Sleepless nights may hijack your emotions, new study warns
NCT ID NCT05393830
First seen Jun 24, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026 · Updated 2 times
Summary
This study looks at how getting only 4 hours of sleep for three nights, or having insomnia, changes the way people process and control their emotions. Researchers will use brain scans and behavioral tests to compare these groups with people who sleep normally. The goal is to better understand the link between sleep and emotional health.
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 clarify how poor sleep impacts emotional health, pointing toward better sleep-based interventions for mood disorders.
- What could go wrong
- This is a small, early-stage observational study with no treatment being tested. Results may not apply to everyone, and the sleep restriction may cause temporary discomfort.
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 90 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Started
-
May 2023
- Expected to finish
-
Jul 2027
An estimate. End dates often move.
- Lead sponsor
-
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
-
18 to 40 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: * willing and able to follow the protocol * willing and able to meet inclusion criteria for fMRI scanning * willing to refrain from alcohol and recreational drugs for the duration of the protocol * normal or corrected to normal vision is required Exclusion Criteria: * left-handedness or ambidexterity * the use of any drugs that could affect either sleep or cognitive functioning (e.g., prescription sleeping pills or antidepressants)
Get updates
Get notified about this study
Sign up to get updates when this study changes or when new studies for Insomnia are added.
Genom att skicka in godkänner du våra Användarvillkor
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.
-
The places running it
1 site. The list below names each one and where it is.
-
The official record
ClinicalTrials.gov lists the study team's own contact details, including names and phone numbers. We don't republish those.
-
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
-
Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center
RECRUITINGBoston, Massachusetts, 02215, United States
More trials for these conditions
Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.
- Can a daily pill slow the visible signs of aging?
- Can magnetic brain zaps ease the pain of a sleepless body?
- Can poor sleep make you hurt more? study probes Insomnia's link to pain
- Does soreness after exercise disrupt sleep more for people with insomnia?
- Can teaching parents about sleep help kids with developmental conditions?
- Scientists put sleep loss under the brain scanner