California, San Diego Recruiting
- Sleep Health Care in Pregnancy: A Randomized Controlled Trialon April 18, 2025 at 4:00 am
Conditions: Pregnancy Related Interventions: Behavioral: Sleep intervention Sponsors: National Taiwan University Hospital Recruiting
- Evaluating the Genetics and Immunology of Periodic Fever, Aphthous Stomatitis, Pharyngitis, and Cervical Adenitis (PFAPA) Syndrome and Other Tonsil Disorderson April 18, 2025 at 4:00 am
Conditions: Periodic Fever, Aphthous Stomatitis, Pharyngitis, And Cervical Adenitis (Pfapa); Obstructive Sleep Apnea; Tonsillitis; Tonsil Disorder; Sleep Disordered Breathing Sponsors: National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) Recruiting
- Effectiveness of Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation of the Default Mode Network to Improve Sleep - Clinical Trialon April 18, 2025 at 4:00 am
Conditions: Insomnia Interventions: Device: Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS); Other: Sham Sponsors: University of Arizona; U.S. Army Medical Research Acquisition Activity Recruiting
- A Master Protocol for Orforglipron in Participants With Obstructive Sleep Apnea and Obesity or Overweighton April 18, 2025 at 4:00 am
Conditions: OSA; Overweight or Obesity Interventions: Drug: Orforglipron; Drug: Placebo Sponsors: Eli Lilly and Company Recruiting
- UrbanHEAT: Health Behaviors, Outcomes, and Disparities in Individually Experienced Temperature Across an Urban Communityon April 18, 2025 at 4:00 am
Conditions: Temperature Sponsors: National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities (NIMHD); National Institute of Nursing Research (NINR) Recruiting
- Rhythm Express Wearable System vs. Simultaneous Polysomnography for the Diagnosis of Obstructive Sleep Apnea in Adults With Suspected or Observed Atrial Fibrillationon April 18, 2025 at 4:00 am
Conditions: Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA); Atrial Fibrillation (Paroxysmal); Palpitations Interventions: Device: Rhythm Express Wearable System Sponsors: VivaQuant Recruiting
- Evaluation of Sleep Changes in Inflammatory Bowel Diseases (IBD) Patients.on April 18, 2025 at 4:00 am
Conditions: Disease Bowel; Crohn Disease; Ulcerative Colitis Interventions: Other: Sleep activity; Other: Questionnaires Sponsors: Hospices Civils de Lyon Recruiting
- Assessment of Usability and Preliminary Effectiveness of a Digital Sleep Aid in an Italian Sampleon April 17, 2025 at 4:00 am
Conditions: Insomnia Chronic; Insomnia Interventions: Behavioral: Digital Health Technology for Chronic Insomnia; Behavioral: Treatment as Usual (TAU) Sponsors: Universita di Verona; Santer Reply S.p.A. Milan, Italy; daVi Digital Medicine s.r.l. Verona, Italy; QStep s.r.l. Verona, Italy; Fondazione RIDE2Med, Milan, Italy Recruiting
- Low Sodium Oxybate in Patients With Idiopathic Hypersomniaon April 17, 2025 at 4:00 am
Conditions: Idiopathic Hypersomnia Interventions: Drug: Low Sodium Oxybate; Diagnostic Test: 24-hour polysomnography; Device: Nextsense EEG earbuds; Device: Axivity device Sponsors: Mayo Clinic Recruiting
- Assessment of Sleep Quality in Patients Treated for Cancer Between 15 and 24 Years of Ageon April 17, 2025 at 4:00 am
Conditions: Cancer Survivors Interventions: Other: Survey of sleep quality and associated factors Sponsors: Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Nice Recruiting
- Feasibility and Preliminary Efficacy of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) for Sleep Disturbances in Adults With Sickle Cell Disease (SCD)on April 16, 2025 at 4:00 am
Conditions: Sickle Cell Disease; Sickle Cell Anemia; Insomnia; Sleeplessness; Transient Insomnia; Nonorganic Insomnia; Chronic Insomnia Interventions: Behavioral: ACT Intervention; Behavioral: Waitlist Sponsors: National Cancer Institute (NCI) Recruiting
Why Are More Clinical Trials on Sleep Necessary?
There may be no single “cure for insomnia”, but clinical trials on sleep help doctors develop effective sleep disorder treatment protocols for the various situations where sleep is disturbed.
Ongoing sleep research continues to redefine what we know about each of these conditions. Insomnia treatments are just one of the new sleep clinical resources coming from this effort.
Conclusion
The majority of American adults experience sleep disturbances at some point in life. With that in mind, clinical trials on sleep truly affect everyone. Unfortunately, sleep disorders are under-diagnosed – and those who suffer often do not pursue treatment. Participating in clinical studies on sleep is one way to help ensure you, and others, will rest better.
Content Box
- https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/06/180605154114.htm
- https://www.sleephealthfoundation.org.au/pdfs/Insomnia.pdf
- https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/wellness-and-prevention/the-future-of-sleep-studies
- https://www.sleepfoundation.org/insomnia/what-insomnia
- https://medlineplus.gov/sleepdisorders.html
- https://www.sleepfoundation.org/articles/sleep-hygiene