Sleepless nights may change how your painkillers work
NCT ID NCT04299490
First seen Jun 26, 2026 · Last updated Jun 26, 2026
Summary
This study looks at how disrupted sleep changes the way common drugs (like painkillers, stimulants, and sedatives) work in the body. Researchers will disturb the sleep of 148 healthy adults in a lab and then measure how their brains respond to these drugs, including pain relief and potential for abuse. The goal is to understand if poor sleep makes medications more or less effective or risky.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only — not medical advice or a prediction.
Active substance
sleep fragmentation (behavioral) and various drugs (stimulant, benzodiazepine, opioid, cannabinoid, over-the-counter pain medication, or placebo)
What this could lead to
If successful, this study could help doctors understand how sleep problems change the way painkillers and other drugs work, leading to safer prescribing for people with poor sleep.
What could go wrong
This is a small, early-phase study in healthy volunteers, not patients. The lab-based sleep disruption may not reflect real-world sleep issues, and results may not apply to people with chronic pain or sleep disorders.
Disclaimer
Read more
Show less
This is a summary of
the original study
.
Summaries may miss details or leave out important information. Before applying or accepting participation, make sure you have read and understood the full study. Curemydisease.com takes no responsibility whatsoever for anything missed, misunderstood, or acted upon as a result of our summary — we know it does not capture everything.
This is a summary of the original study . Summaries may miss details or leave out important information. Before applying or accepting participation, make sure you have read and understood the full study. Curemydisease.com takes no responsibility whatsoever for anything missed, misunderstood, or acted upon as a result of our summary — we know it does not capture everything.
Get updates
Get notified about this study
Sign up to get updates when this study changes or when new studies for HEALTHY are added.
By submitting, you agree to our Terms of use
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.
Contacts and locations
Show contact details
Enter your email to view the contact information for this study.
By submitting, you agree to our Terms of use
Locations
-
Johns Hopkins School of Medicine
Baltimore, Maryland, 21224, United States