Power naps get a jolt: electrical brain stimulation aims to fix Non-Restorative sleep
NCT ID NCT07090135
First seen Jun 27, 2026 · Last updated Aug 11, 2026 · Updated 4 times
Summary
This study tests whether gentle electrical stimulation to the brain during a short nap can improve the quality of sleep and reduce mental tiredness. Twenty-five adults with non-restorative sleep will take two naps while wearing a special cap that records brain activity and delivers mild stimulation. Researchers will measure changes in brain waves and sleep quality to see if this approach helps sleep feel more restorative.
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 with temporal interference (TES-TI) device
- What this could lead to
- If it works, this could point toward a drug-free way to improve sleep quality and reduce daytime fatigue.
- What could go wrong
- This is a very early, small study (25 people) testing a device, not a proven treatment. The effects may be small or not last, and the stimulation might cause discomfort or not work for everyone.
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 25 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Started
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Dec 2025
- Expected to finish
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Sep 2026
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.
- Ages
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18 to 75 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 18-75 of any gender identity * Self-reported non-restorative sleep, as measured by a REST-Q score * English-speaking (able to provide consent and complete questionnaires) * Capable of taking daytime naps * US Citizen Exclusion Criteria: * Any current or history of neurological disorders or acquired neurological disease (e.g. stroke, traumatic brain injury), including intracranial lesions * History of inpatient psychiatric hospitalization * History of head trauma resulting in prolonged loss of consciousness; or a history of \>3 grade I concussions * Current history of poorly controlled headaches including intractable or poorly controlled migraines • Any systemic illness or unstable medical condition that may cause a medical emergency in case of a provoked seizure (cardiac malformation, cardiac dysrhythmia, asthma, etc.) * History of seizures, diagnosis of epilepsy, history of abnormal (epileptiform) EEG, or family history of treatment resistant epilepsy except for a single seizure of benign etiology (e.g. febrile seizures) in the judgment of a board-certified neurologist * Possible pregnancy or plan to become pregnant in the next 6 months * Any metal in the head * Any medical devices or implants (i.e. cardiac pacemaker, medication infusion pump, cochlear implant, vagal nerve stimulator) * Dental implants * Permanent retainers * Any hair braid, dreadlocks, hair pieces, or extensions which cannot be taken out before the study sessions * Any head coverings or headdress that participant feels uncomfortable removing for the purposes of study sessions * Any medication that may alter seizure threshold taken during the study i.e., ADHD stimulants (Adderall, amphetamine); Tricyclic/atypical antidepressants (amitriptyline, doxepine, imipramine, maprotiline, nortriptyline, bupropion); Antipsychotics (chlorpromazine, clozapine), Bronchodilators (theophylline, aminophylline); Antibiotics (fluoroquinolones, imipenem, penicillin, cephalosporins, metronidazole, isoniazid); Antivirals (valacyclovir, ritonavir); OTC antihistamines (diphenhydramine, Benadryl) * Claustrophobia (a fear of small or closed places) * Back problems that would prevent lying flat for up to two hours * Regular night-shift work (second or third shift)
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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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University of Wisconsin - Madison
RECRUITINGMadison, Wisconsin, 53705, United States
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