# Metabolic Effects of Sleep Extension in People with Obesity

> **NIH NIH R01** · WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY · 2021 · $607,680

## Abstract

Project Summary/Abstract
Data from both epidemiological and sleep intervention studies have shown that insufficient sleep
causes metabolic dysfunction and is associated with an increased risk of developing obesity
and metabolic diseases, such as type 2 diabetes (T2D). However, a comprehensive
assessment of the potential therapeutic benefits of sleep extension have not been evaluated in
people. The overall goal of this proposal is to determine the effect of sleep extension on multi-
system metabolic function and the potential mechanisms responsible for the link between
insufficient sleep and metabolic dysfunction, including circadian misalignment, increased
oxidative stress, plasma metabolomics and both systemic and adipose tissue inflammation in
people with metabolically unhealthy obesity (MUO) who habitually maintain chronic short sleep
schedules. Accordingly, we have assembled a transdisciplinary research team with expertise in
metabolism (S. Klein, G. Smith at Washington University School of Medicine [WUSM]), sleep (K.
Wright, J. Broussard at University of Colorado Boulder and B. Lucey [WUSM]), circadian biology
and molecular science (J. Yoshino [WUSM]), and metabolomics (M. Jain at University of
California San Diego) to conduct a randomized controlled trial to assess a 6-wk sleep extension
intervention in people with MUO, who habitually sleep ≤6.0 h/night. We will determine the effect
of sleep extension, on: 1) multi-organ insulin sensitivity (assessed by using the two-stage
hyperinsulinemic-euglycemic clamp procedure in conjunction with stable isotope tracers), 2) 24h
plasma glucose, free fatty acids and hormone profiles, and 3) intrahepatic triglyceride content
(assessed by using magnetic resonance imaging) and the potential cellular mechanisms
responsible for insufficient sleep-induced metabolic dysfunction, by targeted (circadian
misalignment, clock genes, inflammation, and oxidative stress) and non-targeted (mass
spectroscopy-driven metabolome) approaches. The results from this transdisciplinary
collaboration will provide important insights into understanding the physiological and molecular
interactions between sleep and metabolic function, and could provide evidence for sleep
extension as a countermeasure to improve metabolic health in people at high risk for developing
metabolic diseases.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10201581
- **Project number:** 5R01DK115502-04
- **Recipient organization:** WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY
- **Principal Investigator:** Samuel Klein
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2021
- **Award amount:** $607,680
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2018-09-01 → 2023-06-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10201581

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10201581, Metabolic Effects of Sleep Extension in People with Obesity (5R01DK115502-04). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10201581. Licensed CC0.

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