Effect of hydrogen–oxygen inhalation on sleep disorders and abnormal mood: a single-blind, randomized controlled trial
Gao YH et al. · Med Gas Res. 2026;16(2):98–102.
Study at a glance
Human
Adults with sleep disorders
Nasal inhalation at 60 mL/min for 1 hour twice daily for 7 days, completed 2 hours before bedtime · 66.6% H₂ + 33.3% O₂ by volume.
1 hour twice daily for 7 consecutive days
Objective total sleep time and wake time and the PSQI and depression scores favored the mixed gas. Between-group sleep efficiency after 7 days and anxiety did not significantly differ.
Single-blind, short trial with unequal groups and six missing Actiwatch datasets. Jinkai Instrument funded the research and was involved in analysis, interpretation and manuscript writing; two authors were company staff.
What kind of evidence is this?
Human
Single-blind randomized controlled trial
Sleep and mood research
Inhaled H₂
Information not yet classified
Some editorial classification fields are still pending. The source-reported outcomes and result are shown below; Hydrogenology does not infer a positive or negative signal from prose automatically.
Methods
Adults with sleep disorders
66 allocated: control n=25; H₂–O₂ n=41. Six Actiwatch datasets were lost; 60 were analyzed for objective sleep state.
1 hour twice daily for 7 consecutive days
Nasal inhalation at 60 mL/min for 1 hour twice daily for 7 days, completed 2 hours before bedtime
Brown’s gas / oxyhydrogen — H₂ and O₂ co-delivered, not H₂ alone.
66.6% H₂ + 33.3% O₂ by volume.
39.96 mL/min H₂, calculated as 60 mL/min total mixed-gas flow × 66.6% H₂.
19.98 mL/min O₂, calculated as 60 mL/min × 33.3% O₂.
Control group without the H₂–O₂ inhalation intervention
Outcomes and reported result
Actiwatch total sleep time, wake time and sleep efficiency; PSQI; depression and anxiety scales
Objective total sleep time and wake time and the PSQI and depression scores favored the mixed gas. Between-group sleep efficiency after 7 days and anxiety did not significantly differ.
Gas composition, flow, methods, results, trial registration, funding and conflicts checked in the open-access full text; independent appraisal remains incomplete.
A reported association, difference or mechanism is not automatically a clinical benefit.
Limitations and applicability
Single-blind, short trial with unequal groups and six missing Actiwatch datasets. Jinkai Instrument funded the research and was involved in analysis, interpretation and manuscript writing; two authors were company staff.
Adults with sleep disorders under the reported seven-day protocol.
No single-study GRADE certainty rating is assigned. Read how records and evidence assessments are prepared.
Sources and record status
PMID: 40826930 · DOI: 10.4103/mgr.MEDGASRES-D-25-00020
Open-access full text is available through PMC.
Open-access PMC full text and PubMed bibliographic record.
10 August 2026
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