RecruitingNot Applicable

Differences in Rest, Emotion, and Arousal Modulation in Youth

United States60 participantsStarted 2026-05-01

Plain-language summary

The goal of this study is to examine the relationship between sensory responsivity, bedtime arousal levels, sleep disturbances, and daytime emotion dysregulation for autistic children (ages 6-10). In a subset of children with elevated sensory responsivity, a sensory-based bedtime manipulation targeting bedtime arousal levels will be tested.

Who can participate

Age range6 Years – 10 Years

SexALL

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Inclusion criteria

✓. Youth between the ages of 6 and 10 years old
✓. Caregiver-reported autism diagnosis and \>11 on Social Communication Questionnaire
✓. Caregiver-reported bedtime resistance (\>12 on Children's Sleep Habits Questionnaire-Autism; Sleep Initiation subscale - 3-point scale, 6 questions)
✓. Caregiver willing to participate in all bedtimes during study
✓. Stable medication use (e.g., no changes within 2 weeks)

Exclusion criteria

✕. Participants will be excluded if they do not understand English or are unable to travel to the lab (Pittsburgh, PA).
✕. Concurrent diagnosis of sleep apnea, narcolepsy, or major psychiatric disorder (e.g., major depression, bipolar).
✕. Unstable medication use (dose or timing).
✕. Current behavioral treatment for sleep disorder

What they're measuring

Nightly emotion dysregulation

Timeframe: 4 weeks

Bedtime sensory over-responsivity

Timeframe: 4 weeks

Sleep onset latency

Timeframe: 4 weeks

Trial details

NCT IDNCT07476937

SponsorUniversity of Pittsburgh

Sponsor typeOTHER

Study typeINTERVENTIONAL

Primary completion2030-07

Contact for this trial

Amy G Hartman, PhD

412-648-7997 agh38@pitt.edu

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