Extending sleep to support weight loss in young adults
Sleep Extension: A Novel Intervention for Weight Loss in Young Adults
This program helps overweight young adults who sleep less than 6.5 hours per night learn to sleep more so they eat less and lose weight.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Chicago NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Chicago, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11158612 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
You would join a randomized program where everyone gets diet and activity counseling and some people also get a sleep-extension plan to help them sleep longer. The team will track your sleep and activity with an accelerometer and an app, and will monitor your food intake, weight, and BMI over time. The sleep component uses real-life behavioral strategies to lengthen nightly sleep rather than only lab-based changes. The goal is to see whether adding sleep support helps people lose more weight than diet and activity counseling alone.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Overweight young adults who usually sleep less than 6.5 hours per night and are willing to participate in study visits and tracking.
Not a fit: People who already get adequate sleep, are not overweight, have medical sleep disorders that need clinical treatment, or cannot attend study visits are unlikely to benefit from this trial.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, adding sleep extension could make weight-loss programs more effective and reduce cardiometabolic risk in young adults.
How similar studies have performed: Short-term lab and real-world pilot studies have shown sleep extension can reduce energy intake, but no prior randomized weight-loss trial has tested this sleep-based approach in young adults.
Where this research is happening
Chicago, United States
- University of Chicago — Chicago, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Tasali, Esra — University of Chicago
- Study coordinator: Tasali, Esra
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.