Can a flashing light fix teen ADHD sleep troubles?
NCT ID NCT06036420
First seen Jun 27, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026
Summary
This small study looks at whether morning flashed light therapy, combined with online sleep counseling, is acceptable and tolerable for teens aged 14-17 with ADHD and delayed sleep. Six participants will try the light therapy daily for six weeks and attend weekly video sessions. The goal is to see if teens and parents find the treatment helpful and easy to stick with.
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Study facts
What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.
- Phase
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Not a phased trial
Phase numbers describe drug development. The registry uses this when they do not apply, as it does for trials of devices, procedures or behaviour changes, and for observational studies.
- Participants
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About 6 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Started
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Oct 2023
- Expected to finish
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Mar 2027
An estimate. End dates often move.
- Lead sponsor
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Other sponsor
The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.
Who can take part
This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.
- Ages
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14 to 17 years
- Sex
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Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
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Not accepted
This study is not open to healthy volunteers. The entry requirements below say who it is open to.
Show the full entry requirements Hide the full entry requirements
Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.
Inclusion Criteria: 1. Age of 14 to 17 years 2. Current DSM-5 diagnosis of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (any type) 3. Self-reported average bedtime of 11:00 pm or later, with difficulty shifting bedtime earlier and difficulty waking up early enough in the morning 4. Evening chronotype (i.e., score ≤ 27 on the Morningness-Eveningness scale for Children) 5. Clinically significant ADHD severity (ADHD-Rating Scale-5 score ≥ 24) 6. Moderate global functioning impairment or worse (Clinical Global Impression-Severity scale score ≥ 4) 7. Attending school (i.e., standard school year or summer school) during study enrollment 8. Fluency in English Exclusion Criteria: 1. Current or lifetime diagnosis of bipolar Disorder, psychosis, autism spectrum disorder, or pervasive developmental disorder 2. Alcohol or substance dependence or suicidality within the past 6 months 3. Current depression or anxiety in the severe range or higher 4. Sleep disorder present besides delayed sleep-wake phase disorder (Clinical Sleep History Interview) 5. Sleep solely in the prone position (i.e., on stomach) 6. Full scale IQ ≤ 80 (Wechsler Abbreviated Scale for Intelligence-II) 7. Use of any over-the-counter (e.g., melatonin, Benadryl) or prescribed sleep medication in the past month or planned use during the study 8. Changes to any psychiatric medication within one month of study enrollment or planned changes during the study 9. Use of photosensitizing medication within one month of study enrollment or planned during the study 10. Participation in behavior therapy for sleep and/or ADHD within 3 months of study enrollment or planned participation during the course of the study 11. Use of light therapy within 6 months of study enrollment or planned use during the study 12. Travel across \> 2 time zones within one month of study enrollment or planned travel outside of the time zone of participation during the study 13. Structural barriers to sleep (e.g., night shift work, extracurriculars scheduled until late in the evening, early rising for sports practice) 14. Medical or neurological condition (e.g., seizure disorder, chronic migraines) that would interfere in the individual's ability to participate
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Conditions
The condition(s) this trial relates to.
As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
Contacts and locations
Locations
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Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, University of California, Los Angeles
Los Angeles, California, 90095, United States
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