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.
![A Guide to Sleep and Clinical Trials A Guide to Sleep and Clinical Trials](https://staging-wp.policylab.us/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/A-Guide-to-Sleep-and-Clinical-Trials.jpg)
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.
- Updating Deep Learning Algorithms for OSA Monitoringon July 26, 2024 at 4:00 am
Conditions: Obstructive Sleep Apnea; Obstructive Sleep Apnea-hypopnea Interventions: Device: CART-I plus; Device: Polysomnography Sponsors: Sky Labs; Gangnam Severance Hospital Recruiting
- Spanish Registry of Patients With Sleep Apnea and Daytime Sleepinesson July 23, 2024 at 4:00 am
Conditions: Sleep Apnea Interventions: Diagnostic Test: Diagnosis Sponsors: Hospital San Pedro de Logroño Recruiting
- North West London Pebble Pathway: Automated OSA Diagnosison July 18, 2024 at 4:00 am
Conditions: Obstructive Sleep Apnea; Sleep Apnea Interventions: Diagnostic Test: NWL PEBBLE STT Sponsors: Patrik Bachtiger Recruiting
- Free Walking Exercise in Obstructive Sleep Apnea Patients With Non-alcoholic Fatty Liveron July 18, 2024 at 4:00 am
Conditions: Obstructive Sleep Apnea; Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Interventions: Behavioral: continuous positive airway pressure; Behavioral: free walking exercise and continuous positive airway pressure Sponsors: Ahram Canadian University Recruiting
- Time-restricted Eating and Cognitionon July 18, 2024 at 4:00 am
Conditions: Time Restricted Eating; Intermittent Fasting Interventions: Behavioral: Early Time-Restricted Eating; Behavioral: Late Time-Restricted Eating Sponsors: German Institute of Human Nutrition; Prof. Dr. Olga Ramich (German Institute of Human Nutrition); Freie Universität Berlin; German Center for Diabetes Research; Charite University, Berlin, Germany Recruiting
- Effect of Ultrasound-guided Erector Spinae Plane Block on Postoperative Pain and Sleep Quality of Infants With Congenital Pulmonary Cystic Disease After Thoracoscopic Surgeryon July 12, 2024 at 4:00 am
Conditions: Cystic Adenomatoid Malformation of Lung, Congenital; Bronchopulmonary Sequestration; Bronchogenic Cyst Interventions: Drug: Ropivacaine; Procedure: erector spinae plane block; Procedure: Incision infiltration of local anesthesia Sponsors: Lei Xiaoming Recruiting
- Reflexology Versus Acupressure on Sleep Disturbance and Hot Flasheson July 12, 2024 at 4:00 am
Conditions: Postmenopausal Flushing; Hot Flashes Interventions: Other: Foot Reflexology; Other: Acupressure Sponsors: Cairo University Recruiting
- HighCycle Study: Effect of High Altitude on Sleep Disordered Breathing in Women Related to Their Menstrual Cycle Phaseon July 12, 2024 at 4:00 am
Conditions: Sleep-Disordered Breathing Interventions: Other: Exposure to 3600 m Sponsors: University of Zurich; National Center of Cardiology and Internal Medicine named after academician M.Mirrakhimov; University Hospital Heidelberg; Laboratoire des Adaptations Métaboliques à l'Exercice en conditions Physiologiques et Pathologiques Recruiting
- HighCycle Study: Effect of Acetazolamide on Sleep Disordered Breathing in Women Compared to Menon July 12, 2024 at 4:00 am
Conditions: Sleep-Disordered Breathing Interventions: Drug: Acetazolamide; Drug: Placebo Sponsors: University of Zurich; National Center of Cardiology and Internal Medicine named after academician M.Mirrakhimov; University Hospital Heidelberg; Laboratoire des Adaptations Métaboliques à l'Exercice en conditions Physiologiques et Pathologiques Recruiting
- Self-acupressure and Zhan Zhuang for Symptom Cluster Managementon July 12, 2024 at 4:00 am
Conditions: Breast Cancer Female; Survivorship Interventions: Other: zhan-zhuang; Other: self-acupressure Sponsors: The Hong Kong Polytechnic University Recruiting
- Lemborexant on Improving Sleep Quality Among Hospital Rotating Shift Workerson July 11, 2024 at 4:00 am
Conditions: Sleep Interventions: Drug: Lemborexant; Drug: Placebo Sponsors: Phramongkutklao College of Medicine and Hospital; Silpakorn University Recruiting
- Identification and Characterisation of Sleep Disorders in a Population of Patients With Non-small Cell Lung Canceron July 10, 2024 at 4:00 am
Conditions: Cell Lung Cancer; Sleep Disorders Interventions: Other: self-questionnaires exploring Sponsors: University Hospital, Strasbourg, France 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