Brief Behavioral Intervention to Maintain Sleep Regularity in Young Adults Over the Christmas Break

NCT ID: NCT07056179

Last Updated: 2025-07-11

Basic Information

• Recruitment Status: NOT_YET_RECRUITING
• Clinical Phase: NA
• Total Enrollment: 236 participants
• Study Classification: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Start Date: 2025-11-01
• Study Completion Date: 2026-01-31

Brief Summary

This study will employ a randomized controlled trial design to investigate the effects of a brief behavioral intervention that includes (1) self-recording of a regularity-focused sleep diary, (2) 10 strategies for maintaining sleep regularity, and (3) a sleep education information sheet on the maintenance of sleep regularity in young adults during the Christmas break.

Conditions

Sleep

Study Design

• Allocation Method: RANDOMIZED
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Primary Study Purpose: PREVENTION
• Blinding Strategy: SINGLE

Study Groups

Brief behavioural intervention group

Participants will receive a brief behavioral intervention comprising a regularity-focused sleep diary, 10 tips for maintaining sleep regularity, and a sleep education information sheet. The regularity-focused sleep diary is designed to emphasize in-bed and out-of-bed times, drawing participants' attention to their sleep regularity. Participants will be provided with a yellow marker to highlight their sleep periods. The 10 tips for maintaining sleep regularity include establishing a consistent out-of-bed time, using natural light to regulate the circadian clock, adjusting mealtimes, etc. The sleep education sheet contains information on reducing caffeine intake in the afternoon, limiting screen time before bed, etc.

Group Type: EXPERIMENTAL

Brief behavioural intervention

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

Participants will receive a brief behavioural intervention comprising a regularity-focused sleep diary, 10 tips for maintaining sleep regularity, and a sleep education information sheet. The regularity-focused sleep diary is designed to emphasize in-bed and out-of-bed times, drawing participants' attention to their sleep regularity. Participants will be provided with a yellow marker to highlight their sleep periods. The 10 tips for maintaining sleep regularity include establishing a consistent out-of-bed time, using natural light to regulate the circadian clock, adjusting mealtimes, etc. The sleep education sheet contains information on reducing caffeine intake in the afternoon, limiting screen time before bed, etc.

Health education control group

Participants will receive general health information without specific emphasis on sleep, such as weight control, smoking cessation, etc.

Group Type: PLACEBO_COMPARATOR

Health education

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

Participants will receive general health information without specific emphasis on sleep, such as weight control, smoking cessation, etc.

Interventions

Brief behavioural intervention

Participants will receive a brief behavioural intervention comprising a regularity-focused sleep diary, 10 tips for maintaining sleep regularity, and a sleep education information sheet. The regularity-focused sleep diary is designed to emphasize in-bed and out-of-bed times, drawing participants' attention to their sleep regularity. Participants will be provided with a yellow marker to highlight their sleep periods. The 10 tips for maintaining sleep regularity include establishing a consistent out-of-bed time, using natural light to regulate the circadian clock, adjusting mealtimes, etc. The sleep education sheet contains information on reducing caffeine intake in the afternoon, limiting screen time before bed, etc.

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

Health education

Participants will receive general health information without specific emphasis on sleep, such as weight control, smoking cessation, etc.

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

Eligibility Criteria

Inclusion Criteria

1. Young adults aged 18-24 years;

2. Will stay in Hong Kong during the study period;

3. Will not engage in any activities that require a fixed sleep or wake-up time (e.g., work or study during the holiday period) as these activities could regularize the sleep schedule and potentially contaminate the results.

Exclusion Criteria

1. Have been in a different time zone within two weeks before the baseline assessment;

2. Diagnosed with circadian rhythm disorders such as delayed sleep-wake phase disorder (DSWD), advanced sleep-wake phase disorder (ASWD), irregular sleep-wake rhythm disorder (ISWRD), and non-24-hour sleep-wake rhythm disorder (N24WSD);

3. Diagnosed with sleep disorders that directly/indirectly interfere with sleep regularity (e.g., insomnia, sleep apnea);

4. Use of medications or treatment that may influence sleep regularity (e.g., hypnotics, antidepressants);

5. Diagnosed with serious physical or mental diseases such as cancer, end-stage liver or kidney diseases, schizophrenia, and psychosis.

• Minimum Eligible Age: 18 Years
• Maximum Eligible Age: 24 Years
• Eligible Sex: ALL
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes

Sponsors

The University of Hong Kong

OTHER

Sponsor Role: collaborator

Chinese University of Hong Kong

OTHER

Sponsor Role: collaborator

Hong Kong Baptist University

OTHER

Sponsor Role: lead

Responsible Party

YU Jucheng

Research Assistant Professor

Responsibility Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Principal Investigators

Danny YU, PhD

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Hong Kong Baptist University

Locations

Hong Kong Baptist University

Kowloon City, Kowloon Tong, Hong Kong

Countries

Hong Kong

Central Contacts

Danny YU, PhD

Role: CONTACT

dannyu@hkbu.edu.hk

852-34115309

Facility Contacts

Danny Yu, PhD

Role: primary

dannyu@hkbu.edu.hk

85234115309

Other Identifiers

REC/24-25/0554

Identifier Type: OTHER

Identifier Source: secondary_id

20250606_REST

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id