SleepNCT05816434
More Sleep: Pain Response to Longer Sleep
A study testing Sleep extension in people with Sleep and Pain, run by Penn State University at 1 site in United States.
Trial summary
This study is being done to find out whether extending sleep for at least an hour per night, seven days a week, predicts a higher tolerance and a higher threshold for pain. This is a 21-day study. Participants will be asked to wear sleep- and heart- monitoring watches. Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 18 to 24 yearsHealthy volunteers can take part
- What is being tested?
- Sleep extension
- Type of treatment
- Lifestyle or therapy programme
- Could I receive a placebo?
- No, everyone receives an active treatment
- How many people
- 36 participants
- Where
- 1 siteUnited States
- Study dates
- 18 Mar 2024to 4 Nov 2025
- Phase
- Interventional
- Are there results?
- None posted in the registry
Key requirements
Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.
- Ages 18 to 24 years
- All sexes
- Healthy volunteers accepted
- Adult
Who may be able to join
- 18 to 24 (inclusive) years of age at enrollment
- Fluent English speaker and reader
- Willing to refrain from initiating new therapeutic interventions (e.g., medication; behavioral) designed to target sleep or pain for the duration of study participation
Who cannot join
- Diagnosed with a sleep disorder
- Diagnosed with a pain disorder
- Has experienced a cold-related injury frostbite or has any other nerve damage to the feet
- Has a history of injury to any of the muscular measurement sites for pain (I.e. shoulder, jaw, forearm)
- Diagnosed with hypertension or cardiovascular disease
- Evidence of hypertension
Show all 12Show fewer
- Diagnosed serious mental health disorder or substance use disorder
- Taking any physician-directed pharmacologic intervention for sleep
- Taking any physician-directed pharmacologic intervention for pain
- Personal health history of traumatic brain injury
- Pregnant
- Current smoker
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country.
United States1 site
Pennsylvania State University
University Park, Pennsylvania, 16802
About this study
Official title: Can More Sleep Improve Pain Responses, Symptomatology, and Regulation in College Students?
This study is being done to find out whether extending sleep for at least an hour per night, seven days a week, predicts a higher tolerance and a higher threshold for pain. This is a 21-day study. Participants will be asked to wear sleep- and heart- monitoring watches. Pressure pain and cold pain will be measured at study visits.
- Being tested
- Sleep extension
- Medical subject headings
- Pain
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
Sleep extensionBehavioural
>1 hour additional time in bed per night for 1 week.
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| Sleep Extension | Experimental | 1 week of >1 hour increased time in bed Receives: Behavioral: Sleep extension |
| Control | No intervention | Sustained sleep behavior |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Change in pressure pain threshold from before to after sleep extension
Bilateral response to a clinically standard algometer at 3 different physical palpation sites. A higher pressure reading indicates a better pain response.
Measured: Momentary at study visit 2 (at the end of week1) and a week later at study visit 3 (at the end of week2).
Change in pressure pain tolerance from before to after sleep extension
Bilateral response to a clinically standard algometer at 3 different physical palpation sites. A higher pressure reading indicates a better pain response.
Measured: Momentary at study visit 2 (at the end of week1) and a week later at study visit 3 (at the end of week2).
Change in weekly average of momentary pain self-reports from before to after sleep extension
Intermittent pain intensity using a Visual Analog Scale (0-100, where 0 = "no pain", 100 = "worst pain imaginable in current circumstances"). Higher values indicated more pain, and a negative change indicates a decrease in pain.
Measured: (averaged) Daily surveys during study week 1 (pre-intervention) and study week 2 (intervention)
Change in thermal pain threshold from before to after sleep extension
Latency to respond to a bilateral cold pressor test (feet). A longer latency to threshold indicates better pain response.
Measured: Momentary at study visit 2 (at the end of week1) and a week later at study visit 3 (at the end of week2).
Change in thermal pain tolerance from before to after sleep extension
Latency to respond to a bilateral cold pressor test (feet). A longer latency to tolerance indicates better pain response.
Measured: Momentary at study visit 2 (at the end of week1) and a week later at study visit 3 (at the end of week2).
Change in pain inhibition from before to after sleep extension
Pain inhibition is measured as the difference in pressure pain threshold from before to after cold pressor procedure. A reduction in pressure pain threshold is typical after cold pressor procedure. A greater reduction in pain threshold indicates a better response of the pain inhibitory system.
Measured: Momentary at study visit 2 (at the end of week1) and a week later at study visit 3 (at the end of week2).
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted18 Apr 2023
- Study start18 Mar 2024
- Primary completion4 Nov 2025
- Study completion4 Nov 2025
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Other trials for SleepStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- More trials run by Penn State UniversityThe sponsor's other registered studies.
- What the trial phases meanHow a treatment moves from first tests in people to approval.
More details
For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.
Study design
- Study type
- Interventional
- Phase
- Phase N/A
- Primary purpose
- Prevention
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- None (open label)
- Enrolment
- 36 participants (actual)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- Penn State University
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Responsible party
- Principal investigator, Anne-Marie Chang, Penn State University
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT05816434
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- STUDY00022196
- Status last verified
- Jan 2026
- First submitted
- 20 Mar 2023
- Last updated
- 2 Feb 2026
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- No
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
- Individual data sharing
- Yes
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 2 Feb 2026. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- Can More Sleep Improve Pain Responses, Symptomatology, and Regulation in College Students?
