ASU sleep research study seeks volunteers

Researchers at the College of Nursing and Health Innovation at ASU are looking for volunteers for a 14-week, in-home sleep study.

Participants will need to be between 60- and 80-years-old and not have insomnia or other sleep disorders, or sleep problems. This study, supported by the National Institutes of Health, is examining the effects of spending one hour less in bed or following a fixed bedtime and wake time.

Those who are interested in participating need to complete a 10 to 15 minute phone screen. Those who are eligible will then come into the sleep lab where research staff would go over a consent form and questionnaires. Those who are concluded to be good candidates for the study will be given a device to wear during the night to see whether they have sleep apnea.

Next, candidates will have a physical exam and blood drawn. The final step of the screening process is to spend two weeks following a usual sleep schedule. Those who fit the study's criteria will be randomly assigned to one of two groups. One group will spend one hour less in bed than they normally spend for the remaining 12 weeks of the study. The other group will be asked to maintain a fixed sleep schedule.

Participants will be asked to wear a wrist watch to monitor sleep continuously throughout the 14 weeks and staff will retrieve this information every two weeks. Participants will also be asked to complete a sleep diary every day and a few surveys each week. Also throughout the 12-week study, there will be three brief physical exams, including finger pricks for blood.

To participate, contact The Sleep Lab at SleepStudy@asu.edu or (602) 496-0822.