Recruiting

Observational Study

Sponsor:

University of Utah

Code:

NCT07329283

Conditions

Sleep

Metabolism Changes

Circadian Rhythm

Lifestyle Factors

Sleep Hygiene

Eligibility Criteria

Sex: All

Age: 18 - 35

Healthy Volunteers: Accepted

Interventions

Central Clock Misalignment

Peripheral Misalignment

Study Details

Brief 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.

Conditions

Sleep

Metabolism Changes

Circadian Rhythm

Lifestyle Factors

Sleep Hygiene

Study ID

NCT07329283

Start date

Dec 19, 2025

Status verified date

Jan, 2026

Completion date

May 31, 2031

Anticipated

Primary completion date

May 31, 2030

Anticipated

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

Sex: All

Age: 18 - 35

Healthy Volunteers: Accepted

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 prior year
7. Weight change >5% of body weight over prior six months
8. Currently following a weight-loss program
9. Menopause
10. Pregnant/nursing
11. Greater than 5-day variation in menstrual cycle length month-to-month
12. Currently smoking
13. Alcohol intake >14 drinks/week or >3 drinks/day.
14. Use of prescription medications (except oral contraceptives) within one month prior to or during in-lab visits.
15. Consumption of illegal drugs or >500mg per day of caffeine.

Study Design

Enrollment

120 participants

Anticipated

Allocation

Randomized

Intervention Model

Crossover

Primary purpose

Basic Science

Interventions and Outcome Measures

Arms

no intervention: Sleep Restriction with Central and Peripheral Alignment

(Arm "A")-Control condition with central and peripheral aligned circadian rhythms

experimental: Sleep Restriction with Central Clock Misalignment

(Arm "B")-Misalignment of the central clock by nighttime electrical light exposure and dim-light in morning hours.

experimental: Sleep Restriction with Peripheral Misalignment

(Arm "C")-Misalignment of peripheral oscillators by shifting the majority of food intake to the nighttime hours.

Interventions

Central 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.

Peripheral Misalignment

Most daily calories will be given later in the day to shift eating patterns toward the nighttime hours.

Primary outcome measure

  • Insulin Sensitivity [ Time Frame: Immediately following the 5-day sleep restriction segment ]
  • Internal Circadian Misalignment (Uridine and Isobutyryl-L-carnitine) [ Time Frame: During the constant routine, following the 5-day sleep restriction segment ]

Central Contacts and Locations

Locations

College of Health Research Complex - University of Utah, Salt Lake City 84112

Recruiting

Salt Lake City, Utah, United States, 84112

Contacts

Principal Investigator:

Christopher Depner, PhD

More Information

Sponsor

University of Utah

Last update posted

Jan 22, 2026

Last verified

Jan, 2026

Keywords

  • Sleep
  • Light Exposure
  • Metabolism
  • Circadian Rhythm
  • Food Intake
  • Lifestyle Factors
  • Sleep Hygiene

Trial information was received from ClinicalTrials.gov and was last updated on 2026-10-03. This information was provided to ClinicalTrials.gov by University of Utah on 2026-01-22. Recruitment status is synced daily from ClinicalTrials.gov and may not reflect the sponsor's current status. Confirm during your call.