Sleep, Stress and Learning: an Experimental Pilot Study

Study Overview
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Brief Summary
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To investigate the efficiency and effect of a programmed slow-breathing exercise in the evening to the heart rate variability, sleep quality and memory performance over night.

Detailed Description
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Background Stress and increased alertness in the evening are major reasons for sleep onset problems, poor sleep and insomnia symptoms. For instance, increased amount of REM, and decreased amount of slow wave sleep may result. Also, the function of sleep in memory consolidation may suffer. They also affect the sleep structure and continuity during the night. They are highly prevalent phenomena among the entire population, including healthy adults and children. However, at the physiological level, the concept of evening alertness is still understudied and often neglected. Recent advances show that breathing exercise is an efficient tool to reduce stress. However, its use specifically prior to sleep onset and with measurement sleep stages and their microstructures with sleep EEG has been little been studied before. The overall objective of this study is to explore interrelations of stress, learning and sleep quality.

Official Title
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Sleep, Stress and Learning: an Experimental Pilot Study

Conditions
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Stress, Sleep

Intervention / Treatment
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* Behavioral: Music listening
* Behavioral: Slow breathing


Participation Criteria
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Eligibility Criteria
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Inclusion Criteria: age 20-45 Exclusion Criteria: chronic disease requiring daily medication, acute sickness (e.g. a flu), jet lag from a recent travel, current diagnosed sleep disorder (such as snoring or insomnia) and any use of medication affecting autonomic nervous system function or sleep.

Ages Eligible for Study
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Minimum Age: 20 Years
Maximum Age: 45 Years

Sexes Eligible for Study
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All

Accepts Healthy Volunteers
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Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Study Plan
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How is the study designed?
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Design Details

Primary Purpose: Basic Science
Allocation: Randomized
Intervention Model: Crossover Assignment
Interventional Model Description: Randomized control trial with a cross-over design.
Masking: None (Open Label)


Arms and Interventions

| Participant Group/Arm | Intervention/Treatment |
| --- | --- |
| Experimental: Breathing<br>Guided slow breathing for 30 minutes before sleep onset | Behavioral: Slow breathing<br>* Guided slow breathing for 30 minutes before sleep onset<br>|
| Active Comparator: Music listening<br>Guided music listening for 30 minutes before sleep onset | Behavioral: Music listening<br>* Guided music listening for 30 minutes before sleep onset<br>|

What is the study measuring?
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Primary Outcome Measures

| Outcome Measure | Measure Description | Time Frame |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Sleep structure | Percent distribution of different sleep stages | Change from night 1 to night 2 | 

Secondary Outcome Measures

| Outcome Measure | Measure Description | Time Frame |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Sleep spindle duration | Duration of sleep spindles in seconds | Change from night 1 to night 2 | 
| Sleep spindle power | Amplitude of sleep spindles in microvolts | Change from night 1 to night 2 |