Nighttime Synchrony of Your Nutrition and Circadian Health

NCT07329283 | Recruiting

• 1 other identifier: 185590
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 120
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

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; Sleep Hygiene, Inadequate; Sleep Deprivation; Insufficient Sleep; Circadian Misalignment; Circadian Dysregulation; Light Exposure

Keywords

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

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (2)

• Insulin Sensitivity

  Insulin sensitivity will be measured by intravenous glucose tolerance tests.

  Immediately following the 5-day sleep restriction segment

• Internal Circadian Misalignment (Uridine and Isobutyryl-L-carnitine)

  Phase angle between DLMO and acrophase of uridine and isobutyryl-L-carnitine during constant routine.

  During the constant routine, following the 5-day sleep restriction segment

Other Outcomes (2)

• Timing of DLMO and DLMOff

  During the constant routine, following the 5-day sleep restriction segment

• Hunger and Satiety Visual Analog Scales

  During the constant routine, following the 5-day sleep restriction segment

Study Arms (3)

Sleep Restriction with Central and Peripheral Alignment

NO INTERVENTION

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

Sleep Restriction with Central Clock Misalignment

EXPERIMENTAL

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

Behavioral: Central Clock Misalignment

Sleep Restriction with Peripheral Misalignment

EXPERIMENTAL

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

Behavioral: Peripheral Misalignment

Interventions

Central Clock Misalignment BEHAVIORAL

Light exposure will be dimmed during the first 4 hours of scheduled wakefulness, with bright light exposure during the nighttime hours of extended wakefulness.

Sleep Restriction with Central Clock Misalignment

Peripheral Misalignment BEHAVIORAL

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

Sleep Restriction with Peripheral Misalignment

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 18 Years - 35 Years
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64)

You may qualify if:

• Age: 18-35 years old; equal numbers of men and women
• Body Mass Index (BMI): 18.5-24.9 kg/m2
• Sleep Habits: habitual self-reported average total sleep time (TST) 7-9 hours per night for prior 6 months

You may not qualify if:

• Clinically diagnosed sleep disorder or apnea hypopnea index (AHI) ≥5
• Evidence of significant organ system dysfunction or disease (e.g., heart disease, diabetes)
• Fasting plasma glucose ≥100 mg/dL
• Major psychiatric illness (e.g., major depressive disorder)
• Cancer that has been in remission less than 5 years
• History of shift-work in prior year
• Weight change \>5% of body weight over prior six months
• Currently following a weight-loss program
• Menopause
• Pregnant/nursing
• Greater than 5-day variation in menstrual cycle length month-to-month
• Currently smoking
• Alcohol intake \>14 drinks/week or \>3 drinks/day.
• Use of prescription medications (except oral contraceptives) within one month prior to or during in-lab visits.
• Consumption of illegal drugs or \>500mg per day of caffeine.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• University of Utah: lead

Study Sites (1)

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

Salt Lake City, Utah, 84112, United States

RECRUITING

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Sleep Hygiene; Sleep Deprivation; Chronobiology Disorders

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Health Behavior; Behavior; Dyssomnias; Sleep Wake Disorders; Nervous System Diseases; Neurologic Manifestations; Signs and Symptoms; Pathological Conditions, Signs and Symptoms; Mental Disorders

Study Officials

• Christopher Depner, PhD

  University of Utah

  PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Central Study Contacts

Victoria Miranda, MS

CONTACT

385-309-0551; SleepStudyParticipant@utah.edu

Grace Zimmerman, PhD

CONTACT

385-309-0551; SleepStudyParticipant@utah.edu

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Masking: TRIPLE
• Who Masked: PARTICIPANT, INVESTIGATOR, OUTCOMES ASSESSOR
• Masking Details: Randomization to condition order will be concealed to research staff and participants until the conclusion of the condition "A", which all participants will complete first.
• Purpose: BASIC SCIENCE
• Intervention Model: CROSSOVER
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
• PI Title: PhD

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: December 11, 2025
• First Posted: January 9, 2026
• Study Start: December 19, 2025
• Primary Completion (Estimated): May 31, 2030
• Study Completion (Estimated): May 31, 2031
• Last Updated: January 22, 2026

Record last verified: 2026-01

Locations

US (1)