Sleep and body‑clock patterns during opioid treatment
Official title: Sleep and circadian rhythm phenotypes and mechanisms associated with opioid use disorder treatment outcomes
Funded at Johns Hopkins University · NIH-11171667 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project follows people on buprenorphine or methadone to see how sleep and daily body‑clock patterns relate to returning to opioid use.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Johns Hopkins University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Baltimore, United States) |
| Project start | September 30, 2023 |
| Project end | August 31, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $1,169,398 |
| NIH project number | 5R01DA059473-03 |
| Project ID | NIH-11171667 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Adults enrolled in buprenorphine or methadone treatment for opioid use disorder who can participate in serial sleep and mood measurements over six months are ideal candidates.
✕Less likely to help
People not currently in MOUD (buprenorphine or methadone) treatment or those unwilling/unable to complete sleep monitoring and follow‑up likely would not benefit directly from participating.
What this research studies
If you are receiving buprenorphine or methadone for opioid use disorder, researchers will follow you for six months while you remain in treatment. They will collect sleep information (including sleep duration, sleep architecture, and breathing during sleep), measures that reflect daily circadian rhythms, and reports or tests about opioid use. The team will also track mood (positive and negative affect) to explore how feelings may link sleep patterns with return to nonmedical opioid use. Data are gathered through collaborations with community treatment providers and repeated measurements over time to look for patterns that predict outcomes.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could point to sleep‑ or rhythm‑focused approaches that help reduce return to opioid use among people on medication for OUD.
How similar studies have gone: Previous research links opioid use to sleep problems, but longitudinal studies tying objective sleep and circadian measures to return to opioid use during treatment are limited, making this partly novel.
Where this research is happening
-
Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Huhn, Andrew S — Johns Hopkins University
- Study coordinator: Huhn, Andrew S
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
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Sleep and circadian factors linked to opioid treatment outcomes
A long-term study at Johns Hopkins will follow people on buprenorphine or methadone to see how sleep quality and daily rhythms relate to ongoing opioid use.
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Investigating how sleep and circadian rhythms affect treatment outcomes for opioid use disorder
This study is looking at how sleep and body clock patterns affect the success of treatments for people recovering from opioid use disorder, and it’s for anyone receiving buprenorphine or methadone to help them on their journey to recovery.
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Systems analysis to improve opioid use disorder care after jail release (SAIA-MOUD)
A program to help people with opioid use disorder get better, faster, and safer care after they leave jail.
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Precise epigenetic drugs for opioid addiction
A tiny, targeted drug approach is being developed to help people with opioid use disorder by rewriting the epigenetic signals in the brain to reduce cravings and relapse risk.
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Increasing Access to Medications for Opioid Use Disorder for Unhoused Montanans
This project helps unhoused people in Montana get life-saving medicines for opioid use disorder through clinics connected to syringe service programs, a nurse-led MOUD model, and peer support.
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Optimizing long-acting PrEP and opioid treatment for people in jails and prisons
This project tests a real-world approach to using long-acting PrEP and buprenorphine for HIV prevention and opioid treatment among incarcerated individuals and after release.
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.