Short Sleep Clinical Trial
Official title:
Sleep Extension in Overweight Short Sleepers: A Randomised Controlled Trial:
The study aims to examine the effects of a sleep extension intervention on the metabolic and cardio-vascular profile of obese people who present traditional diabetes risk factors, and who are habitually sleep deprived. Participants randomized to the intervention arm will complete a 6-week sleep extension intervention, whilst the control group will maintain their habitual sleep schedule. It is hypothesized that the sleep extension intervention will significantly increase total sleep time, and will be accompanied by significant metabolic-related changes.
Recent epidemiological (survey) research, conducted in both in healthy populations and among
those with existing chronic disease, shows that insufficient sleep can significantly
contribute to ill health (including diabetes, heart disease and obesity). These findings have
also been accompanied by credible explanatory mechanisms emphasising the role of sleep in
regulating appetite, satiety, glucose and daytime stamina. Sleep extension, therefore, is a
largely unexplored pathway for improving individual health, and reducing an existing risk of
diabetes. If successful, increased sleep duration and quality could be adopted as an
achievable public health intervention.
The study aims to recruit a total of 20 men, overweight, presenting traditional risks of
developing diabetes, who are habitually short sleepers. Participants are then randomized,
stratified by weight status, to a sleep extension group, or a control sleep monitoring group.
Baseline measures include sleep actigraphy, continuous glucose monitoring, blood pressure,
and a mixed-meal tolerance test; after the 6-week intervention, the same measures are
repeated.
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