Chronic Sleep Deprivation Among the Poor: A Lab-in-the-field Approach

Summary

A large body of medical research has shown that sleep deprivation adversely affects outcomes ranging from cognitive function to pain sensitivity and cardiovascular function. Much of this evidence comes from sleep labs in the developed world, where sleep can be carefully manipulated, and short-run physiological and cognitive outcomes precisely measured. In contrast, there is much less knowledge about how sleep deprivation affects the health of individuals in the developing world, coming from a lack of studies outside the lab and over longer periods. This project aims to fill this gap. The investigators will implement a randomized controlled trial (RCT) with 450 low-income adults in Chennai, India, providing the first objective measurement of sleep in a developing country. The investigators will also evaluate scalable interventions to improve the sleep of poor adults, such as providing home sleep-aid devices and a comfortable space for a 30-minute afternoon nap at the participants' work site. Finally, the study aims to assess the impact of improved sleep on health, with a primary focus on cardiovascular health and cognitive outcomes.

Conditions

• Blood Pressure
• Depression

Interventions

OTHER

Naps

After a baseline period, participants in this condition will be provided with the opportunity to nap in a quiet comfortable "nap cabin" in the study office for 30 minutes each afternoon on all work days.

DEVICE

Home sleep aids

After a baseline period, participants in this condition will be provided with a set of home sleep aids (e.g. earplugs, eyeshades, a basic mattress, sheets, and pillow, etc) to take home with them if they wish. These sleep aids and their proper use are described to the participants and they are encouraged to use them if they find them helpful.

OTHER

Sleep incentives

After a baseline period, participants in this condition will be provided with a small payment for each additional minute of sleep over their mean nighttime sleep in the baseline period.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Institute for Financial Management and Research

  collaborator OTHER

• Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab

  collaborator OTHER

• Government of Tamil Nadu, India

  collaborator OTHER

• University of Pennsylvania

  lead OTHER

Principal Investigators

• Gautam Rao, PhD · Harvard University

• Frank Schilbach, PhD · Massachusetts Institute of Technology

• Margaret McConnell, PhD · Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH)

Study Design

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

TREATMENT

Masking

NONE

Model

FACTORIAL

Eligibility

Min Age

25 Years

Max Age

55 Years

Sex

ALL

Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Timeline & Regulatory

Start

2017-10-23

Primary Completion

2019-12-31

Completion

2019-12-31

Countries

• India

Study Locations