FamilySleeps Research Study - Maynooth University

🌍🦠 Get Ready for World Microbiome Day on June 27th❗

At the Family Genomics Research Group at Maynooth University, we are investigating sleep and circadian rhythms in families through the FamilySleeps study, with a particular focus on autism.
We are looking for families in Ireland with two children between the ages of 5-14 to take part 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦

🔗 Find out more and register interest:
https://www.familygenomics.maynoothuniversity.ie/participate
📩 [email protected] | 📞 086 164 5998
Ethics Ref: BSRESC-2025-40860

📄 Sleep characteristics and the gut microbiome (Nature Communications, 2026)
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-026-68791-9

Does your family include two or more children aged 5–14? 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦

We are looking for families in Ireland to take part in FamilySleeps, a Maynooth University study exploring sleep, circadian rhythms and genetics in families, with a particular focus on autism.

Everything happens at home. No travel. No clinic visits. Just your family, your routine, and a research kit delivered to your door.

Find out more and register interest:
🔗 https://www.familygenomics.maynoothuniversity.ie/participate
📩 [email protected] | 📞 086 164 5998
Ethics Ref: BSRESC-2025-40860

Have you ever wondered why your child just won't sleep, no matter what you try? 🌙

It might not be a routine problem. It might be in their DNA.

Researchers at Maynooth University have shown that the genes linked to autism overlap with the same genes that influence sleep timing and insomnia. Being a night owl, struggling to switch off, waking in the early hours. These patterns have a biological basis and genetics plays a significant role.

In a study published in Genes, Brain and Behavior (2024), our team analysed data from UK Biobank (which has over 400,000 participants) and found that genetic profiles associated with autism were significantly linked to both evening chronotype and insomnia. We have also identified specific biological pathways that may help explain how sleep and brain development can be so closely connected.

We are searching for more. Real progress has already been made🧬

But to go further, to understand how this plays out in real families, in real homes, we need families like yours.

FamilySleeps is a Maynooth University study exploring the links between sleep, circadian rhythms, autism and genetics in Irish families. Everything takes place at home. No travel needed.

We are looking for:
✅ Families with two or more children aged 5–14, where one child has an autism diagnosis
✅ Families with two or more children aged 5–14, with no autism diagnosis (comparison group)

Your family's participation could help turn what science has already discovered into real supports for autistic children and their families.

🔗 Register your interest: https://www.familygenomics.maynoothuniversity.ie/participate
📩 [email protected] | 📞 086 164 5998



Ethics Ref: BSRESC-2025-40860

Ever wondered what it actually looks like to take part in a research study?
🧪 Here's what your family receives when you join FamilySleeps, delivered straight to your door:

⌚ An activity watch for each family member to wear on their wrist 🏠 A sleep sensor to place in your child's bedroom
🧪 A saliva kit for genetic analysis
📋 Brief sleep questionnaires to complete at key points
📖 A participant manual guiding you through everything step by step

No travel. No clinic visits. Everything happens in your own home, in your own time, with full support from our research team. This is what participating in FamilySleeps looks like up close. 👆

Interested? Find out more and register here:
🔗 https://www.familygenomics.maynoothuniversity.ie/participate 📩 [email protected] | 📞 086 164 5998
Ethics Ref: BSRESC-2025-40860

Last week our team attended the Kildare Inclusivity Festival. It was a wonderful opportunity to connect with families and hear what matters most to them. 🎪

We've written a short blog post about our experience at the festival and what it means for our research. Head over to the link to read more!
https://www.familygenomics.maynoothuniversity.ie/post/familysleeps-at-the-kildare-inclusivity-festival-2026

We're still recruiting families for FamilySleeps, so if you'd like to find out more or register your interest, reach out here:
🔗 https://www.familygenomics.maynoothuniversity.ie/participate 📩 [email protected] | 📞 086 164 5998



Ethics Ref: BSRESC-2025-40860

FamilySleeps at the Kildare Inclusivity Festival 2026 On Sunday the 10th of May, members of the FamilySleeps research team, Aung and Holly, attended the Kildare Inclusivity Festival at the Curragh Racecourse. The festival brought together families, community organisers, and local support services for a vibrant day celebrating inclusion and accessibilit...

Does your family have two or more children aged 5–14? 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦

The FamilySleeps study at Maynooth University is looking for families in Ireland to take part in research exploring sleep, circadian rhythms and genetics.

We are recruiting:
✅ Families where one child has an autism diagnosis
✅ Families with no autism diagnosis (comparison group)

Everything takes place at home, with no travel needed. Families receive a full study kit including an activity watch, sleep sensor, saliva kit and participant manual.

Find out more and register your interest here: 🔗 https://www.familygenomics.maynoothuniversity.ie/participate

📩 [email protected] | 📞 086 164 5998
Ethics Ref: BSRESC-2025-40860

When one person in your family isn't sleeping, nobody really is. 😴 We all know this feeling. Bedtime chaos, early wakings, the whole household rhythm thrown off by one restless night. It turns out, science backs this up. Families genuinely "sync up" in their sleep and daily biological rhythms, and we've just published a scoping review exploring exactly that.

We looked at 42 studies measuring sleep, activity and hormone patterns across families. Here's what we found:
✅ In families without an autistic child, sleep synchrony is well documented, parents and children tend to share similar sleep–wake patterns, activity rhythms, and even daily hormonal profiles.
⚠️ In families with an autistic child? Only 6 studies. No hormone data. Mixed findings. And parents of autistic children reported significantly poorer sleep themselves, especially when their child experienced night wakings or irregular sleep patterns.

The gap is real, and it matters. Understanding whole-family sleep rhythms could help guide personalised sleep solutions, clarify the role of circadian disruption in autism, and shape supports that consider every member of the family. That's exactly what FamilySleeps is here to do. 🧬 We're recruiting Irish families with two or more children aged 5–14 — with or without an autism diagnosis — to help us fill the gaps this review identified.

🔗 Register your interest: https://www.familygenomics.maynoothuniversity.ie/participate
📩 [email protected] | 📞 086 164 5998 | Ethics Ref: BSRESC-2025-40860

Did you know sleep isn't just "downtime"? 😴 It's an active process that affects your health, mood, and your family's wellbeing.
Find out more, as well as how your family could help us understand it better. 👉

📌Learn more and register: https://www.familygenomics.maynoothuniversity.ie/participate

We had a fantastic day at the Kildare Inclusivity Festival last Sunday!

Our FamilySleeps team enjoyed meeting families, sharing information about our research on sleep and circadian rhythms in autism, and hearing about peoples lived experiences.

Thank you to everyone who stopped by our stand, and to the organisers for such a great event.

Here is what your family receives when you join FamilySleeps 🧬😴

Everything you need, delivered straight to your door — no need to travel or visit a clinic.

Your family will receive:

🏠 A sleep sensor to place in your child's bedroom

⌚ An activity watch for each family member to wear for a few weeks

🧪 A saliva kit for genetic analysis

📋 Links to brief sleep questionnaires

📖 A participant manual to guide you through everything

Families take part over one year, with minimal disruption to daily routines. All study activities take place in the family home, with guidance from our research team.

Want to know more before signing up? Read our Participant Information Leaflet here:

🔗 https://familysleeps.github.io/PIL/index.html

Or register your interest directly:

🔗 https://www.familygenomics.maynoothuniversity.ie/participate

📩 [email protected] | 📞 086 164 5998

Ethics Ref: BSRESC-2025-40860