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT05816434
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- STUDY00022196
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- Completed
- Enrolment
- 36 participants (actual)
- Lead sponsor
- Penn State UniversityUniversity, hospital or other
- Study start
- 18 Mar 2024 (actual)
- Primary completion
- 4 Nov 2025 (actual)
- Study completion
- 4 Nov 2025 (actual)
- First posted
- 18 Apr 2023 (actual)
- Results
- Not posted in the source record
Clinical summary
The research question as the sponsor registered it. This describes what the study plans to test, not what it found.
This study is being done to find out whether extending sleep for at least an hour per night, seven days a week, predicts a higher tolerance and a higher threshold for pain. This is a 21-day study. Participants will be asked to wear sleep- and heart- monitoring watches. Pressure pain and cold pain will be measured at study visits.
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Prevention
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- None (open label)
- Number of arms
- 2
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| Sleep Extension | Experimental | Behavioral: Sleep extension1 week of >1 hour increased time in bed |
| Control | No intervention | –Sustained sleep behavior |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 18 to 24 years
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Accepted
- Age groups
- Adult
Key inclusion criteria (3 listed)
- 18 to 24 (inclusive) years of age at enrollment
- Fluent English speaker and reader
- Willing to refrain from initiating new therapeutic interventions (e.g., medication; behavioral) designed to target sleep or pain for the duration of study participation
Key exclusion criteria (12 listed)
- Diagnosed with a sleep disorder
- Diagnosed with a pain disorder
- Has experienced a cold-related injury frostbite or has any other nerve damage to the feet
- Has a history of injury to any of the muscular measurement sites for pain (I.e. shoulder, jaw, forearm)
- Diagnosed with hypertension or cardiovascular disease
Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening; this overview does not establish that a patient qualifies. Full inclusion and exclusion criteria.
Interventions
| Intervention | Type | Arms |
|---|---|---|
| Sleep extension>1 hour additional time in bed per night for 1 week. | Behavioural | Sleep Extension |
Primary outcome
Change in pressure pain threshold from before to after sleep extension
Time frame: Momentary at study visit 2 (at the end of week1) and a week later at study visit 3 (at the end of week2).
Bilateral response to a clinically standard algometer at 3 different physical palpation sites. A higher pressure reading indicates a better pain response.
Change in pressure pain tolerance from before to after sleep extension
Time frame: Momentary at study visit 2 (at the end of week1) and a week later at study visit 3 (at the end of week2).
Bilateral response to a clinically standard algometer at 3 different physical palpation sites. A higher pressure reading indicates a better pain response.
Change in weekly average of momentary pain self-reports from before to after sleep extension
Time frame: (averaged) Daily surveys during study week 1 (pre-intervention) and study week 2 (intervention)
Intermittent pain intensity using a Visual Analog Scale (0-100, where 0 = "no pain", 100 = "worst pain imaginable in current circumstances"). Higher values indicated more pain, and a negative change indicates a decrease in pain.
Change in thermal pain threshold from before to after sleep extension
Time frame: Momentary at study visit 2 (at the end of week1) and a week later at study visit 3 (at the end of week2).
Latency to respond to a bilateral cold pressor test (feet). A longer latency to threshold indicates better pain response.
Change in thermal pain tolerance from before to after sleep extension
Time frame: Momentary at study visit 2 (at the end of week1) and a week later at study visit 3 (at the end of week2).
Latency to respond to a bilateral cold pressor test (feet). A longer latency to tolerance indicates better pain response.
Change in pain inhibition from before to after sleep extension
Time frame: Momentary at study visit 2 (at the end of week1) and a week later at study visit 3 (at the end of week2).
Pain inhibition is measured as the difference in pressure pain threshold from before to after cold pressor procedure. A reduction in pressure pain threshold is typical after cold pressor procedure. A greater reduction in pain threshold indicates a better response of the pain inhibitory system.
Results and safety
The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 2 Feb 2026.
- Individual participant dataSharing planned: Yes
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Healthy Adult Participants
Referral and contact
AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals. Contact the study team or a site listed below; they decide who can take part. This study is not recruiting at the moment.
The record lists no contact. Use the official record to reach the sponsor.
1 site in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
A study testing Sleep extension in people with Sleep and Pain, run by Penn State University at 1 site in United States.
The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.
Who may be eligible to take part?
The sponsor lists 3 inclusion and 12 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.
Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?
The record says: finished, as of the sponsor's last update on 2 Feb 2026. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.
Where is the study taking place?
The record lists 1 site in United States. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.
What are the possible benefits and risks?
They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.
Are results available for this study?
The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.
How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?
The record lists no contact. The official record names the sponsor, who can be asked directly. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.
What does the primary outcome measure?
Change in pressure pain threshold from before to after sleep extension (time frame: Momentary at study visit 2 (at the end of week1) and a week later at study visit 3 (at the end of week2).). The study lists 6 primary outcomes in all. It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.
Where can I read the original study information?
Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?
No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.
How often is this information updated?
AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 2 Feb 2026.