This Trial Examines How Last Meal Composition and Timing Affect Sleep Quality and Circadian Gene Expression Among Medical Residents. Recruitment Not Yet Started; Study Begins Dec 2025 and Ends Dec 2026.

Summary

This randomized controlled trial aims to evaluate the effects of last meal composition and timing on sleep quality and circadian gene expression among medical residents in Jordanian hospitals. Sleep disturbances are common in this population due to long working hours, high stress, and irregular eating schedules. Chrono-nutrition, the science of aligning food intake with circadian rhythms, may provide a practical approach to improving sleep and overall well-being.

Participants will be randomly assigned to one of three groups:

1. High-carbohydrate last meal (≈80% of dinner calories from carbohydrates),
2. High-protein last meal (≈40-50% of dinner calories from protein),
3. Control group consuming a balanced standard meal. Each participant will consume the assigned meal 3-4 hours before bedtime for two weeks. Sleep quality will be measured using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) and smartwatch-derived parameters, while salivary samples collected pre- and post-intervention will be analyzed for CLOCK and BMAL1 gene expression. The study will also include dietary, anthropometric, and physical activity assessments.

This study has been approved by the Institutional Review Board of the University of Jordan (IRB No. 491/2025). Recruitment has not yet started. Enrollment is expected to begin in December 2025, with primary data collection completed by June 2026 and final study completion by December 2026.

Conditions

• Sleep Quality
• Meal Timing
• Circadian Rhythm
• Medical Residents
• Nutrition Intake

Interventions

DIETARY_SUPPLEMENT

High-Carbohydrate Last Meal

Dinner ≈30% daily kcal; \~80% carb; taken 3-4 h before sleep for 2 weeks

DIETARY_SUPPLEMENT

High-Protein Last Meal

Dinner ≈30% daily kcal; \~38-54% protein; 3-4 h before sleep for 2 weeks.

DIETARY_SUPPLEMENT

Balanced Standard Dinner

Standard macronutrient distribution; same timing (3-4h pre-sleep) and 2-week duration.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• University of Jordan

  lead OTHER

Principal Investigators

• Hadeel A Ghazzawi, professor · The University of Jordan School of Agriculture

Study Design

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

PREVENTION

Masking

DOUBLE

Model

PARALLEL

Eligibility

Min Age

25 Years

Sex

ALL

Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Timeline & Regulatory

Start

2025-12-01

Primary Completion

2026-01-31

Completion

2026-05-31

Countries

• Jordan

Study Locations