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Effect of Sleep Extension on Ceramides in People With Overweight and Obesity

Biomarkers of Habitual Short Sleep and Related Cardiometabolic Risk

Status
Recruiting
Phases
Unknown
Study type
Interventional
Source
ClinicalTrials.gov
Registry ID
NCT06180837
Enrollment
70
Registered
2023-12-26
Start date
2024-02-12
Completion date
2028-05-01
Last updated
2026-08-05

For informational purposes only — not medical advice. Sourced from public registries and may not reflect the latest updates. Terms

Conditions

Eating Habit, Insufficient Sleep Syndrome, Insulin Sensitivity, Lifestyle Factors, Overweight and Obesity, Sleep, Sleep Deprivation, Sleep Hygiene, Type 2 Diabetes

Keywords

sleep, insulin sensitivity

Brief summary

The overall goal is to determine how a sleep extension intervention (increasing time in bed) in individuals who maintain less than 6.5 hours sleep per night affects their plasma ceramides and insulin sensitivity. Participants will undergo a randomized controlled trial, with sleep extension (intervention) and healthy lifestyle (control) groups. The sleep extension is designed to increase participant's time in bed by 2 hours per night. Alternatively, the control group will receive basic health information (e.g., physical activity, goal setting, and nutrition when eating out).

Detailed description

A randomized controlled trial with real-world sleep extension in adults with overweight and obesity who habitually obtain short sleep duration will be conducted. Group allocation will be 1:1 and research staff and participants will be blinded until the conclusion of the baseline segment. The sleep extension group will receive counseling and instruction to increase nightly time in bed by 2 hours per night. Participants randomized to control will maintain their habitual sleep habits in their home environment. The intervention segment will last 8 weeks regardless of group assignment. Both groups will have equal contact time with the study team. Prior to enrollment participants will complete a clinical overnight sleep disorders screening. Baseline consists of an \ 1-week ambulatory real-world monitoring segment. Following baseline, participants will be randomized 1:1 to either the sleep extension or control group for 8 weeks at home (intervention segment). Throughout the study, sleep duration will be monitored using an actiwatch wrist-device and a daily electronic sleep log. Following the baseline and intervention segments participants will complete rigorous overnight laboratory visits to assess plasma ceramides (targeted metabolomics assay) and insulin sensitivity (hyperinsulinemic-euglycemic clamp).

Interventions

Sleep extension-based intervention focused on increasing time spent in bed by 2 hours per night by directly scheduling assigned bed and waketimes based on participant's individual schedules. Participants will receive weekly sleep tips and counseling on improving their sleep duration.

Sponsors

University of Utah
Lead SponsorOTHER

Study design

Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
PREVENTION
Masking
DOUBLE (Investigator, Outcomes Assessor)

Masking description

Group allocation will be blinded to research staff and participants until the conclusion of the baseline segment.

Eligibility

Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
18 Years to 45 Years
Healthy volunteers
Yes

Inclusion criteria

1. Age: 18-45 years old; equal numbers of men and women 2. Body mass index (BMI): 27.5-34.9 kg/m2 3. Sleep Habits: habitual self-reported average total sleep time (TST) \<6.5 hours per night for prior 6 months

Exclusion criteria

1. Clinically diagnosed sleep disorder or major psychiatric illness 2. Evidence of significant organ dysfunction or disease (e.g., heart disease, kidney disease) 3. Clinically diagnosed diabetes or fasting plasma glucose ≥126 mg/dL or HbA1c ≥6.5% 4. Use of prescription drugs or substances known to influence sleep or glucose metabolism, or anticoagulant medications. 5. Cancer that has been in remission less than 5 years 6. Pregnant/nursing, experiencing menopause or post-menopausal 7. Shift-work: current or history of within last year 8. Weight change: \>10% of body weight over prior six months 9. Current enrollment in weight loss or physical activity program like the Diabetes Prevention Program 10. Currently smoking 11. Alcohol intake\>14 drinks per week or \>3 drinks per day

Design outcomes

Primary

MeasureTime frameDescription
Total Plasma CeramidesImmediately after the interventionTotal plasma ceramides will be measured by assessing plasma ceramides by targeted metabolomics.
Insulin SensitivityImmediately after the interventionInsulin sensitivity will be measured by the glucose infusion rate per kg body weight during the hyperinsulinemic-euglycemic clamp.

Secondary

MeasureTime frameDescription
Average (per week) nightly total sleep time (change from baseline)Analyzed as change from baseline for each week of the ~8 week experimental segmentWrist-actigraphy
Average (per week) sleep satisfaction change from baselineAnalyzed as change from baseline for each week of the ~8 week experimental segment5 point likert scale on daily sleep log (1 = very good; 5 = very poor)
Average (per week) timing of food intake change from baselineDuring the baseline ambulatory assessment and weeks 2, 4, 6, and 8 of the intervention ambulatory assessment.Time of day 50% of calories are consumed collected by picture based food diaries. Average per week will consist of two weekdays and one weekend day
Average (per week) daytime alertness change from baselineTime Frame: Analyzed as change from baseline for each week of the ~8 week experimental segment5 point likert scale on daily sleep log (1= most alert; 5 = not alert at all)
Individual C16, C18, C20, C22, C24, and C24:1 Plasma Ceramides, Dihydroceramides, Glucosylceramides, and fourteen Sphingolipids.Immediately after the interventionTargeted metabolomics assay, 32 total metabolites.
Circadian Phase (change from baseline)Immediately after the interventiondim-light melatonin onset quantified from salivary melatonin samples
Body Mass IndexImmediately after the interventionNurses will collect height and body weight using standard procedures.
Cardiac Event Risk Test 1 (CERT 1)Immediately after the interventionThe Cardiac Event Risk Test 1 (CERT1) is used to evaluate the risk of major adverse cardiovascular events and can be calculated using data from our targeted metabolomics assay. The scale is from 0-12, 0 being the lowest risk and 12 being the highest level of risk.

Countries

United States

Contacts

CONTACTChristopher M Depner, PhD
christopher.depner@utah.edu801-581-2275

Outcome results

None listed

Source: ClinicalTrials.gov · Data processed: Aug 6, 2026