Can talk therapy for sleep tame your stress hormones?
NCT ID NCT07156383
First seen Jun 27, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026
Summary
This study looks at how Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia (CBT-I) affects the body's stress system, including the hormone cortisol. Researchers will track 115 adults with chronic insomnia, measuring sleep and stress markers before, during, and after therapy. The goal is to understand why CBT-I works and whether it helps people with short sleep more than those who sleep longer.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia (CBT-I)
- What this could lead to
- If successful, this could clarify how CBT-I works on a biological level, potentially leading to more targeted insomnia treatments.
- What could go wrong
- This is an early-stage mechanistic study, not a treatment trial. It may not produce clear results, and findings may not apply to all insomnia patients.
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 115 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Started
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Sep 2025
- Expected to finish
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Aug 2027
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 years and older
- Sex
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Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
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Not accepted
This study is not open to healthy volunteers. The entry requirements below say who it is open to.
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: * At least 18-years-old * Speaks English * Meets DSM-5 criteria for Insomnia Disorder, determined through initial screener than verified during brief clinical interview (at intake) Exclusion Criteria: * Sleep disorders other than Insomnia * Endocrine disorders * Extreme sleep schedule (i.e. shift workers) * Currently taking sleep medication * Currently taking medication for endocrine dysfunction * Currently taking medication that interferes with sleep or cortisol levels * Excessive alcohol/substance use or AUD/SUD * Serious mental illness * Chronic medical conditions (which may be exacerbated by sleep restriction) * Pregnant or nursing women * Women in the peri-menopausal stage due to irregular menses and fluctuations in sex hormones.
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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.
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 Notre Dame
RECRUITINGNotre Dame, Indiana, 46556, United States
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