UCLA Sleep Research: Improving Sleep Quality and Addressing Disorders

Sleep is a fundamental aspect of human health, influencing psychosocial and biological processes. Sleep disturbance can lead to a range of negative effects, particularly among adolescents and young adults, impacting academic and social success, as well as mental and physical well-being. Recognizing the importance of sleep, UCLA has been at the forefront of sleep research, focusing on understanding sleep disorders, developing effective interventions, and promoting healthy sleep habits.

The Significance of Sleep and the Impact of Disruption

Limited, inconsistent, and poor quality sleep can lead to anxiety, depressive feelings, loneliness, and fatigue over time. These symptoms, in turn, interfere with the ability to get a good night's rest, creating a vicious cycle. Sleep disruption can also upregulate inflammatory processes during the years of adolescence and young adulthood in ways that can create risk for the development of chronic health conditions such as diabetes, depression, and cardiovascular disease in later adulthood. Adequate sleep is needed to clear cell waste from the brain. Dr. Alon Avidan, Professor of Neurology at UCLA and Director of both the UCLA Sleep Disorders Center and UCLA Neurology Clinic, says this is one of the most important and critical finding in recent years about the possible function of sleep.

Chronic disruption of our circadian rhythm, our 24-hour internal timing system, can have a major impact on health consequences. Sleep deprivation not only affects physical functioning such as immune regulation, it produces mood disturbances, including anxiety and depression, and also inappropriately modulates the human emotional brain.

UCLA's Approach to Sleep Research and Treatment

UCLA is dedicated to promoting wellness of mind, brain and spirit, foster creativity, and enhance social connectedness of UCLA students, faculty, and staff. As leaders in managing and treating all types of sleep disorders, including cutting-edge insomnia and narcolepsy treatment, UCLA Health offers the full range of care for children and adults. The UCLA Sleep Disorders Center features the largest group of clinical sleep researchers in the United States.

Comprehensive Care and Expertise

The UCLA Sleep Disorders Center has been diagnosing and managing sleep disturbances for decades. The sleep medicine team includes experts in neurology, pulmonology, psychiatry, pediatric sleep disorders, otolaryngology, dentistry, bariatrics and nutrition. Physicians who are board certified in sleep medicine and registered polysomnographic technologists evaluate and diagnose a range of sleep disorders.

State-of-the-Art Facilities

UCLA's modern sleep lab includes advanced equipment in 11 single-patient accommodations. These tranquil spaces make overnight sleep studies inviting by mimicking the comforts of a hotel room. The lab also provides kid-friendly accommodations and a shared lounge, featuring an elegant space for patients and families. UCLA Health has achieved continuous accreditation by the American Academy of Sleep Medicine.

Research Focus Areas

Dr. Christopher S. Colwell is a Neuroscientist whose laboratory’s research has focused on understanding the mechanisms underlying circadian rhythms in mammals. Dysfunction in the timing these daily cycles is a key symptom in a number of neurological and psychiatric disorders. Better understanding the basic biology of this timing system should result in new therapies to improve the quality of life of these patients and the people who care for them.

Dr. Thomas Minor is a Professor of Psychology and Neuroscience. He is a leading researcher on brain and endocrine mechanisms of psychological trauma, stress resilience, and stress recovery.

Dennis McGinty, PhD, studies the hypothalamic control of NREM sleep, neural and physiological mechanisms that regulate mammalian slow wave sleep, the role of preoptic-anterior hypothalamic and basal forebrain processes, and particularly the interaction of sleep and thermoregulatory mechanisms in these sites.

Dr. Adriana Galván's research focuses on adolescent brain development and examines how changes in brain maturation during adolescence relate to adolescent behavior and decision-making. Specifically, her work examines how changes in brain maturation during adolescence relate to adolescent behavior and decision-making. Focus specifically on puberty and sleep, which both lead to consequential effects on behavior, health, and brain development.

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Sleep Studies Offered at UCLA

Specialists in the Sleep Disorders Laboratory conduct overnight sleep studies to diagnose and manage a spectrum of sleep disorders. UCLA offers overnight sleep studies through the Sleep Disorders Laboratory, including:

