Could a common sleep drug ease sleep apnea? small trial hints at possibility

NCT ID NCT05763329

Completed Symptom relief Sponsor: Chulalongkorn University Source: ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

First seen Jun 24, 2026 · Last updated Jun 26, 2026 · Updated 1 time

Summary

This small study tested whether the sleep medication lemborexant (Dayvigo) can help people with moderate-to-severe obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) who have a low arousal threshold—meaning they wake up easily during sleep. Ten untreated adults each took the drug or a placebo on two separate nights in a sleep lab. Researchers measured breathing pauses, oxygen levels, and sleep quality to see if lemborexant could improve sleep without making apnea worse.

What this could mean

Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only — not medical advice or a prediction.

Active substance: Lemborexant (Dayvigo) 5 mg oral tablet
What this could lead to: If it works, this could point toward a new way to treat sleep apnea by helping people stay asleep without worsening breathing pauses.
What could go wrong: This is a very small, early-phase trial with only 10 people, so results may not apply widely. The drug could also cause daytime sleepiness or other side effects.

This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.

Get updates

Get notified about this study

Sign up to get updates when this study changes or when new studies for OSA are added.

Our safety recommendation!

By submitting, you agree to our Terms of use

Conditions

The condition(s) this trial relates to.

Apnea obstructive sleep apnea syndrome

As listed by the trial registrant

The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.

OSA

Contacts and locations

Locations

Chulalongkorn University

Pathum Wan, Bangkok, 10330, Thailand

More trials for these conditions

Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.