Zapping your brain to sleep: new study tests personalized stimulation for insomnia
NCT ID NCT07211646
First seen Jun 27, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026
Summary
This study tests whether gentle electrical stimulation to the brain can improve sleep quality and help people with insomnia fall asleep faster. Researchers will compare a personalized stimulation approach to a fixed one and a sham (fake) stimulation. 1000 adults aged 18-75 with insomnia are taking part.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- transcranial electrical stimulation (tES)
- What this could lead to
- If it works, this could offer a non-drug way to improve sleep quality and help people with insomnia fall asleep faster.
- What could go wrong
- This is an early-stage study testing different stimulation methods, so it's not yet proven effective. The effects may be small or vary from person to person.
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
-
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
-
About 1,000 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Started
-
May 2019
- Expected to finish
-
Dec 2028
An estimate. End dates often move.
- Lead sponsor
-
A company
The lead sponsor is a pharmaceutical, biotech, or medical-device company.
Who can take part
This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.
- Ages
-
18 to 75 years
- Sex
-
Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
-
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: * 18-75 year olds Exclusion Criteria: * Epilepsy * Seizure History * Serious head injury or brain surgery * Migraines * Metal implants in head * Pacemaker or implanted devices * Pregnancy * Any serious medical condition other than insomnia
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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.
Contacts and locations
Locations
-
StimScience
Berkeley, California, 94704, United States
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Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.
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