Nocturnal polysomnogram (NPSG): This is the standard overnight sleep study to assess sleep disorders. We measure all physiological functions during sleep, including breathing, brain wave activity, heart rate, muscle movement, oxygen saturation and snoring.
Expanded electroencephalogram (EEG) sleep recording: We perform an NPSG along with an EEG, a test that measures brain activity. We may use this test if we suspect a patient has seizures at nighttime.
Multiple sleep latency test (MSLT): This daytime test measures how sleepy a patient is after a full night of sleep. We use it after an overnight NPSG. We may use this test to diagnose narcolepsy or other forms of excessive daytime sleepiness.
NPSG with end tidal CO2: This is a modified NPSG where we also measure the level of CO2 (carbon dioxide) at the end of each exhale. This test helps us detect conditions such as obesity hypoventilation. We also often use this test to diagnose sleep disorders in children.
REM (rapid eye movement) sleep behavior disorder: During this modified NPSG, we attach small, metal discs (electrodes) to the patient’s arms and legs. These electrodes measure muscle activity during REM sleep to diagnose conditions that cause people to act out their dreams.
Continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) or bi-level positive airway pressure (BiPAP) titration: CPAP and BiPAP are common treatments for sleep apnea. With this study, we evaluate what pressure levels most effectively treat apnea in individual patients.
Split night study: This two-part study involves a two- to four-hour diagnostic test with a therapeutic test. If the diagnostic test indicates a possibility of sleep apnea, we may have patients use a CPAP machine the same night. We measure the patient’s response to the CPAP machine to determine if it would be effective treatment.
Maintenance of wakefulness test (MWT): We measure whether a patient can stay awake in a sleep-induced environment. We often use this test to evaluate how well a treatment is working.

Treatments Offered

Sleep disorders and causes vary significantly. Your treatment plan depends on your symptoms, medical history and condition causing the sleep disturbance. At UCLA Health, we approach every treatment plan from multiple angles. You benefit from a multispecialty team of experts who focus on your sleep as well as your overall health. You may receive:

Devices to help you breathe at night, such as an oral appliance that opens airways or a CPAP machine that delivers a steady flow of air
Medications to help you sleep, control anxiety or treat health conditions that may disrupt your sleep
Therapy, such as cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) to help relax your mind and body so you can rest

Current Research Initiatives

UCLA is actively involved in numerous research studies aimed at improving sleep quality and addressing sleep disorders. Some notable studies include:

Mindful Awareness Practices (MAPs) vs. Sleep Education

UCLA has developed and validated a group-based mindfulness intervention, Mindful Awareness Practices (MAPs), that has demonstrated beneficial effects on sleep in adults and may offer a promising, scalable approach for reducing sleep disturbance and improving associated psychological and biological outcomes in college students. However, this approach requires validation in this population relative to sleep education programs, which increasingly dominate the college landscape.

To address this important public health problem, the investigators propose to conduct a single site, two-arm, parallel group randomized controlled trial to test the efficacy of the validated, group-based, six-week MAPs intervention vs. sleep education, an active time and attention matched control condition, for first year undergraduate students who report poor sleep at this critical transition year. The investigators are aiming to enroll approximately 240 participants. Participants will complete questionnaires, provide blood samples for immune analysis and will be provided with wrist actigraphs to wear for 7 days, in order to collect objective measurements of sleep at pre- and post-intervention visits, and at a 3-month follow-up visit. Additional follow-up assessments will take place at 6-month, and 12-month post-intervention to evaluate persistence of effects.

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This single-site, two-arm, parallel group randomized controlled trial will evaluate the efficacy of a mindfulness-based intervention for sleep disturbance (Mindful Awareness Practices for Sleep (MAPs)) relative to an active sleep education control condition for first-year undergraduate students with sleep disturbance. Both interventions will be delivered in a group format once per week for six weeks, in the students' residential halls, and led by experienced instructors following manualized protocols. Groups will be conducted in the evenings at standardized times (weeks 3-8) during the 10-week quarter to avoid conflict with final exams. Assessments will be conducted pre- and post-intervention and at 3, 6, and 12-month post-intervention follow-ups to evaluate persistence of effects. All assessments will be conducted during the academic year.

Study participants will be first year undergraduate students at UCLA who endorse sleep disturbance as determined by a score of 8 or higher on the Insomnia Severity Index (ISI). They will be recruited in cohorts of 40-50 and randomized 1:1 to one of the two study arms (20-25 students per group, the optimal group size for the MAPs intervention). Participants will complete questionnaires and blood collection at in-person assessments conducted before and after the six-week intervention and at a 3-month post-intervention follow-up. Longer-term effects on self-reported outcomes will be assessed at 6- and 12-months post-intervention.

UCLA REST Study (REsearch on Sleep Techniques)

The UCLA REST (REsearch on Sleep Techniques) Study addresses the issue that sleep disturbance has a range of negative effects on psychosocial and biological processes important for academic and social success as well as mental and physical health among adolescents and young adults. Limited, inconsistent, and poor quality sleep lead to anxiety, depressive feelings, loneliness, and fatigue over time. These symptoms, in turn, interfere with the ability to get a good night's rest. Sleep disruption can also upregulate inflammatory processes during the years of adolescence and young adulthood in ways that can create risk for the development of chronic health conditions (e.g., diabetes, depression, cardiovascular disease) in later adulthood.

