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Which sleep aid works best? major study pits popular pills Head-to-Head
NCT ID NCT07542756
First seen Jun 27, 2026 · Last updated Sep 17, 2026 · Updated 2 times
Summary
This study compares the effectiveness, safety, and long-term benefits of commonly used insomnia medications, including prescription drugs like zolpidem and trazodone, and over-the-counter options like melatonin and diphenhydramine. Researchers will enroll 1,200 adults with chronic insomnia to see which treatments work best after one month and up to six months. The goal is to provide clear guidance on the best choices for managing insomnia.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- zolpidem, trazodone, melatonin, diphenhydramine, doxepin
- What this could lead to
- If successful, this trial could help doctors and patients choose the safest and most effective insomnia medication based on real-world evidence.
- What could go wrong
- This is a Phase 4 trial, so medications are already approved, but results may show that no single drug works best for everyone, and side effects could limit use.
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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Phase 4
Runs after approval, following long-term safety and how well the treatment works in everyday use.
- Participants
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About 1,200 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Started
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May 2026
- Expected to finish
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Jan 2032
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 80 years
- 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 * Adults aged 18-80 years. * Meet DSM-5 criteria for Insomnia Disorder. * Score ≥15 on the Insomnia Severity Index (ISI). * Sleep initiation and/or maintenance complaints: ≥30 minutes in duration, occurring ≥3 nights/week, with a duration of ≥3 months. * Willingness to discontinue use of all sleep-related medications prior to enrollment. * Completion of a 2-week washout period before starting any study medication. * Willingness to provide clinician assent for participation. Exclusion Criteria Patients will be ineligible if they meet any of the following criteria: self-reported daytime napping (≥1 hour per day on ≥3 days per week); a history of suicidal attempts or current ideation, acute or chronic psychiatric or medical condition not controlled by therapy (according to their primary care physician), or current alcohol or drug misuse; or the diagnoses of (or high risk for) other sleep disorders, including circadian rhythm disorders (phase advance or phase delay syndromes), shift work related sleep disorder ("day sleepers" who work \~11pm to 7am) and those with rotating shiftwork schedules. To determine eligibility, all subjects will be screened using a multitier process including: an online screener; an intake interview; a review of the subjects EMR; and, finally, the receipt of the patient's PCP's assent. The following provides additional listing and details (AD) for the Exclusion Criteria: General Considerations * Age \< 18 or \> 80 years old * Inadequate English language comprehension * Minimal facility with smartphones, computers, i-Pads, or the internet. Women's Health Given the potential for teratogenic effects with at least trazodone (FDA Class C), women intending to become pregnant, or who are pregnant, or who are breastfeeding will not be eligible for the study. Women will be asked to confirm the use of birth control using self-report and, if applicable, by providing evidence of contraceptive medication (e.g., prescription or pill pack). We will perform a urine pregnancy test at baseline for female participants who are of reproductive age to confirm eligibility. At study enrollment, participants will be told to alert the study team and stop taking study medications if they become pregnant. Participants will be asked to test for pregnancy in the event of a missed cycle. Medical and Psychiatric Considerations * Acute or unstable psychiatric conditions * Unstable medical condition, significant medical disorder, or acute illness (as determined by their PCP), within one month prior to the study period. * Significant liver or kidney problems * Pheochromocytoma or porphyria (contraindicated for trazodone) * Epilepsy or Seizure Disorder (contraindicated for trazodone) * Glaucoma or urinary retention (contraindicated for doxepin) * Increased ocular pressure (contraindicated for diphenhydramine) * Diagnosis of alcohol or substance use disorder within 2 years prior to the screening visit * Inability to refrain from drinking alcohol or substance use for at least 3 consecutive days Sleep Disorders and Sleep Habits * Any lifetime history of (diagnosis of) breathing disorders, including COPD and sleep apnea. * Shift work related sleep disorder (work \~11pm to 7am and "day sleeper") and rotating shiftwork schedules * Circadian rhythm disorders (phase advance or phase delay syndromes) * Self-reported usual daytime napping ≥1 hour per day (3 or more days per week) Medications and Concomitant meds * Known hypersensitivity or contraindication to study drugs * Known hypersensitivity or contraindication to drugs of the same class as the study treatments * Known hypersensitivity or contraindication to any excipients of the study drug formulation * Treatment with CNS active drugs prohibited by the protocol for five half-lives of the respective drug (or 2 weeks) Lifestyle * Heavy tobacco use (≥1 pack of cigarettes a day or inability to refrain from smoking during the night) * Not able or willing to stop treatment with moderate or strong cytochrome P450 3A4 (CYP3A4) inhibitors
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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 Pennsylvania
RECRUITINGPhiladelphia, Pennsylvania, 19104, United States
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