# Sleep in children with fetal alcohol spectrum disorders

> **NIH NIH R21** · SAN DIEGO STATE UNIVERSITY · 2020 · $182,833

## Abstract

ABSTRACT
Caregivers of children with fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD) often report that their child has problems
with sleep. However, despite decades of research on the consequences of prenatal alcohol exposure, sleep
behaviors are grossly understudied, even though sleep disturbances may mediate or exacerbate some of the
cognitive and emotional effects of prenatal alcohol exposure and could serve as a potential target for
intervention. In fact, sleep difficulties are related to neurobehavioral deficits in typically developing populations
and may have more robust effects on neurobehavioral functioning among individuals with developmental
disorders. We hypothesize that children with FASD will demonstrate greater sleep disturbance compared to
controls. We also predict that sleep disturbance will be related to increased emotional reactivity, hyperactivity,
aggression, and depression, and greater deficits in executive functioning, memory, and attention. Moreover,
preclinical studies indicate that prenatal alcohol exposure can disrupt the clock genes that control circadian
rhythmicity at a cellular level. Thus, we hypothesize that clock genes will be expressed differently in children
with prenatal alcohol exposure. First, this proposal will examine sleep in children with FASD with both wearable
technology and subjective measures. Secondly, the relationship between sleep quality and neurobehavioral
outcome will be examined. Finally, as an exploratory aim, we will determine if children with FASD exhibit
differential expression of clock genes. These data will allow us to better understand the effects of prenatal
alcohol exposure on sleep and lay the foundation for developing targeted interventions that may not only
improve sleep, but also have the potential for enhancing functioning in other cognitive and emotional domains
as well.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 9920652
- **Project number:** 5R21AA026697-02
- **Recipient organization:** SAN DIEGO STATE UNIVERSITY
- **Principal Investigator:** JENNIFER D THOMAS
- **Activity code:** R21 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $182,833
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2019-05-01 → 2023-04-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/9920652

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 9920652, Sleep in children with fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (5R21AA026697-02). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-22 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/9920652. Licensed CC0.

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