The Sleep Lengthening and Metabolic Health, Body Composition, Energy Balance and Cardiovascular Risk Study
Condition: Sleep
Study type: Interventional

Summary: 
      Short sleep duration has been associated with increased risk of weight gain and development
      of non-communicable diseases. Sleep deprivation studies have suggested the link between
      restricted sleep and risk of adiposity and cardiometabolic dysregulation may be causal.
      However, the severity and acuteness of sleep restriction schedules in laboratory-based
      studies could hinder the ecological validity of the findings. The pragmatic way forward is to
      assess how improved sleep in habitually short sleepers impacts the aforementioned outcomes.
      This study assesses the feasibility of lengthening sleep in short sleepers, as well as how
      improved sleep duration and/or quality impact metabolic health, body composition, energy
      balance and cardiovascular risk.
    

Detailed description: 
      Research Questions

        -  Is it feasible to improve sleep duration and quality in habitually short sleepers under
           free-living conditions?

        -  What are the effects of improved sleep duration and quality on body composition, energy
           balance, dietary intake, and cardio-metabolic risk factors?

      Hypothesis

      - Improved sleep duration and/or quality in habitually short sleepers will result in improved
      energy balance, diet quality, body composition, and cardio-metabolic risk profile.

      Aims

        -  To assess the feasibility of improving sleep duration and/or quality in habitually short
           sleepers using behavioural approaches and public health messages targeting sleep
           hygiene.

        -  To identify how improved sleep duration and/or quality affect energy balance, diet
           quality, body composition, and cardio-metabolic risk profile.

      Objectives

        1. To develop a sleep extension strategy using behaviour change techniques (BCTs) targeting
           sleep hygiene.

        2. To recruit healthy adults who are habitually short sleepers and randomise eligible
           participants to an intervention and control group.

        3. To assess the feasibility and effectiveness of the intervention.

        4. To measure energy balance, diet quality, body composition and cardio-metabolic risk
           factors pre- and post-treatment in the intervention and control groups.

        5. To assess whether the intervention had an effect on the aforementioned parameters by
           comparing the intervention endpoints to control as well as baseline measures.

        6. To run the statistical analysis both on an intention-to-treat basis as well as
           per-protocol.
    

Intervention name(s): Sleep Lengthening
Intervention type(s): Behavioral
Intervention description(s): Behaviour change techniques targeting sleep hygiene
Allocation: Randomized
Intervention model: Parallel Assignment
Masking: None (Open Label)
Primary purpose: Prevention
Keywords: Sleep Duration; Sleep Quality; Body Composition; Energy Intake; Energy Expenditure; Energy Balance; Cardiovascular Risk