Improving Sleep to Help Reduce Opioid Use in Chronic Pain
Official title: Improving Sleep and Reducing Opioid Use in Individuals with Chronic Pain
Funded at University of South Florida · NIH-11323555 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A clinical trial tests whether better sleep and lower arousal can lower pain and help people with chronic pain reduce opioid use.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of South Florida NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Tampa, United States) |
| Project start | August 1, 2023 |
| Project end | May 31, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $628,620 |
| NIH project number | 5R01DA054311-04 |
| Project ID | NIH-11323555 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Adults with chronic widespread pain who are on opioids and are undergoing or about to begin a gradual opioid taper.
✕Less likely to help
People without chronic pain or those not using opioids might not benefit from this specific sleep-focused strategy.
What this research studies
People with chronic widespread pain often struggle with insomnia and high brain arousal that can worsen pain and keep them on opioids. This study will test a plan that improves sleep with evidence-based CBT-I strategies and looks at how these changes affect brain activity and pain levels, with the goal of making tapering opioids easier and safer. Researchers will monitor sleep, wakefulness, brain responses to pain, and opioid use as participants go through a taper plan. The approach focuses on translating sleep improvements into meaningful benefits for daily functioning and medication management.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this approach could help people with chronic pain sleep better, feel less pain, and reduce their reliance on opioids.
How similar studies have gone: Previous studies show CBT-I can improve sleep and pain in chronic pain with insomnia, but its effect on opioid use is less clear, making this study novel in its taper context.
Where this research is happening
-
University of South Florida
Tampa, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Mccrae, Christina S — University of South Florida
- Study coordinator: Mccrae, Christina S
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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.