The main goal of this study is to evaluate whether a manually determined sleep extension intervention is effective at improving sleep and related outcomes among adults who find it difficult to get enough sleep.
Approximately 1/3 of Americans sleep ≤6h per night, an amount that has been deemed sub-optimal by the American Academy of Sleep Medicine and Sleep Research Society, the National Sleep Foundation, American Thoracic Society, and the American Heart Association. These consensus statements echo findings from many reviews on this topic. This is alarming, given epidemiologic and experimental research showing that reduced sleep time is associated with a variety of negative health outcomes including obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and mortality. Different people may need different amounts of sleep and some people may not be able to make large changes to their sleep schedule all at once. Many individuals have situational constraints that change over time. As such, short sleep represents an unmet public health problem. There are, however, no empirically supported interventions for insufficient sleep. The proposed study addresses this critical gap by evaluating the efficacy of a novel intervention that is theoretically grounded, feasible, and has positive impacts on sleep duration. The intervention in the proposed study is by design self-correcting, individually-tailored, and not dependent on unknown individual sleep needs. It can adapt to any schedule and situation and can adapt to changes in a person's sleep schedule.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
OTHER
Masking
NONE
Enrollment
1,038
Based on the participant's sleep diary data, a new weekly sleep schedule will be prescribed as follows: if sleep efficiency is \<85%, the prescribed time in bed is reduced by 15 minutes (reducing sleep opportunity by 15 minutes); if sleep efficiency is 85-90%, the schedule remains unchanged; if sleep efficiency is \>90%, the prescribed time in bed is increased by 15 minutes, allowing an extra 15 minutes of sleep opportunity.
Based on the participant's Fitbit data, a new weekly sleep schedule will be prescribed as follows: if sleep efficiency is \<85%, the prescribed time in bed is reduced by 15 minutes (reducing sleep opportunity by 15 minutes); if sleep efficiency is 85-90%, the schedule remains unchanged; if sleep efficiency is \>90%, the prescribed time in bed is increased by 15 minutes, allowing an extra 15 minutes of sleep opportunity.
University of Arizona
Tucson, Arizona, United States
RECRUITINGSleep Duration
Measured in minutes. It is trended from enrollment until the end of the study
Time frame: 9 weeks from enrollment to the end of the study
Sleepiness/Fatigue
Assessed pre and post-study using questionnaires
Time frame: 9 weeks from enrollment to end of the study
Mental Health
Assessed pre and post-study using questionnaires
Time frame: 9 weeks from enrollment to the end of the study
Cognitive Functioning
Assessed pre and post-study using questionnaires
Time frame: 9 weeks from enrollment to the end of the study
This platform is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional.