The effect of the transdiagnostic sleep and circadian intervention (TranS-C) on actigraphic estimates of sleep and rest-activity rhythms in adolescents with an evening circadian preference

Background: This study evaluates whether the Transdiagnostic Sleep and Circadian Intervention for Youth (TranS-C) improves objective sleep and rest-activity rhythms in a sample of youth with an evening circadian preference (ECP). Methods: Youth with an ECP aged 10-18 years were randomized to receive 6 sessions of TranS-C (n = 60) or Psychoeducation (PE; n = 58). For one week prior to beginning treatment and within 2 weeks of completing treatment, participants wore an actiwatch to assess objective sleep and rest-activity rhythms. Results: Among TranS-C participants, there were significant pre-post improvements in weeknight total sleep time (TST), weekend TST, and weeknight-weekend discrepancy in TST and sleep offset time. These changes were not significant in PE. There was no significant treatment by time interactions for the sleep or rest-activity outcomes. Conclusions: For youth with an ECP, TranS-C improves select objective sleep but not rest-activity outcomes, though compared to PE, these benefits did not reach statistical significance.