Study on the Efficacy and Safety of Anesthesia-Induced Sleep Therapy for Refractory Insomnia
For patients and families
In plain language
An automatic summary of structured registry data. It is an orientation aid, not a substitute for the official protocol or a physician assessment.
- What is being studied
- The protocol lists: Dexmedetomidine and conventional oral drug, Conventional oral drug therapy.
- Who it may be relevant to
- Registry conditions: Insomnia. Basic parameters: 18 years — 65 years · All.
- What needs checking
- Age, condition and sex are only basic indicators. Prior treatment, laboratory values and other mandatory requirements appear in the eligibility criteria below.
- Where it takes place
- Center list to be confirmed — check the primary protocol.
- Next step
- Save the trial, show it to the treating physician, and confirm current recruitment with the study center. Costs, documents and travel →
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Official title
Study on the Efficacy and Safety of Anesthesia-Induced Sleep Therapy for Refractory Insomnia: A Randomized Controlled Trial
Overview
The incidence of refractory insomnia is rising annually, with traditional therapies offering limited efficacy. Anesthesia-Induced Sleep (AIS), involving anesthetic infusion like dexmedetomidine, is emerging. Its ability to mimic natural sleep architecture is unclear. Studies confirm AIS can shorten latency and improve sleep efficiency, but neuromodulatory mechanisms and long-term efficacy remain unclear with scarce follow-up data. This study used dexmedetomidine-based AIS under polysomnography to validate its induction of normal sleep architecture, evaluate long-term efficacy and safety, and explore mechanisms, aiming to provide a novel non-pharmacological intervention.
Detailed description
The incidence of refractory insomnia has been rising annually, severely impacting patients' quality of life. Traditional pharmacological and physical therapies offer limited efficacy and struggle to achieve long-term relief. Anesthesia-Induced Sleep (AIS), an emerging treatment, typically involves intravenous infusion of anesthetic agents like dexmedetomidine to rapidly induce sleep. However, whether it can mimic natural sleep architecture remains unclear. Recent domestic and international studies have preliminarily confirmed that AIS can shorten latency and improve sleep efficiency. However, issues such as unclear neuromodulatory mechanisms and fluctuating long-term efficacy persist, and large-scale long-term follow-up data remain scarce. This study implemented dexmedetomidine-based AIS under polysomnographic monitoring to validate its ability to induce normal sleep architecture (e.g., restoring slow-wave sleep proportion) while evaluating long-term efficacy and safety. By quantifying sleep parameters and neural electrical activity, we explored potential mechanisms of AIS in reshaping sleep homeostasis. This research aims to provide a novel non-pharmacological intervention strategy for refractory insomnia and advance clinical translation.
Interventions
- Drug Dexmedetomidine and conventional oral drug
Dexmedetomidine was administered intravenously once daily for three consecutive days, supplementing conventional oral drug therapy. The dexmedetomidine was administered via a loading dose of 1.5 μg/kg intravenously over 15 minutes, with a subsequent continuous infusion at a maintenance dose of 0.5-0.7 μg/kg/h. - Drug Conventional oral drug therapy
Patients only received conventional oral drug therapy.
Primary outcome measures
- The percentage of NREM-N3 sleep within total sleep time, as recorded by polysomnogram the night before discharge,an average of 7 days. [Time frame: At the night before discharge,an average of 7 days.]
Eligibility criteria
Inclusion criteria
- Adults aged 18-65 years meeting ICSD-3 diagnostic criteria for chronic insomnia.
- Persistent sleep disturbance (≥3 nights/week for ≥3 months).
- Significant daytime impairment (e.g., mood disturbance, cognitive decline).
- Treatment-refractory (failed prior pharmacotherapy/non-pharmacotherapy).
- No chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, moderate to severe sleep apnea syndrome, or atrioventricular block.
- Obtain written informed consent.
Exclusion criteria
- Participants with severe concomitant diseases affecting other organ systems.
- Moderate to severe obstructive sleep apnea (e.g., AHI ≥30 events/hour) or uncontrolled central sleep apnea.
- Pregnant, lactating, or planning pregnancy.
- History of alcoholism or drug dependence.
- Suicidal ideation or a severe psychiatric history (e.g., schizophrenia, unstable bipolar disorder).
- Participants with a prior allergic reaction to the study drug.
- Participants who have recently participated in other clinical studies.
Criteria are shown verbatim from the registry (in English). Final eligibility is always assessed by the study center.
Healthy volunteers: Yes
Study design
- Allocation
- Randomized
- Model
- Parallel assignment
- Masking
- Single blind
- Primary purpose
- Treatment
Study locations
Center list to be confirmed — check the primary protocol.
Identifiers
NCT: NCT07255027 · 20250701