Sleep reactivity and night-shift sleep problems
Official title: Sleep reactivity as a novel mechanism in Shift Work Disorder
Funded at Henry Ford Health System · NIH-11177689 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project looks at whether a person’s tendency for sleep to be easily disturbed (sleep reactivity) helps explain excessive sleepiness and insomnia in night-shift workers.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Henry Ford Health System NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Detroit, United States) |
| Project start | September 15, 2022 |
| Project end | May 31, 2026 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $683,293 |
| NIH project number | 5R01HL160870-04 |
| Project ID | NIH-11177689 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are adults who regularly work night shifts and report excessive sleepiness or insomnia consistent with shift work disorder.
✕Less likely to help
People who do not work night shifts or whose sleep problems are caused primarily by other medical conditions (for example untreated sleep apnea) may not benefit directly from this work.
What this research studies
From the patient’s perspective, researchers will work with people who regularly do night shifts and have trouble sleeping or staying alert. You may be asked about your sleep history, complete questionnaires about how easily your sleep is disturbed, and wear sleep-monitoring devices or attend clinic visits for sleep measurements. The team will compare sleep timing, circadian measures, and sleep reactivity to see what drives shift work disorder. Findings aim to point toward treatments that target the root causes rather than only masking symptoms.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could lead to treatments that address the underlying causes of shift work disorder and reduce sleepiness, insomnia, and safety risks for night-shift workers.
How similar studies have gone: Most prior approaches have focused on symptom management (stimulants or hypnotics) rather than mechanisms, so targeting sleep reactivity is a relatively new and untested direction.
Where this research is happening
-
Henry Ford Health System
Detroit, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Cheng, Philip — Henry Ford Health System
- Study coordinator: Cheng, Philip
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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.