Can poor sleep make you hurt more? study probes Insomnia's link to pain
NCT ID NCT07827664
First seen Sep 18, 2026 · Last updated Sep 18, 2026
Summary
Researchers at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University are investigating how insomnia affects pain sensitivity and the soreness that follows exercise. The study compares healthy adults with insomnia to those without, measuring their responses to heat, pressure, and pinprick stimuli. Participants also perform a hamstring exercise to induce muscle soreness, which researchers track over time. The goal is to understand whether poor sleep makes people more sensitive to pain.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- eccentric hamstring exercise
- What this could lead to
- If the study finds a link, it could inform sleep-focused strategies to prevent or manage muscle pain.
- What could go wrong
- This small observational study cannot prove cause and effect, and results may not apply to people with chronic pain or other sleep disorders.
This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.
Study facts
What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.
- Participants
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About 80 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Started
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Aug 2026
- Expected to finish
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Aug 2027
An estimate. End dates often move.
- Lead sponsor
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Other sponsor
The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.
Who can take part
This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.
Who is studied
Healthy Adult with or without insomnia
- Ages
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18 to 60 years
- Sex
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Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
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Accepted
You do not need to have the condition being studied to take part.
Show the full entry requirements Hide the full entry requirements
Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.
Inclusion Criteria: * Adults aged 18 to 60 years * Right hand and foot dominant Exclusion Criteria: * History of any chronic musculoskeletal pain or presence of existing pain during recruitment * Previous major injuries or surgery involving the lower limbs * Sleep disorders other than insomnia * Clinically diagnosed psychiatric disorders * Contraindications to vigorous exercise identified through the physical activity readiness questionnaire (PAR-Q) * Work night shifts or rotating shift schedules * Pregnant
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Conditions
The condition(s) this trial relates to.
As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
How to take part
Only the study team decides who joins. These are the ways to reach them.
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The places running it
1 site. The list below names each one and where it is.
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The official record
ClinicalTrials.gov lists the study team's own contact details, including names and phone numbers. We don't republish those.
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A doctor treating you
A doctor who knows your case can contact a study site on your behalf, and can tell you whether this study is worth pursuing at all.
Contacts and locations
Locations
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the Hong Kong Polytechnic University
RECRUITINGHong Kong, Hong Kong
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