Sleep Assessment

Overview

Sleep plays an essential role in human health and well-being. Research efforts are needed to better understand the relationship between sleep, cancer risk, and other cancer-related outcomes. Accurate assessments of sleep quantity, quality, timing, and context are needed to further this research.

The Epidemiology and Genomics Research Program (EGRP) supports the collection of sleep data in existing and planned surveys in an attempt to develop more complete assessments of individuals’ sleep patterns. Additionally, EGRP’s goals in this area include to:

• Assess sleep more comprehensively, including sleep timing, quantity, and quality, and contextual factors, over long time periods;
• Improve the analytic procedures used to process sleep data;
• Improve the validity and reliability of sleep assessment instruments in various populations; and
• Improve our understanding of the role of sleep in promoting health in both the general population and among cancer survivors.

Funding Opportunities

NCI-sponsored notices of funding opportunities related to sleep assessment include:

• Notice of Special Interest: Validation of Digital Health and Artificial Intelligence/Machine Learning Tools for Improved Assessment in Biomedical and Behavioral Research - expires July 6, 2025
  • NOT-CA-24-031

There are currently no additional NCI funding opportunities focused on sleep assessment research; however, NCI’s Epidemiology and Genomics Research Program (EGRP) encourages investigator-initiated grant applications on sleep assessment topics.

EGRP also joins with other NCI Divisions, and other components of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to fund grant applications submitted in response to funding opportunities.

View All Cancer Control Funding Opportunities

Research Resources

Assessment Tools

• Automated Self-Administered 24-Hour (ASA24) Dietary Assessment Tool’s Sleep Module
  ASA24 is a freely available web-based tool for epidemiologic, interventional, behavioral, or clinical research from NCI that enables multiple automatically coded self-administered 24-hour recalls and food records. The ASA24 system has an optional Sleep module that was added in November 2021. The sleep module can  be used to examine the relationship between diet,  sleep, and timing of eating occasions, including intermittent fasting.
• The NIH Common Data Elements (CDE) Repository contains sleep-related data elements. The CDE Repository is designed to provide access to data element definitions recommended or required by NIH Institutes and Centers and other organizations for use in research and for other purposes.
• PhenX Toolkit
  This toolkit, supported by NIH funding, is a catalogue of recommended, standard measures of phenotypes and environmental exposures, including sleep measures, for use in biomedical research.

Data and Surveys

• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Sleep and Sleep Disorders Surveillance
  The CDC provides a list of surveys addressing sleep and details on their datasets, sleep questions, and documentation. The surveys include the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS), Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS), National Health Interview Survey (NHIS), National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), and NHANES 1 Epidemiologic Follow-up Study (NHEFS).
• Health-Related Data and Surveys for Epidemiologists
  EGRP compiled a list of surveys that may provide data and/or survey instruments which may be useful for assessing sleep.

Public Resources

• 2021 NIH Sleep Research Plan: Advancing the Science of Sleep and Circadian Research
  The plan is a comprehensive approach that builds on the growth of sleep and circadian biology research and advances the mission of the National Center on Sleep Disorders Research. highlights critical needs and opportunities in sleep and circadian research for the coming years. It includes five strategic goals and tactics that are high-priority research areas for the NIH and nine critical opportunities related to the goals.

Workshops and Webinars

Upcoming Events

There are no events planned at this time. Please check back.

Previous Events

• Sleep and Circadian Rhythm Assessment in Obesity and Cancer Research: Current Approaches, Challenges and Opportunities (December 2020)
• National Collaborative on Childhood Obesity Research: Advancing Measurement for Childhood Obesity Workshop Series (May 2019 – February 2020)