Body clock study reveals when we lose track of time
NCT ID NCT07294781
First seen Jun 27, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026
Summary
This study looks at how the body's internal clock changes our perception of time when we stay awake for 36 hours. Thirty healthy adults will remain awake in a controlled lab, with constant light, posture, and food. Every two hours, they complete tests on time estimation, reaction speed, and mood, while saliva samples track melatonin levels. The goal is to identify when during the day-night cycle people are most prone to time distortions and reduced alertness, which could help improve shift-work scheduling.
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 design better shift schedules to reduce errors and accidents caused by distorted time perception and sleepiness.
- What could go wrong
- This is a small, early-stage observational study in healthy volunteers, so findings may not apply to real-world settings or people with sleep disorders.
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 30 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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Dec 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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23 to 45 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: * Age 23 to 45 years. * Able and willing to provide written informed consent. * Fluent in Danish and able to understand study procedures and instructions. * Generally healthy, as assessed by medical history, screening questionnaires, and basic clinical measures (e.g., blood pressure, heart rate). * Self-reported regular sleep-wake schedule for at least 4 weeks prior to the laboratory visit (typically 6.5-9 hours of sleep per night, with usual sleep period between approximately 22:00-01:00 and 06:00-09:00). * Body mass index (BMI) within a non-extreme range (for example, approximately 18.5-30 kg/m²), if required by the study physician. * No regular night work or rotating shift work during the 3 months before participation. * No travel across more than 2 time zones in the 2 months before the constant-routine session. * Willing to abstain from caffeine, nicotine, alcohol, and recreational drugs for the specified washout periods before and during the 36-hour constant-routine session. * For participants who can become pregnant: negative pregnancy test at screening/arrival and agreement to use reliable contraception for the duration of participation. Exclusion Criteria: * Any known or suspected major sleep disorder (e.g., insomnia disorder, obstructive sleep apnoea, restless legs syndrome, narcolepsy), based on self-report or prior diagnosis. * Current or past major psychiatric or neurological disorders (e.g., major depressive disorder, bipolar disorder, psychotic disorders, epilepsy), unless considered mild and stable and explicitly approved by the study physician. * Chronic medical conditions that could be worsened by prolonged wakefulness or that might confound outcome measures, such as significant cardiovascular disease, uncontrolled hypertension, diabetes mellitus, severe respiratory disease, or other serious systemic illness. * Regular use of medications or supplements that may affect sleep, circadian rhythms, melatonin secretion, alertness, or mood (e.g., hypnotics, sedative-hypnotics, melatonin, stimulants, certain antidepressants or beta-blockers), unless a safe washout is possible and approved by the study physician. * High habitual caffeine intake (for example, \>400 mg/day) or nicotine dependence if the participant is unable or unwilling to abstain for the required washout periods. * Current harmful alcohol use or substance use disorder, or frequent use of recreational drugs. * Pregnancy or breastfeeding. * Previous severe adverse reaction to sleep deprivation, extended wakefulness, or similar laboratory protocols. * Claustrophobia or inability to tolerate prolonged stays in a controlled laboratory environment. * Any condition or circumstance that, in the judgement of the investigators, would make participation unsafe, interfere with the 36-hour wakefulness protocol, or compromise data quality (e.g., inability to remain awake despite support, strong fear of needles or saliva sampling, or inability to comply with study restrictions).
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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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Aarhus University, Department of Psychology and Behavioural Sciences
RECRUITINGAarhus, 8000, Denmark
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