Sleep to calm the brain’s emotion network and ease depression and anxiety
Official title: A Novel Use of a Sleep Intervention to Target the Emotion Regulation Brain Network and Treat Depression and Anxiety
Funded at Stanford University · NIH-11391225 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A Stanford-led study tests a proven sleep program to help adults with insomnia and mood symptoms feel better by potentially stabilizing the brain networks involved in emotion.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Stanford University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Stanford, United States) |
| Project start | July 1, 2020 |
| Project end | June 30, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $973,521 |
| NIH project number | 5R33MH120245-05 |
| Project ID | NIH-11391225 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Adults 21 or older who have both insomnia and elevated depressive symptoms.
✕Less likely to help
People without insomnia or without depressive symptoms may not benefit from this sleep-focused approach.
What this research studies
This project explores whether improving sleep through a structured CBT-I program can change the brain’s emotion-regulation network and reduce depressive symptoms and anxiety. In the initial phase, researchers will enroll about 70 adults with insomnia and elevated depressive symptoms and follow them through six CBT-I sessions over eight weeks, with weekly mood and sleep checks. The study uses brain imaging and symptom tracking to see if sleep gains translate into changes in neural targets linked to emotion control. If the sleep program engages these brain networks and reduces distress, it could inform new non-drug approaches for mood disorders co-occurring with insomnia.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the intervention could reduce insomnia, depression, and suicidality by strengthening the brain networks that regulate emotions.
How similar studies have gone: Previous sleep-intervention studies show improvements in sleep and mood; this study tests a specific mechanism in emotion-regulation brain networks.
Where this research is happening
-
Stanford University
Stanford, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Goldstein-Piekarski, Andrea — Stanford University
- Study coordinator: Goldstein-Piekarski, Andrea
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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.