Other Studies

UCLA is also conducting studies on:

Endotypic Traits and Obstructive Sleep Apnea Surgery
Sleep for Stroke Management and Recovery Trial
Suvorexant for Treatment of AUD and PTSD
Drug-Induced Sleep Endoscopy for Upper Airway Evaluation in Obstructive Sleep Apnea
Forehead Temperature-Regulating Therapy for Insomnia in Adults With Tourette's Disorder
Insomnia Treatment and Cardiometabolic Health in Older Adults With Posttraumatic Stress Disorder
Improve Nocturia and Sleep in Older Adults
Pharmacodynamics, and Safety Profile of Understudied Drugs Administered to Children Per Standard of Care (POPS)
Oral AFA-281 in Patients with Alcohol Use Disorder
Magnesium L-Threonate on Sleep, Recovery, and Athletic Performance in Collegiate Athletes
Tai Chi Effects on Chronic Insomnia in Breast Cancer Survivors: Immune Mechanisms
GARM II: A Study on the Genetics of Age-related Maculopathy

The Role of Mindfulness and Lifestyle Factors

Recent findings show that psychological approaches are effective approaches for improving sleep. Practicing mindfulness meditation not only reduces stress, anxiety and burnout; but, when done regularly, it can increase cortical thickness and gray matter in the brain. Surrounding yourself with nature can improve recovery from stress and attention fatigue. Exercise also promotes wellness of mind by decreasing anxiety, depression, negative mood, and elevating self-esteem and cognitive abilities.

UCLA Mind Well

The UCLA Sleep Well Campaign is co-sponsored by the UCLA Healthy Campus Initiative, Mind Well, UCLA Library, UCLA Recreation, UCLA Counseling and Psychological Services, MindFul Music, and the UCLA Mindful Awareness Research Center, and with support from UCLA Residential Life.

Check out recommended sleep practices with this simple sleep hygiene fact sheet, co-created by UCLA Mind Well and Dr. Alon Avidan, Professor of Neurology at UCLA and Director of both the UCLA Sleep Disorders Center and UCLA Neurology Clinic.

Napping

Ideally we would get enough sleep at night that we would not feel tired during the day. Get a printable Nap Map here. Rent an inflatable lounger or blanket from the Student Activities Center and enjoy a nap outside on UCLA’s beautiful campus.

UCLA Interactive Campus Map - Click on “Layers” and select “Nap Map” The Nap Map layer includes locations where you might nap on campus, throughout the year.

Did you know that taking naps lasting longer than 45 minutes to an hour do more harm than good?

Key Findings and Insights from UCLA Research

Dr. Alon Avidan, Professor of Neurology at UCLA and Director of both the UCLA Sleep Disorders Center and UCLA Neurology Clinic, says that adequate sleep is needed to clear cell waste from the brain, and this is one of the most important and critical finding in recent years about the possible function of sleep.

In a recent, randomized controlled study of about 120 UCLA undergraduate students, our Mind Well U-Reviews Sleep Well team found that students who had a real f.lux blue-green wavelength reduction at night relative to no change showed a small but significant change in sleep onset latency.

Narcolepsy Research

Our sleep medicine team was the first to report the loss of hypothalamic hypocretin neurons in human narcolepsy (in 2000, see below-left, submitted to Society for Neuroscience meeting March 5, 2000 and [PMID:11055430], the first to record hypocretin neurons in behaving animals (in 2005 [PMID:15924864], finding that these neurons fired in relation to approach/pleasurable behavior (click here to see video) and the first to record Hcrt release in the human brain (in 2013 [PMID:23462990]), finding greatly elevated Hcrt release during pleasurable social interactions and minimal release during aversion, disappointment or pain.

Five to thirty percent of people having narcolepsy with cataplexy have absolutely normal levels of hypocretin in their cerebrospinal fluid [PMID: 10615891]; [PMID: 12374492]; [PMID: 17702265]; [PMID 33539807]; [PMID: 30679597]; [PMID: 26564387]; [PMID: 32406370]; [PMID: 22942503]; [PMID 16006155], findings that do not support the hypothesis that hypocretin loss causes sleepiness and cataplexy, the major symptoms of narcolepsy.

In 2025 we discovered that all humans with narcolepsy also have a loss of locus coeruleus noradrenergic neurons (Chi squared p=0.001), comparable in magnitude to their loss of hypocretin neurons [doi.org/10.1101/2025.04.12.648456].

Our recent study [doi.org/10.1101/2025.04.12.648456] shows that the loss of locus coeruleus neurons is not caused by the loss of hypocretin neurons.

In 2018, 2024 and 2025 (below-left column) we discovered that hypocretin neurons have a major role in opioid addiction. Chronic use of heroin in humans and daily injection of morphine in mice increases the number of detected hypocretin neurons and decreases their size (see figure below). We find that opioid dependence is prevented in mice by deleting hypocretin neurons. In 2024 we found that opioid dependence is prevented, without reducing opioid analgesia, by blocking hypocretin receptors with suvorexant when administering opioids [PMID: 39989723].

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