lthough 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.
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:
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.
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:
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.
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.
This list includes all clinical trials on sleep recognized by ClinicalTrials.gov. To add sleep clinical trials to our list, contact us.
Condition: NarcolepsyInterventions: Device: "MAGSTIM" reprtitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulator (rTMS) System; Device: sham controlSponsor: Chang Gung Memorial HospitalRecruiting
Condition: Sleep-Disordered BreathingIntervention: Other: Home Initiation of NiPPVSponsor: The Hospital for Sick ChildrenRecruiting
Conditions: Pediatric; Critical Illness; Sleep DisturbanceIntervention: Behavioral: Sleep educationSponsor: Oregon Health and Science UniversityRecruiting
Conditions: Cardiometabolic Syndrome; ObesityInterventions: Behavioral: Intermittent Short Sleep (ISS); Behavioral: Social Jetlag (SJL); Behavioral: Sustained Adequate Sleep (SAS)Sponsors: Columbia University; Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai; University of Colorado, Denver; National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI)Recruiting
Condition: Post-stroke DisordersIntervention: Device: polysomnographySponsor: Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Agostino Gemelli IRCCSRecruiting
Condition: Osteo-arthritisInterventions: Dietary Supplement: Q-actin; Dietary Supplement: PlaceboSponsors: Aberystwyth University; Phytoquest Ltd; Gateway Health Alliances, Inc; Welsh GovernmentRecruiting
Conditions: Weakness, Muscle; Muscle Tightness; Range of Motion; Pain; Heart Rate; SpO2; Sleep QualityInterventions: Other: Pilates exercises; Other: YogaSponsor: Riphah International UniversityRecruiting
Conditions: Upper Limb Functions; Sleep Quality; Upper Limb Muscle Strength; Shoulder Mobility; Heart Rate Variability; Mood; Health-related Quality of LifeIntervention: Other: YogaSponsor: The Hong Kong Polytechnic UniversityRecruiting
Condition: LightIntervention: Sponsors: Mental Health Centre Copenhagen; ElforskRecruiting
Conditions: Stroke; Cardiovascular Diseases; Brain Diseases; Vascular Diseases; Insomnia; Sleep Disorder; Sleep DisturbanceIntervention: Behavioral: Mindful music-listening with sleep hygieneSponsors: NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde; University of Glasgow; University of EdinburghRecruiting
Condition: Major Depressive EpisodeIntervention: Sponsor: Assistance Publique - Hôpitaux de ParisRecruiting
Conditions: Critical Illness; Child; Sleep DisorderIntervention: Sponsor: Children's Hospital of Fudan UniversityRecruiting
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.
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.