Capturing the Patient Voice: Qualitative Assessment of Daridorexant’s Impact on Patients with Insomnia and Comorbid Nocturia from a Randomized, Placebo-Controlled Crossover Trial

Abstract

Chronic insomnia frequently co-exists with nocturia, contributing to impaired sleep quality and reduced health-related quality of life. A recent randomized cross‑over study found that daridorexant improved sleep duration, insomnia severity, daytime functioning, and nocturnal voiding in patients with chronic insomnia and nocturia. To complement these quantitative outcomes, the study incorporated qualitative free‑text surveys capturing patients’ lived experiences, addressing an existing gap in patient‑reported insights for this multifaceted condition. Here, we report these qualitative findings assessed at baseline and post‑treatment. This double-blind, placebo-controlled, two-way crossover trial of patients with insomnia disorder and comorbid nocturia included 60 adults ≥ 55 years with ≥ 3 months of insomnia symptoms, an Insomnia Severity Index ≥ 13, and ≥ 3 nocturnal voids per night. Patients were randomized to daridorexant 50 mg or placebo for 4 weeks, followed by crossover after a washout period. Free‑text surveys at baseline and after each treatment period captured patient‑reported impacts of their conditions on daily life and perceived changes during treatment. At baseline, patients reported broad negative impacts across physical, emotional, cognitive, and daily functioning domains. During treatment, more patients reported improvements in sleep (87% vs. 50%) and nocturia (79% vs. 32%) on daridorexant than on placebo, and improvements in functioning, particularly physical, cognitive, emotional, and daily activities. Patients reported meaningful improvements with daridorexant 50 mg, including better sleep, reduced nocturia, and enhanced physical, cognitive, and emotional functioning. Daridorexant consistently elicited more positive patient‑reported changes than placebo. These findings highlight the value of free‑text surveys for capturing patient‑centered outcomes. NCT05597020.