Impact of Short and Mistimed Sleep on Adolescents With ADHD: The Adolescent Attention and Circadi… (NCT07684417) | Clinical Trial Compass
Not Yet RecruitingNot Applicable
Impact of Short and Mistimed Sleep on Adolescents With ADHD: The Adolescent Attention and Circadian Timing Study
United States50 participantsStarted 2026-07
Plain-language summary
Many adolescents go to bed late and wake up early for school. Science is only beginning to understand how sleep schedules can affect them. The investigators are interested in whether changing adolescents' sleep patterns affects their functioning, attention, and how they feel. The investigators are especially interested in the effects of changing both how much sleep adolescents get and when that sleep happens.
This study focuses on healthy 13-17-year-olds with ADHD. This study asks adolescents to systematically change their sleeping habits across a 3 week span. The first week, they follow a sleep schedule that fits reasonably well with the schedule they keep when they do not have to wake up early for any specific obligation (e.g., for school). The second week, they spend several nights in a "short sleep" condition, during which they get 6.5 hours in bed per night. The final week, they enter a sleep condition that allows for healthy sleep duration, but with a timing that is randomly assigned to either fit well with their preferred schedule or fit poorly with that schedule. During each week, they and their parents complete measures of their attention and other factors. At the end of each week, they attend an evening session to measure their internal body clock ("circadian phase"), as well as measures of attention and other thinking skills. The goal is to understand whether the benefits of healthy sleep duration depend on the timing of when that sleep occurs.
Who can participate
Age range
13 Years – 17 Years
Sex
ALL
See this in plain English?
AI-rewrites the medical criteria so a patient or caregiver can understand them. Always confirm with the trial site.
Inclusion Criteria:
* Ages 13-17 years at time of informed consent/assent
* Based on semi-structured clinical interview, participants must meet full DSM-5 criteria for ADHD inattentive or ADHD combined presentation.
Exclusion Criteria:
* Non-traditional school setting (morning-afternoon Monday-Friday).
* Exclusionary diagnoses. We will exclude adolescents with known intellectual disability, autism spectrum disorder, psychosis, bipolar disorder, or neurologic conditions (e.g., epilepsy), per caregiver-report.
* Exclusionary sleep disorders. We will exclude adolescents with symptoms of obstructive sleep apnea or periodic limb movement disorder based on published cutoffs on a validated questionnaire.
* High caffeine intake. To promote adherence to directives not to consume caffeine the day of office visits without withdrawal effects, adolescents with daily intake of \>1 coffee or "energy drink" or \>2 caffeinated sodas per day based on caregiver- and adolescent-report will be excluded.
* Unwillingness or inability to take part in study procedures (e.g., visits, prescribed sleep conditions).
* Medication use or unwillingness to discontinue melatonin and/or stimulant medications during the 3-week study protocol.
* Refusal to refrain from automobile driving during the sleep restriction condition.
* "Intermediate" Chronotypes (neither morning larks nor night owls) based on habitual sleep timing on nights when adolescent has no morning obligations such as school or work.
Questions worth asking your doctor
Bring these to your next appointment. They're a starting point for a shared conversation — not a sign you qualify or a recommendation to enrol.
1Based on my diagnosis and history, is this trial worth exploring for me — or is there a standard treatment we should try first?
2What does this trial's phase tell us about how much is already known about its safety and benefit?
3What would taking part actually involve for me — visits, tests, time, and travel?
4What are the known and possible risks or side effects I should weigh, and how would they be monitored?
5If this trial isn't the right fit, what other options or trials would you suggest I look into?
Generated to help you prepare — always confirm anything about your own eligibility and care with the study team and your doctor.
Questions for the trial coordinator
The trial coordinator is the person who runs the study day to day. These cover the practical side — logistics, costs, and what taking part would actually mean for your life. The study team confirms whether you meet the criteria; these are questions to ask, not a sign you qualify.
1What does taking part actually involve week to week — how many visits, where, and how long does each one take?
2What costs are covered by the study, and what might I have to pay for myself, including travel, parking, or time off work?
3What happens during screening, and what happens if the study team confirms I don't meet the criteria after those tests?
4Who pays for the scans, blood work, and other tests the trial requires — the study, my insurance, or me?
5How will being in the trial affect my regular care, and will my own doctor stay informed and involved?
6Can I leave the trial at any point if I change my mind, and what would happen to my care if I do?
A starting point for the conversation — always confirm anything about your own eligibility, costs, and care with the study team and your doctor.
What they're measuring
1
Caregiver- and Adolescent-Reported Symptoms of Inattention
Timeframe: Daily throughout each participant's involvement in the study, up to 3 weeks
Trial details
NCT IDNCT07684417
SponsorChildren's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati