Sleep-wake timing delays in children with ADHD
Advancing Identification of Circadian Delay in ADHD Youth: Associations with Clinical Heterogeneity and Cognition
['FUNDING_R01'] · DUKE UNIVERSITY · NIH-11251981
This project looks at whether delayed internal clocks and sleep schedules are linked to thinking, behavior, and different ADHD profiles in children.
Quick facts
| Phase | ['FUNDING_R01'] |
|---|---|
| Study type | Nih_funding |
| Sex | All |
| Sponsor | DUKE UNIVERSITY (nih funded) |
| Locations | 1 site (DURHAM, UNITED STATES) |
| Trial ID | NIH-11251981 on ClinicalTrials.gov |
What this research studies
Researchers will enroll children with ADHD (primarily in middle childhood) and collect sleep information using sleep diaries, wearable sleep trackers, and biological markers of circadian timing such as melatonin onset. Children will also complete tests of attention, memory, and measures of sluggish cognitive tempo and other co-occurring symptoms. The team will compare children whose sleep problems arise from daytime behaviors versus those with an underlying circadian delay to identify distinct subgroups. The goal is to learn which kids might respond best to sleep-focused treatments matched to their biology or routines.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal participants are school-age children with an ADHD diagnosis, especially ages about 6–11 years who have trouble falling asleep or irregular sleep schedules.
Not a fit: Children or adults with ADHD who do not have delayed sleep timing or whose sleep problems are strictly due to behavioral or environmental factors may not directly benefit from circadian-focused approaches.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could help match children with ADHD to sleep-focused treatments that better improve attention, mood, and daily functioning.
How similar studies have performed: Prior research links delayed circadian timing to ADHD and shows melatonin and behavioral sleep treatments can improve sleep, but using biological circadian measures to define ADHD subgroups in middle childhood is a newer approach.
Where this research is happening
DURHAM, UNITED STATES
- DUKE UNIVERSITY — DURHAM, UNITED STATES (ACTIVE)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: LUNSFORD-AVERY, JESSICA RUTH — DUKE UNIVERSITY
- Study coordinator: LUNSFORD-AVERY, JESSICA RUTH
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.
Conditions: Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder