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SCREENS: Sleep, Circadian Rhythms, and Electronics in the EveNing Study

This study, called SCREENS, is looking at how using tablets before bed affects children's sleep, body clock (circadian rhythm), and how they manage emotions and focus the next day. We are testing different ways children use tablets: with bright or dim screens, and with exciting or calming content. We will compare these to a "no screen" control where children do quiet activities before bed. Children aged 8 to 11 who sleep well and live with a parent are eligible. The study aims to see how these different conditions impact sleep duration and how well children feel they slept. The current recruitment status is unclear.

Study design
This is a randomized, controlled study involving 220 children. Participants will be assigned to different groups to compare the effects of various tablet use conditions.
What's involved
Children will participate in two weekend protocols, an experimental and a control weekend. During these weekends, they will engage in 1 hour of tablet use or non-screen activities before bed.
Compensation
Not stated in the trial record.
Follow-up
Sleep duration and quality will be measured on Night 9 and Night 16 after the experimental and control exposures.

AI-generated from the public study record. Only the study team can confirm whether you're eligible — confirm details with them before making decisions.

NCT06192745

SCREENS: Sleep, Circadian Rhythms, and Electronics in the EveNing Study

Recruiting
NAAges 8–11InterventionalPrevention
Baylor College of Medicine
~220 participants
Updated 2026-06-03 on ClinicalTrials.gov
What's tested:no screen control with dim light and calming activitiesunfiltered Bright tablet screenFiltered dim tablet screenExciting contentCalming Content

At a glance

Recruiting sites
1 of 1 listed site is recruiting right now
RecruitingSuspended, closed, or not yet open
What they're measuring
Differences in Sleep Duration on nights following the experimental and internal negative control exposures
Measured over Night 9 and 16
+1 more outcome measured

Conditions

Sleep
Circadian Rhythm
Executive Function
Emotion Regulation

Explore related trials

Circadian RhythmDysexecutive functionEmotion RegulationSleep

Where it's being run

1 sites across 1 states
Texas1

Study leadership

  • Jennette P Moreno, PhD · PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR · Baylor College of Medicine
  • Candice A Alfano, PhD · PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR · Stony Brook University

Who to contact

Insia Raza, MPH
[email protected]
713-798-0555
Email the study team

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Do you actually qualify for this trial?

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Eligibility criteria

Inclusion

children between 8.0 and 11.9 year old
Tanner stage 1 and 2
live with their parent(s) (biological or legal guardian at least 50% of the time and has a primary role of caring for the child).
Children who sleep between 8.5 to 11 hours per night habitually
Children must sleep alone most nights
parent and child able to communicate and read and write in English
The child does not have to have access to a mobile device (tablet or Phone), but if they do, the primary device they use has to be an a) Android OS ≥5.0 either used only by the study child or shared with others, b) Amazon Fire OS ≥5.0 that only the child uses or c) an Apple iOS ≥14.0 that only the child uses.
If the child's primary device is a Android or Amazon Fired device, the parent and child agree to install Chronicle App (Android or Amazon). If the child's primary device is an Apple device, the parent and child agree to allow us to gather usage screenshots from the primary iPad or iPhone.
Families must live in the greater Houston area.

Exclusion

child blindness or colorblindness
significant vision problems
developmental or cognitive delays
diagnosis of a sleep or psychiatric disorder
diagnosed cognitive or learning impairment affecting executive functioning (e.g., attention deficit hyperactivity disorder)
medical conditions that impact sleep
taking medications that impact sleep
travel beyond 2 time zones in the month before starting the study

What this trial measures

  • Differences in Sleep Duration on nights following the experimental and internal negative control exposuresNight 9 and 16

    Children will wear an Actiwatch Spectrum watch (Philips Respironics, Inc.) on the wrist of their non-dominant hand. Total sleep time are the total minute of sleep scored as sleep by the Sadeh algorithm between sleep onset and sleep offset.

  • Differences in Subjective Sleep Quality on nights following the experimental and internal negativeNight 9 and 16

    Visual analog scales will be used to collect subjective ratings of sleep quality and morning alertness the morning following the study condition. Participants will be asked to rate the quality of their sleep last night (very poor to very good), how difficult was it for them to wake up this morning (very easy to very hard), and how alert do you feel right now (wide awake to very sleepy).