MedPath

The Sleep Lengthening and Metabolic Health, Body Composition, Energy Balance and Cardiovascular Risk Study

Not Applicable
Completed
Conditions
Sleep
Interventions
Behavioral: Sleep Lengthening
Registration Number
NCT02787577
Lead Sponsor
King's College London
Brief Summary

Short sleep duration has been associated with increased risk of weight gain and development of non-communicable diseases. Sleep deprivation studies have suggested the link between restricted sleep and risk of adiposity and cardiometabolic dysregulation may be causal. However, the severity and acuteness of sleep restriction schedules in laboratory-based studies could hinder the ecological validity of the findings. The pragmatic way forward is to assess how improved sleep in habitually short sleepers impacts the aforementioned outcomes. This study assesses the feasibility of lengthening sleep in short sleepers, as well as how improved sleep duration and/or quality impact metabolic health, body composition, energy balance and cardiovascular risk.

Detailed Description

Research Questions

* Is it feasible to improve sleep duration and quality in habitually short sleepers under free-living conditions?

* What are the effects of improved sleep duration and quality on body composition, energy balance, dietary intake, and cardio-metabolic risk factors?

Hypothesis

- Improved sleep duration and/or quality in habitually short sleepers will result in improved energy balance, diet quality, body composition, and cardio-metabolic risk profile.

Aims

* To assess the feasibility of improving sleep duration and/or quality in habitually short sleepers using behavioural approaches and public health messages targeting sleep hygiene.

* To identify how improved sleep duration and/or quality affect energy balance, diet quality, body composition, and cardio-metabolic risk profile.

Objectives

1. To develop a sleep extension strategy using behaviour change techniques (BCTs) targeting sleep hygiene.

2. To recruit healthy adults who are habitually short sleepers and randomise eligible participants to an intervention and control group.

3. To assess the feasibility and effectiveness of the intervention.

4. To measure energy balance, diet quality, body composition and cardio-metabolic risk factors pre- and post-treatment in the intervention and control groups.

5. To assess whether the intervention had an effect on the aforementioned parameters by comparing the intervention endpoints to control as well as baseline measures.

6. To run the statistical analysis both on an intention-to-treat basis as well as per-protocol.

Recruitment & Eligibility

Status
COMPLETED
Sex
All
Target Recruitment
43
Inclusion Criteria
  • Healthy male and female adults (18-64 years)
  • Habitually short sleepers (5-<7 hours of sleep per night on average on weekdays) - this is self-reported at screening, and confirmed by actigraphy when baseline measurement is taken.
  • BMI: 18.5 - <30
Exclusion Criteria
  • Diagnosed medical conditions such as:
  • Cardiovascular disease
  • Type 1 or Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus
  • Cancer (excluding basal carcinoma) in the past five years
  • Chronic renal or liver disease
  • Inflammatory bowel disease
  • Hypo/hyperthyroidism
  • Sleep conditions:
  • Chronic use of sleeping aid medication
  • Insomnia (Insomnia Severity Index - ISI Questionnaire)
  • Sleep apnoea (Berlin Questionnaire)
  • Extreme Chronotype (HorneOstberg questionnaire)
  • Pregnancy or lactation
  • Weight change of >3 kg in the previous two months
  • Previous or current high alcohol intake (>28 units/week for males and >21 units/week for females) or substance abuse
  • Smoking
  • Working hours outside 7 am - 7 pm
  • Habitual napping (>20 minutes per day on a regular basis)
  • Obliged to wake and care for family/friends (e.g. new born child etc)
  • Use of antidepressants
  • Depressed mood (Center of Epidemiologic Studies of Depression 20-item scale questionnaire)
  • Travel arrangements outside time zone within the periods of data collection
  • Travel arrangements outside time zone within period of intervention/control condition
  • Inability to adhere to a sleep hygiene intervention/sleep schedule due to time commitments

Study & Design

Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Study Design
PARALLEL
Arm && Interventions
GroupInterventionDescription
Sleep LengtheningSleep LengtheningThe intervention group will receive a personalised sleep consultation session to lengthen sleep by 1-1.5 hours per night by targeting sleep hygiene using behaviour change techniques for 4 weeks.
Primary Outcome Measures
NameTimeMethod
Sleep Qualityweek 4

Wrist Actigraphy

Sleep Durationweek 4

Wrist Actigraphy

Secondary Outcome Measures
NameTimeMethod
Blood pressureday 28
Fasting triglyceridesday 28
plasma leptinday 28
plasma cortisolday 28
Fasting blood glucoseday 28
Body fat percentageday 28
plasma insulinday 28
Digital volume pulse - Reflection Index (RI)day 28
Dietary Intake (7-day food diary)week 4
Sleep Hygiene Index (SHI)day 28
BMIday 28
Fasting total cholesterolday 28
Fasting HDL cholesterolday 28
plasma ghrelinday 28
Homeostasis model assessment estimated insulin resistance (HOMA-IR)day 28
Waist circumferenceday 28
Lean body massday 28
Digital volume pulse - Stiffness Index (SI)day 28
Urinary 6-sulphatoxymelatoninday 28

Analysed from spot urine sample

Recent Physical Activity Questionnaire (RPAQ)day 28
Fasting LDL cholesterolday 28
Hip circumferenceday 28
Resting Metabolic Rate (RMR)day 28
Mnemonic Similarity Test (MST)day 28
Total Energy Expenditure (TEE)day 21-23
Eating Choices Index (ECI)day 28
Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI)day 28

Trial Locations

Locations (1)

Diabetes & Nutritional Sciences Division, King's College London

🇬🇧

London, United Kingdom

© Copyright 2025. All Rights Reserved by MedPath