Sleep coaching to help teens with type 1 diabetes improve blood sugar and thinking

Sleep Promoting Intervention to Improve Diabetes Outcomes and Executive Function in Adolescents with T1D

NIH-funded research Vanderbilt University Medical Center · NIH-11291324

This program helps teens with type 1 diabetes sleep better so they can manage blood sugar and thinking skills more easily.

Quick facts

Grant typeR01 grant
Study typeNIH-funded research
Funding institutionVanderbilt University Medical Center NIH-funded
Lab location1 site (Nashville, United States)
Project IDNIH-11291324 on NIH RePORTER

What this research studies

You would join if you are 11–17 and have type 1 diabetes. You may be randomly assigned to a Sleep Coach program or usual care and the team will track your sleep with wearable devices and sleep questionnaires. The study will check your blood sugar control (like hemoglobin A1c and glucose patterns), test attention and planning skills, and ask you to have brain MRI scans that look at fluid flow and white matter. Visits will include sleep coaching sessions, device wear, testing, and MRI appointments over the study period.

Who could benefit from this research

Good fit: Ideal candidates are adolescents aged about 11–17 with type 1 diabetes who are willing to try behavioral sleep coaching, wear sleep monitors, and attend MRI visits.

Not a fit: People outside the age range, those with type 2 diabetes, those with sleep problems requiring medical or surgical treatment, or those who cannot have MRI scans may not gain direct benefit from this project.

Why it matters

Potential benefit: If it works, better sleep could lead to improved blood sugar control and clearer thinking for teens with type 1 diabetes.

How similar studies have performed: Prior pilot work and studies in other groups link better sleep to improved glucose and cognition, but combining sleep coaching with MRI measures of brain fluid flow in teens with T1D is a new approach.

Where this research is happening

Nashville, United States

Researchers

About this research

  1. This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
  2. Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
  3. For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.
Conditions Adult-Onset Diabetes Mellitus
Last reviewed 2026-06-13 by the Find a Trial editorial team. Information on this page is for educational purposes and is not medical advice. Always consult qualified healthcare professionals about clinical trial participation.