Sleep Support for Children With Neurodevelopmental Disorders
Sleep HygieneSleep Wake DisordersAround 80% of children with neurodevelopmental disorders such as Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and autism are reported to have significant difficulties with sleep. This may be a problem with settling off to sleep, waking repeatedly in the night, or both. Often these children will be prescribed a medication called melatonin to help them sleep, but there is no strong evidence of its effectiveness in children, the long-term side effects are not known and prescriptions for this drug cost millions of pounds a year for the NHS. Many children continue to have persistent sleep problems despite taking melatonin. Sleep support programmes delivered by nurses and sleep practitioners are known to be effective and to give parents and young people long-term strategies for promoting sleep without the use of medication. However, sleep support services are not universally funded. In this feasibility study 76 children with ADHD, autism or other neurodevelopmental disorder who have been prescribed and have been regularly taking melatonin for at least a year but still have severe sleep difficulties will be recruited. The investigators will help to improve the child's sleep with a sleep practitioner support programme and, if possible, reduce the dose of melatonin or stop it completely if it is no longer needed. Using this design, it will be possible to test whether a programme delivered by sleep practitioners will significantly improve sleep for children using a non-medical approach and in turn improve the health and well-being of the child and family and reduce melatonin prescribing, thereby saving NHS resources and the potential for long-term side effects. The study design will be delivered by Sheffield Children's Hospital and supported by parent users, the Sleep Charity and Sheffield CCG. The results will be disseminated widely to local, regional and national groups as well as via social media.
Online Cognitive Behavior Therapy for Comorbid Sleep Problems in Alcohol Use Disorder
Alcohol Use DisorderInsomnia2 moreThe main goal is to study the effects of internet-delivered cognitive behavioural therapy with minimum guidance for comorbid sleep problems in alcohol use disorder, in routine addiction care.
The Role of Circadian Factors in Regulation of Neuroplasticity in Ischemic Stroke (Interventional)...
Ischemic StrokeAcute2 moreThere is a lack of complex studies which could establish the association between genetic circadian factors with the features and short-term outcomes of ischemic stroke, as well as the effects of various auxiliary therapies for circadian rhythm modulation for neuroplasticity enhancement and improvement of short-term outcomes in ischemic stroke. The main research hypothesis is that circadian factors influence the recovery from ischemic stroke via sleep-mediated regulation of synaptic plasticity. The project aims at the investigation of the influence of combined melatonin therapy and blue light exposure on molecular circadian biomarkers, sleep characteristics, neuroplasticity markers and stroke outcome in acute stroke patients. This study is a prospective, interventional, randomized placebo-controlled trial.
Evaluating the Effects of Tasimelteon in Individuals With Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and Sleep...
Autism Spectrum DisorderSleep Disorder2 moreThis is a multicenter, open-label study to evaluate the efficacy and safety of a daily single oral dose of tasimelteon in treating sleep disturbances in pediatric and adult participants with ASD.
Light Therapy for Chronic Insomnia in General Practice
Insomnia ChronicSleep Disorder1 moreSleep disorders, especially insomnia Attention deficits (or disorders), daytime somnolence and drug dependence The goal is to evaluate whether light therapy could be used as an efficient alternative treatment with direct application in general practice
Feasibility of a Personalized SMS Intervention for Insomnia
InsomniaSleep DisorderThe goal of this research is to establish a proof of concept for optimizing and evaluating a personalized SMS intervention based for individuals with chronic sleep problems.
Countermeasures to Circadian Misalignment
Circadian Rhythm Sleep Disorder of Shift Work TypeMetabolic Disease1 moreInsufficient sleep and circadian misalignment are independent risk factors for the development of obesity and diabetes, yet few strategies exist to counter metabolic impairments when these behaviors are unavoidable. This project will examine whether avoiding food intake during the biological night can mitigate the impact of circadian misalignment on metabolic homeostasis in adults during simulated night shift work. Findings from this study could identify a translatable strategy to minimize metabolic diseases in populations that include anyone working nonstandard hours such as police, paramedics, firefighters, military personnel, pilots, doctors and nurses, truck drivers, and individuals with sleep disorders.
Prospective Randomized Trial of CPAP for SDB in Patients Who Use Opioids
Sleep Disorder; Breathing-RelatedPain6 morePatients with chronic pain who use opioids appear to be at increased risk for breathing issues during sleep, termed sleep disordered breathing (SDB). Treatment of SDB often consists of use of a device during sleep that provides continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) via a mask interface. The goal of this study is to determine whether patients with chronic pain who use opioids and have SDB might benefit from the use of CPAP in terms of sleep quality, pain, quality of life, and other measures. In addition, the study will examine whether these individuals are able to adhere to CPAP, which will be important for future studies. Lastly, we anticipate that CPAP won't work for everyone due to the changes that opioids can cause in breathing patterns. We will examine how often CPAP is ineffective, and whether we can predict which individuals are least likely to resolve their SDB with CPAP.
Bright Light Intervention to Reduce Students' Stress
Psychological StressPhysiological Stress2 moreIncreased stress levels are a significant problem for many students and represent a risk factor for impaired mental and physical health as well as academic performance. Stress levels are particularly high during the preparation phase for major exams. There is good evidence that light therapy is an effective treatment option to improve mood in affective disorders. The present study aims at investigating the psychophysiological effects of a 3-week morning bright light exposure in reducing stress and stress-related problems in students preparing for major exams.
Do Endotypes Predict Response and Sequelae in OSA Patients
Obstructive Sleep ApneaSleep Apnea4 moreThis study will investigate why some people have Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) and how the underlying cause may relate to OSA manifestations (including sleepiness and high blood pressure) and response to different therapeutic approaches (ie CPAP, eszopiclone, and supplemental oxygen). Understanding why someone has OSA could affect how best to treat that individual, but may also have an impact on what problems the disease might cause.