A social enterprise providing education and information to protect and enhance the mental health of young people
Rebecca Cooper, The University of Melbourne; Maria Di Biase, The University of Melbourne, and Vanessa Cropley, The University of Melbourne It’s 11 pm on a weeknight and your teenager still has their bedroom light on. You want them to get enough sleep for school the next day, but it’s a struggle. Our new research shows [...]
Sarah Blunden, CQUniversity Australia Sleep is important for psychological and physiological health, but many children have trouble getting to sleep, or getting back to sleep when they wake in the night. This can be exhausting for both children and parents, and some parents have turned to giving their kids lollies containing melatonin. These gummies, purchased [...]
Ken Purnell, CQUniversity Australia New South Wales recently announced it would trial different start and finish times for various year levels in primary schools. The reported aims include reducing traffic congestion and providing more flexibility to certain families, including shift workers. In Queensland, principals already have the option to stagger the start of their school [...]
“This is just the beginning,” says Associate Professor Sean Cain. He’s talking about a small light sensor device – in prototype – that he believes could revolutionise the mysterious science of sleep, and its effect on the human mind and body. The Monash University “circadian biologist” specifically examines how different kinds of light affect our [...]
Yaqoot Fatima, James Cook University Adequate sleep is key to good health, well-being and proper functioning across all life stages but is especially critical for children. Poor sleep can inhibit rapid growth and development in early childhood. And it’s not just about sleep duration; the time one goes to bed also plays an important role [...]
Joanna Waloszek, University of Melbourne Getting a good night of sleep can seem like the most effortless and natural thing in the world, but when we can’t fall asleep it can quickly feel elusive and frustrating. There are a few techniques we can use to help us fall asleep, and some things we should always [...]
With the current coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, one of the recommendations by experts is social distancing and self-isolation when you experience symptoms. With the increase in travel restrictions and staying home, this is a good time to catch up on all the sleep lost as a result of our busy lifestyles. We spend a third [...]
Nighttime sleep is important of course, but daytime naps matter just as much. New research emerging from the University of Pennsylvania and the University of California, Irvine, published in the journal Sleep reinforces the benefits of naps for children. This comprehensive study found children who took naps not only experienced positive changes in mood and [...]
As the day ends and evening begins, some parents are getting ready for a serious task. Not because they are preparing for a late shift at work, but because they are about to confront the battle of their children’s bedtime. And we’re not talking about infants or toddlers. These are school-aged children who suffer from [...]
Both in Europe and the US, more than 90% of adolescents have their faces buried in screens before bed. Often, this comes at a cost to sleep. Frequent screen users are much more likely to report falling asleep later, sleeping less, and waking during the night. Such difficulties are linked not only to poorer academic [...]
