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CompletedNCT02578186Updated Mar 15, 2017Results posted

Evaluation of Diphenhydramine Hydrochloride Effects in Subjects With Occasional Sleeplessness

A Phase 4 interventional study of Diphenhydramine Hydrochloride and Placebo in Occasional Sleeplessness, sponsored by Procter and Gamble. Completed. Open to participants aged 18 Years to 55 Years, including healthy volunteers. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2017-03-15.

Sponsored by Procter and Gamble · Phase 4, Interventional, and Treatment

Phase
Phase 4
Study type
Interventional
Enrollment
33
Allocation
Randomized
Ages
18 Years to 55 Years
Sex
All
01

Study summary

The present study was conducted to investigate the impact of diphenhydramine hydrochloride on the ability to initiate sleep.

Read the detailed description

Diphenhydramine hydrochloride (herein referred to as diphenhydramine) is an antihistamine of the ethanolamine classes with known sleep-inducing properties and is approved by the Food \& Drug Administration to reduce the time to sleep onset in individuals having difficulty falling asleep. The goal of the study is to investigate diphenhydramine versus placebo with regard to several sleep parameters, including time to sleep onset, in healthy adult subjects suffering from occasional sleeplessness.

02

Conditions studied

  • Occasional Sleeplessness
03

In context

Sleep Initiation and Maintenance Disorders

1,856 studies on the registry are indexed under Sleep Initiation and Maintenance Disorders; 594 are open to participants now.

This study's enrollment of 33 is below the median of 73 across 1,631 interventional studies indexed under Sleep Initiation and Maintenance Disorders.

Browse Sleep Initiation and Maintenance Disorders studies →

Lead sponsor

Procter and Gamble is the lead sponsor of 80 studies on the registry; none are open to participants now.

Of its 10 completed or terminated interventional studies of FDA-regulated products, 10 (100%) have results posted.

Counted across the registry records on this site, refreshed daily.

04

Who can participate

Ages eligible
18 Years to 55 Years
Sexes eligible
All
Accepts healthy volunteers
Yes

Inclusion criteria

  • be male or female subjects, ≥18 years of age to 55 years of age, who report that they are currently experiencing occasional sleeplessness characterized by difficulty initiating sleep (ie, taking ≥30 minutes to fall asleep) on average 2-4 times per week for less than 1 month;
  • be in good general health without clinically significant disease (no previously diagnosed sleep disorders);
  • if female, have a negative screening pregnancy test and agree to be on approved methods of birth control throughout the study

Exclusion criteria

Exclusion Criteria:

  • have a clinically significant illness within 30 days of Screening;
  • are taking medication that could interfere with the study medication;
  • have been under a clinician's care for insomnia treatment and control within the past year or has a history of insomnia or is currently taking prescription medications for insomnia;
  • are currently taking medications known to effect sleep function;
  • have current or past history of serious, severe or unstable physical or psychiatric illness;
  • have current diagnosis of severe urinary retention;
  • have current diagnosis of untreated narrow angle glaucoma;
  • had participated in a clinical drug study or used an investigational new drug during the previous 30 days;
  • have any clinically significant or abnormal finding in physical examination, vital signs, ECG, or clinical laboratory tests that may affect the subject's safety or outcome of the study;
05

Study design

Phase
Phase 4
Primary purpose
Treatment
Allocation
Randomized
Intervention model
Crossover assignment
Masking
Quadruple (Participant, Care provider, Investigator, Outcomes assessor)
Enrollment
33 participants (actual)

Study arms

  • Experimental
    Diphenhydramine Hydrochloride

    Diphenhydramine (50 mg) elixir taken when subjects had trouble falling asleep

    Drug: Diphenhydramine Hydrochloride

  • Placebo comparator
    Placebo

    Placebo elixir taken when subjects had trouble falling asleep

    Drug: Placebo

Interventions

  • DrugDiphenhydramine Hydrochloride

    30 mL at bedtime

    Also known as: Zzzquil

  • DrugPlacebo

    30 mL at bedtime

    Also known as: placebo comparator

06

What researchers measure

Primary outcomes

  1. Mean Latency to Persistent Sleep

    Per Protocol population based on subjects who completed treatment crossover

    Time frame: 4 weeks

07

Results

Posted Mar 15, 2017

Participant flow

Participants were recruited at Henry Ford Medical Hospital, Detroit MI, USA between October 2013 to December 2014.

