Sleepless in the lab: study reveals how aging and All-Nighters wreck your brain
NCT ID NCT00804804
First seen Jun 27, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026
Summary
This study looked at how getting older and missing sleep affect thinking skills like attention and impulse control. 28 healthy volunteers stayed awake for 40 hours or took short naps in a controlled lab setting. Researchers tested their mental performance every few hours to see how sleep pressure and body clocks influence the brain.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- What this could lead to
- If successful, this study could help explain how sleep loss and aging affect decision-making and attention, pointing toward better sleep guidelines for older adults.
- What could go wrong
- This is a small, early-stage observational study with only 28 participants. It does not test any treatment, so findings may not apply broadly or lead directly to medical changes.
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.
- Phase
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Not a phased trial
Phase numbers describe drug development. The registry uses this when they do not apply, as it does for trials of devices, procedures or behaviour changes, and for observational studies.
- Participants
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About 28 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Start date
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Dec 2008
- Finished
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Feb 2011
- 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.
- Ages
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20 to 75 years
- Sex
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Male participants only
- 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: * excessive daytime sleepiness (Epworth Sleepiness Scale score \> 9), * sleep complaint such as sleep apnea or insomnia (Basic Nordic Sleep Questionnaire, items score \< 4 except questions 3, 4 and 15a for aged volunteers), * not intermediate in terms of morningness and eveningness according to the Horne-Ostberg questionnaire for young volunteers * absence of psychopathology evidenced during psychologist interview or on the Symptom Check List (SCL-90R score\>59) * sleep efficiency evidenced by actimetry (\>85%) during 7 days * absence of apnea/hypopnea syndrome (RDI\<15) * absence of periodic movement disorder (MPS\<15) * regular sleep schedule during 3 days before study participation * affiliated to the french health care system Exclusion Criteria: * volunteers with sleep disorders or organic disorders affecting sleep, * poor sleep hygiene or abnormal usual sleep patterns, * night workers or shift-workers, * substance abusers (caffeine, drug, or alcohol).
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Genom att skicka in godkänner du våra Användarvillkor
As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
Contacts and locations
Locations
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Genpphass
Bordeaux, 33076, France
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Medes-Imps
Toulouse, 31405, France
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Uh Purpan
Toulouse, 31300, France
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