Midlife Sleep Study
In 2019, the Wisconsin Sleep Cohort study group was awarded a 4-year grant from the National Institutes of Health. The Midlife Sleep Study is led by principal investigator, Dr. Erika Hagen.
Research Focus
The Midlife Sleep Study is focused on understanding how sleep quality and sleep duration throughout midlife may be related to mental and physical health and functioning in later adulthood.
Who is Eligible to Participate?
Past participants of Wisconsin Sleep Cohort studies who have completed at least 2 overnight protocols are eligible for the Midlife Sleep Study.
We welcome participation of ALL eligible volunteers, including those who are experiencing age-related conditions or other health issues.
How to Participate
We are enrolling volunteers from our original cohort. If you would like to participate, be on the lookout for an invitation letter. We will contact you by mail and follow up with a phone call.
Recruitment and study visits began in April of 2019. As of January 2022, we had completed 301 study visits.
If you have already participated in the Midlife Sleep Study, THANK YOU!
What’s involved?
Wisconsin Sleep Cohort Staff conducts in-home study visits in 2-person teams (study technician and assistant).
The Midlife Sleep Study:
- Takes place in the home during waking hours
- Takes 2-3 hours
Unlike much of our past research, this study does not include an overnight component.
Some of the Midlife Sleep Study procedures will be familiar to our volunteers from past experiences in our sleep lab. For example, the tests of walking and balance, vigilance, and cognition are the same as before. We have also added some new elements, such as a vision test and test of hand grip strength. As usual, there is a set of questionnaires about your sleep, health, and health habits.
Study elements include:
- Health questionnaires
- Memory testing
- Body Measurements: height, weight and girth
- Walking and balance tests
- Test of vigilance and attention
- Vision test
- Grip test
We can adapt procedures for volunteers with special needs related to age-related, health, or other conditions.