Type: Randomized controlled trial
Registration: PMCID: PMC7267849
Status: Published
Tags: Medication, Night-shift workers, RCT, Shift Work Disorder (SWD), Sleep
External URL: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7267849/
Double‑blind RCT testing the dual orexin receptor antagonist suvorexant vs placebo showed increased daytime sleep time among shift workers with insomnia complaints.
This RCT whether wake‑ or sleep‑promoting medications showed sleep & alertness for night‑shift workers and night owls. The effects appear in real shift contexts, clarifying where medicines fit alongside timing strategies instead of replacing them. For people who work nights, that frames an everyday choice (when you eat, how you light the end of a shift, how rest is split) as part of the mechanism, not just routine.
JAMA Network Open trial; focuses on daytime sleep after shifts.