Nighttime Synchrony of Your Nutrition and Circadian Health: The N-Sync Study
University of Utah
Summary
Sleep is an important factor for overall health. This study will see how different light exposure patterns and food intake impact a person's metabolism (how the body breaks down food) when sleeping is reduced. Participants will attend 6 to 8 in-person visits to the study clinic, including three overnight stays. People will complete surveys and medical tests. The study will last about 4 to 6 months.
Description
This study is a randomized in-lab, cross-over trial. Each participant will complete all three arms in either condition order #1 (A-B-C) or order #2 (A-C-B). Each arm will consist of 5 nights of experimental sleep restriction followed by a constant routine protocol for assessment of 24-h rhythms. Sleep restriction in the three arms will occur under the following conditions: (A-control condition) Sleep Restriction with Central and Peripheral Alignment; (B) Sleep Restriction with Central Clock Misalignment; and (C) Sleep Restriction with Peripheral Misalignment. Prior to enrollment participants w…
Eligibility
- Age range
- 18–35 years
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Yes
Inclusion Criteria: 1. Age: 18-35 years old; equal numbers of men and women 2. Body Mass Index (BMI): 18.5-24.9 kg/m2 3. Sleep Habits: habitual self-reported average total sleep time (TST) 7-9 hours per night for prior 6 months Exclusion Criteria: 1. Clinically diagnosed sleep disorder or apnea hypopnea index (AHI) ≥5 2. Evidence of significant organ system dysfunction or disease (e.g., heart disease, diabetes) 3. Fasting plasma glucose ≥100 mg/dL 4. Major psychiatric illness (e.g., major depressive disorder) 5. Cancer that has been in remission less than 5 years 6. History of shift-work in…
Interventions
- BehavioralCentral Clock Misalignment
Light exposure will be dimmed during the first 4 hours of scheduled wakefulness, with bright light exposure during the nighttime hours of extended wakefulness.
- BehavioralPeripheral Misalignment
Most daily calories will be given later in the day to shift eating patterns toward the nighttime hours.
Location
- College of Health Research Complex - University of Utah, Salt Lake City 84112Salt Lake City, Utah