Period 1 (First of Crossover)
Participant flow — Period 1 (First of Crossover)
MilestoneDiphenhydramine Hydrochloride, Then PlaceboPlacebo, Then Diphenhydramine Hydrochloride
Started1718
Completed1213
Not completed55
Withdrew: Did not meet phase 2 eligibility44
Withdrew: Withdrawal by subject11
Period 2 (Second of Crossover)
Participant flow — Period 2 (Second of Crossover)
MilestoneDiphenhydramine Hydrochloride, Then PlaceboPlacebo, Then Diphenhydramine Hydrochloride
Started1213
Completed1213
Not completed00

Outcome measures

PrimaryMean Latency to Persistent Sleep

Per Protocol population based on subjects who completed treatment crossover

Time frame:
4 weeks
Reported as:
Mean · minutes
Mean Latency to Persistent Sleep
minutesDiphenhydramine HydrochloridePlacebo
Mean Latency to Persistent Sleep19.1 ± 3.127.1 ± 3.1
Statistical analysis
  • Diphenhydramine Hydrochloride vs Placebo · ANCOVA · p = 0.0312

Adverse events

Collected over After informed consent but prior to 1st dose of study drug, only SAEs were collected in the eCRFs (the study had no SAEs). After a patient received his/her first dose of investigational product until his/her exit from the study, all AEs were collected.. Non-serious events are listed at a 0% frequency threshold.

Adverse event summary by group
GroupDeathsSeriousOther
Diphenhydramine Hydrochloride—0/30 (0%)8/30 (26.7%)
Placebo—0/29 (0%)7/29 (24.1%)
Most frequent other events
Showing 10 of 12
Most frequent other events
EventDiphenhydramine HydrochloridePlacebo
HeadacheNervous system disorders3/304/29
Back PainMusculoskeletal and connective tissue disorders0/302/29
NasopharyngitisInfections and infestations0/301/29
MigraineNervous system disorders1/301/29
Dry MouthGastrointestinal disorders1/300/29
FatigueGeneral disorders1/300/29
Product Taste AbnormalGeneral disorders1/300/29
ArthralgiaMusculoskeletal and connective tissue disorders1/300/29
SomnolenceNervous system disorders1/300/29
DysmenorrhoeaReproductive system and breast disorders1/300/29

Baseline characteristics

Age, Continuous
Age, Continuous(years)Entire Study Population
Mean36.2 ± 9.64
Sex: Female, Male
Sex: Female, Male(Participants)Entire Study Population
Female25
Male8
Ethnicity (NIH/OMB)
Ethnicity (NIH/OMB)(Participants)Entire Study Population
Hispanic or Latino1
Not Hispanic or Latino32
Unknown or Not Reported0
Race (NIH/OMB)
Race (NIH/OMB)(Participants)Entire Study Population
American Indian or Alaska Native0
Asian2
Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander1
Black or African American12
White17
More than one race1
Unknown or Not Reported0
Weight
Weight(lb)Entire Study Population
Mean163.3 ± 34.29
Height
Height(inches)Entire Study Population
Mean66.4 ± 3.00
Body Mass Index (BMI)
Body Mass Index (BMI)(kg/m2)Entire Study Population
Mean25.9 ± 4.81
08

Study locations

No study locations are listed for this record.

09

Updates

Tracking since Sep 25, 2026
No changes since tracking began. The registry record was last updated on Mar 15, 2017, before this site started recording changes on Sep 25, 2026. Its history is on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗
10

Registry details

Key details

Study ID
NCT02578186
Lead sponsor
Procter and Gamble
Responsible party
Sponsor
First posted
Oct 16, 2015
Start date
Nov 2013
Primary completion
Dec 2014
Completion
Dec 2014
Results posted
Mar 15, 2017
Last update
Mar 15, 2017

Oversight

Data monitoring committee
No
View the source record on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

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