The Ecology of Human Sleep (EcoSleep) Project: Protocol for a longitudinal cohort repeated-measurement-burst study to assess the relationship between sleep determinants and sleep outcomes under real-world conditions across time of year

Abstract

Introduction The interplay of daily life factors, including mood, physical activity, or light exposure, influences sleep architecture and quality. Laboratory-based studies often isolate these determinants to establish causality, thereby sacrificing ecological validity. Furthermore, little is known about time-of-year changes in sleep and circadian-related variables at high resolution, including the magnitude of individual change across time of year under real-world conditions. Objectives This study investigates the combined impact of sleep determinants on individuals' daily sleep episodes to elucidate which waking events modify sleep patterns. A second goal is to describe high-resolution individual sleep and circadian-related changes across the year to understand intra- and interindividual variability. Methods and analysis This study is a prospective cohort study with a measurement-burst design. Healthy adults aged 18-35 (N = 12) will be enrolled for 12 months. Participants will continuously wear actimeters and pendant-attached light loggers. A subgroup will also measure interstitial fluid glucose levels (n = 6). Every four weeks, all participants will undergo three consecutive measurement days of four ecological momentary assessments each day ("bursts") to sample sleep determinants during wake. Participants will also continuously wear temperature loggers (iButtons) during the bursts. Body weight will be captured before and after the bursts, and visual function will be tested in the laboratory. The bursts are separated by two at-home electroencephalogram (EEG) recordings each night. Circadian phase and amplitude will be determined during the bursts from hair follicles, and habitual melatonin onset will be derived through saliva sampling. Environmental parameters (bedroom temperature, humidity, and air pressure) will be recorded continuously. Ethics and dissemination The Ethics Committee of the Technical University of Munich approved this study (#2023-653-S-SB). We adhere to research standards including the Declaration of Helsinki and open science principles. Results will be made available as future peer-reviewed publications and contributions to conferences.