Bonerge has launched a new randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial investigating how the human body responds to and recovers from circadian disruption following overnight hospital shifts. The study is part of the company’s expanding clinical research program for StanYouth® Urolithin A and focuses on an increasingly important question in sleep and circadian science: how does the body recover after repeated disruption of its normal biological rhythms?

Moving Beyond Sleep Duration

Sleep health is often evaluated through measures such as sleep duration, sleep quality and sleep architecture. However, recovery from night shift work involves more than sleep alone. Circadian regulation, brain function and concentration may also be affected when normal sleep-wake cycles are repeatedly disrupted.

Much of the existing research on circadian disruption has been conducted under controlled laboratory conditions, including experimentally induced sleep restriction or simulated shift work. Bonerge’s new study takes a different approach by examining participants who experience overnight work as part of their routine professional environment.

Studying Night Shift Work in a Real-World Setting

The trial enrolls anesthesiology residents, whose clinical training regularly requires overnight hospital duty. This population provides a real-world model of recurring night shift exposure, combining disrupted sleep schedules with the cognitive and physiological demands of clinical work.

The study uses multiple complementary assessments to characterize recovery following overnight shifts, including:

  • Objective sleep monitoring to evaluate sleep patterns before and after night shifts

  • Circadian biomarkers to assess changes in internal circadian signaling

  • Resting-state functional brain imaging to examine changes in brain network activity

By combining these measurements, researchers aim to explore relationships among sleep, circadian regulation, and brain function during recovery, rather than evaluating each outcome independently.

“Good research starts with asking sharper questions,” said Allen, CEO of Bonerge. “This study is not simply about measuring whether someone sleeps better. We want to understand how multiple biological systems respond together to the circadian stress experienced by night shift workers in real-world conditions.”

Expanding the Clinical Evidence for StanYouth®

The new trial represents another step in Bonerge’s broader clinical evidence strategy for StanYouth® Urolithin A, with a focus on human studies across emerging areas of health and physiology.

Bonerge says its clinical research program is designed to move beyond isolated laboratory findings and generate evidence through carefully controlled human studies conducted under meaningful real-world conditions.

“Nutrition science is maturing, and the standard for evidence is rising with it,” Allen added. “Our commitment is to conduct rigorous clinical research that contributes meaningful insights into human physiology and supports the next generation of evidence-based nutritional solutions.”

Find out about StanYouth here.

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