NMN and Sleep Research
What this page covers
This page evaluates human evidence on sleep specifically: what was actually measured, whether it was objective or self-reported, whether it was a prespecified primary outcome or an exploratory secondary one, sample size, and whether findings have been independently replicated. "NMN improves sleep" is a broader claim than what the underlying data show, and this page explains exactly what was observed instead.
The one directly-verified finding: a secondary outcome in a 12-week trial
A 12-week, 60-participant trial in older Japanese adults had physical performance (a stepping test) as its prespecified primary outcome — which was null.[1] Sleep was a secondary outcome, measured with the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), a validated but self-reported questionnaire, not an objective measurement like polysomnography or actigraphy.[1] On that secondary, self-reported measure, the NMN group showed lower (better) scores than placebo for "daytime dysfunction" and overall global PSQI score at 12 weeks.[1] This is a real finding, from a well-controlled, directly-verified trial — and it is a secondary, self-reported outcome in one trial, not a replicated, objectively measured, prespecified primary finding.
A second reported study that could not be independently verified
A separate report describes a 58-participant, 12-week study of NMN and insomnia in middle-aged and older adults, with a stated result of improved sleep-quality scores.[2] This report was identified directly on its publishing journal's own website, but that journal carries no PMID, no DOI, and no confirmed MEDLINE/PubMed/Scopus indexing, and its blinding procedure is not stated — it cannot be identified through the kind of authoritative bibliographic record every other source on this hub meets. Because of that, its specific numeric findings are not used as evidence for an NMN effect on this page. It is noted here only as a study that was identified but could not be independently verified to this hub's standard.
A larger trial currently underway
A multicenter, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of oral NMN (320 mg/day, 60 days) specifically for chronic insomnia, in 400 participants, has a published study protocol with change in PSQI score as its prespecified primary outcome and objective sleep metrics as secondary outcomes.[3] As of this review, no results from this trial have been published. It is included here because it represents the first adequately powered, purpose-built trial on this specific question — not because it provides any evidence yet, and it does not contribute to any conclusion below.
What this means
The honestly-supportable summary is narrower than it might first appear: exactly one directly-verified, reasonably well-controlled trial found a self-reported sleep-quality improvement, and that was a secondary outcome, not the trial's prespecified primary measure. A second report of a positive sleep finding exists but could not be independently verified to this hub's standard and is not used as evidence here. A larger, purpose-built trial that could settle the question with objective measures has not yet reported results. With only one verified, secondary, single-trial finding standing as direct human evidence, this hub currently classifies human evidence on NMN and sleep as insufficient — real enough to be worth tracking as the underway trial reports out, not strong enough to support a general claim that "NMN improves sleep."
Related reading
For the complete human trial record, see NMN Human Clinical Trials. For what these same trials report on tolerability, see NMN Safety and Side Effects.
- The best-controlled sleep finding is a secondary, self-reported PSQI result in a trial whose actual primary outcome was null.
- No trial has used objective sleep measurement (polysomnography or actigraphy) as a primary outcome with published results.
- A second, smaller study reporting sleep benefits could not be independently verified from its primary source.
- A larger, purpose-built 400-participant insomnia trial is registered but has not yet reported results.
- Current evidence does not support a general claim that NMN improves sleep.
- Morifuji M, Higashi S, Ebihara S, Nagata M. Ingestion of β-nicotinamide mononucleotide increased blood NAD levels, maintained walking speed, and improved sleep quality in older adults. GeroScience. 2024. doi:10.1007/s11357-024-01204-1. PMID: 38789831.Sleep-quality finding (PSQI) was a secondary outcome; prespecified primary outcome (stepping test) was null.
- Zhao B, Liu C, Qiang L, et al. Clinical observation of the effect of nicotinamide mononucleotide on the improvement of insomnia in middle-aged and old adults. American Journal of Translational Medicine. 2022.Identified directly on the journal's own publication page (Vol 6, No 4, pp 167-176); no PMID, no DOI, no confirmed MEDLINE/PubMed/Scopus indexing; blinding not stated. Not used as evidence on this hub (Tier C).
- [Protocol paper, authors not extracted] Oral nicotinamide mononucleotide (NMN) to treat chronic insomnia: protocol for the multicenter, randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled trial. (trial protocol). 2023.Study protocol only; no results published as of this review. Registered/no published results.