Redefining Insomnia by marrying how people feel with what’s happening in the body
Official title: Redefining Insomnia: A Comparison of Categorical and Dimensional Approaches
Funded at University of Pennsylvania · NIH-11321094 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A doctor-scientist team at the University of Pennsylvania is exploring a new way to understand insomnia by combining patients’ sleep experiences with biological clues to guide more personalized care.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Pennsylvania NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Philadelphia, United States) |
| Project start | July 15, 2024 |
| Project end | April 30, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $685,293 |
| NIH project number | 5R01HL173043-03 |
| Project ID | NIH-11321094 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Adults 21 years and older who experience insomnia symptoms and are willing to contribute to sleep assessments and related measurements.
✕Less likely to help
People without insomnia or those unwilling to participate in comprehensive sleep assessments may not benefit.
What this research studies
This project recognizes that insomnia is common and hurts daily life, but current definitions rely mostly on how people report sleep problems. Researchers aim to bring together subjective symptoms (like trouble falling or staying asleep) with objective factors such as hyperarousal and circadian misalignment to better classify insomnia. The work will integrate patient experiences with biological data to identify subtypes and pathways that could inform tailored treatments. Results could lead to clearer diagnoses and more effective, individualized approaches for adults, especially women, living with insomnia.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could lead to more precise insomnia diagnoses and personalized treatments that improve sleep and daytime functioning.
How similar studies have gone: Past research shows inconsistencies in objective sleep measures; this study seeks to integrate subjective and objective data, which is a promising but still developing area.
Where this research is happening
-
University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Gehrman, Philip Richard — University of Pennsylvania
- Study coordinator: Gehrman, Philip Richard
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
-
Cognitive behavioral therapy and trazodone for insomnia phenotypes with high blood pressure
A clinical study tests how CBT-I and the sleep drug trazodone work for adults with insomnia and high blood pressure, focusing on a specific sleep duration pattern.
-
DESCANSO: A friendly CBT plan to ease depression, sleep problems, and fatigue in Latino cancer patients
A Spanish-speaking CBT program called DESCANSO is being tested to help Latino cancer patients feel less tired, sleep better, and happier.
-
Pimavanserin for Sleep Problems in Veterans with PTSD
This grant supports Dr. Melissa Jones to study a new medicine, pimavanserin, to help veterans with PTSD sleep better.
-
Improving WTC responder mental health with personalized sleep treatment for COMISA
Aimed at helping World Trade Center responders who have both insomnia and sleep apnea feel better by using a tailored combination of sleep therapies.
-
A new sleep-help approach for Veterans with PTSD
A new ACT-based insomnia treatment tailored for Veterans with PTSD aims to improve sleep and quality of life.
-
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia to Help Veterans with Psychosis
A veteran-focused CBT-I program tailored for those with psychosis aims to improve sleep and daily functioning.
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.