Recruiting

How Sleep Loss Affects Our Sense of Time

Plain-English translation of NCT07294781 on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗ · Source last updated December 2025 · Translation generated August 2026 · How we translate trials

This study doesn't follow the usual testing phases — it may be an observational study or a different type of research.

What is this trial?

This is a basic science study exploring how your internal body clock and sleepiness together affect your sense of time. Researchers will keep you awake for 36 hours in a controlled laboratory environment and measure how your perception of time changes as you become more tired, along with changes in your alertness, mood, and cognitive abilities.

We all experience time differently depending on our state of mind and tiredness — sometimes hours feel like minutes, and sometimes minutes feel like hours. Scientists don't yet fully understand how sleep loss and our body's natural 24-hour rhythms work together to change how we perceive time, and this study aims to fill that gap.

Do you qualify?

You likely qualify if…

you are between 23 and 45 years old
you are generally healthy with no major sleep disorders or psychiatric conditions
you have been following a regular sleep schedule (typically 6.5–9 hours per night) for at least 4 weeks before the study
you are willing to stay awake in a laboratory for approximately 36 hours and complete regular tests every two hours
you can abstain from caffeine, nicotine, alcohol, and recreational drugs for the specified periods before and during the study

You likely don't qualify if…

you have been diagnosed with a sleep disorder (such as insomnia, sleep apnea, or narcolepsy)
you have a current or past major psychiatric or neurological disorder, unless it is mild and stable and approved by the study doctor
you take regular medications or supplements that affect sleep, alertness, or mood (such as sleeping pills, stimulants, or certain antidepressants)
you have had severe problems with sleep deprivation or staying awake in the past, or you are uncomfortable in controlled laboratory environments
you are pregnant, breastfeeding, or have a serious medical condition (such as uncontrolled high blood pressure, heart disease, or diabetes)

What participation looks like

You will attend a screening visit, then come to the laboratory for one 36-hour session where you stay awake in a controlled room with constant low light, temperature, and noise. You'll sit in a semi-recumbent position, receive small snacks at regular intervals, and every two hours complete a battery of tests measuring your sense of time, alertness, mood, and thinking abilities. The study team will also collect saliva samples to measure your body's natural rhythms.

AI-generated summary from trial data · Aug 20, 2026 · Not medical advice

How Sleep Loss Affects Our Sense of Time

What is this trial?

Do you qualify?

What participation looks like

Trial locations(1 site)