At-Home Sleep Research Study in Autism

Many children with autism spectrum disorder have sleep disturbances but the underlying causes are not clear. Sleep can be difficult to study because laboratory sleep studies are burdensome and expensive. To overcome these hurdles, in this study we want to use sleep headbands that measure brain rhythms during overnight sleep at home to study sleep in individuals with autism.

• Volunteers with autism between 12-19 years who are English speaking and able to understand and respond to questionnaires

It will take 1-3 weeks to complete the study, and participation can be in a hybrid format (remote/in-person) or entirely remotely. Participants will complete questionnaires and assessments with study staff and receive training on how to set up and use a sleep headband, either remotely or in person. Participants will then sleep at home with the headband for 3 consecutive nights. If needed, we can provide a practice headband for 1-2 weeks to adjust to wearing the headband at home. You will provide daily remote feedback to study staff, and our study team will provide remote technical assistance as needed. If you decide to participate in person, you will come to the Lurie Center for Autism in Lexington, MA 2 times for your child to complete a cognitive assessment with study staff and wear an EEG cap while listening to tones and clicks.

Using sleep headbands that measures brain rhythms at home will allow us to study more children over a longer period of time to gain a better understanding of sleep rhythms in autism.