World-Renowned Sleep Expert Tells UAE Schools: “Let Teenagers Sleep More”

Professor Mary A. Carskadon is visiting the UAE for the first time, to explain her science-backed research into why teenagers need more sleep

Global expert calls for UAE- based schools to open later, helping teens gain better health

[Dubai, January 18, 2023] Cutting-edge research regarding teenagers and sleep will be shared with UAE schools, universities and Abu Dhabi Department of Education and Knowledge (ADEK) in an upcoming UAE visit from world-renowned sleep and Circadian rhythms expert, Professor Mary A. Carskadon.

Invited by Dubai-based sleep and parenting experts, Nurture2Sleep, the Professor will be sharing her wisdom during a whirlwind visit between January 25-27.

The professor postulates that our teenagers are not lazy – that’s not why they struggle to get to bed in the evenings, and won’t get up in the morning. We know most teenagers require nine and a quarter hours’ sleep to be optimally alert, but her research suggests that most average just 7.5 hours per night; while many more get 6.5 hours of sleep per night on school nights, or less. 

“It’s clear they’re building huge sleep debts, night after night – which affects their mood, ability to think and to perform and react appropriately. So we have kids out there falling asleep in class, who are struggling to learn, who could do better at sports if they could react faster, who are feeling blue and having trouble getting along with the adults in their environment,” says the Professor, who is in the UAE to explain why schools and parents alike will benefit from later school start times. 

She says our tired teens actually present symptoms akin to narcolepsy – an uncontrollable urge to sleep – simply due to lack of regular and enough sleep. 

Julie Mallon, founder of Nurture2Sleep, an experienced health practitioner and childhood sleep expert, adds: “We are thrilled to have such a renowned global expert right here in the UAE. As we are just beginning to recognise the importance of sleep across all ages, Nurture2sleep is delighted to be collaborating with Prof. Mary for her very first visit to the region. We met at a meeting of the Associated Professional Sleep Societies (APSS) in the US last summer. I was so impressed, since that time we’ve been trying to organise a trip here for her.”

Julie has worked with thousands of families in the UAE to help their children sleep better, and so is keen to help Professor Carskadon share her important information regarding sleep in our youth. 

A key moment in the two-day trip will be an hour-long panel discussion at Jumeirah Baccalaureate School entitled: "The Impact of Sleep on the Adolescent Brain," set to take place on January 27, between 10:15 and 11:15am.

She will also be visiting Zayed University and federal government education officials at ADEK during her visit. 

During her trip, Carskadon, professor of psychiatry and human behaviour at the Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, will explain and share her ground-breaking research that school timings for teenagers are simply too early for them to be productive. Both Nurture2sleep and Prof. Mary are pioneering a voice of change regarding current education system timings, with research-lead theory and a scientific approach.

There are numerous health benefits for teenagers who manage to get enough sleep, from better memory and retention of information – to the best encouragement to get any teenager to go to bed: it will help their appearance – delivering clearer skin and shiner hair, for example. Aside from helping biological changes, a good night’s sleep promotes good muscle growth and repair, too. 

Furthermore, a lack of sleep is associated with depression in teenagers, and increasingly, the professor’s research reveals that many teenagers are not turning up at school because they are simply too tired. 

The US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention suggests lack of sleep is common among high school pupils - and is associated with health risks such as obesity, use of tobacco, as well as poor academic performance.

Professor Carskadon adds: “I’m a great advocate for allowing our teens to sleep longer in the mornings. There are so many clear, scientifically-proven benefits. But also, I’m here to ask UAE’s excellent schools to put sleep onto the curriculum. I don’t think we really understand or acknowledge the importance of sleep in academia. My battle is to have a more generally-acknowledged, positive priority on sleep.

“Our kids learn about health, about the food pyramid, about how they shouldn’t smoke and must wear helmets, for example, but sleep isn’t included in learning,” says the expert, adding that, “we really need to re-examine school starting time, and turn back the clock a little bit to give these kids a break.”

The duo is delighted to hear that certain Dubai based schools have already adopted different hours, with head teachers reporting improvements in pupil punctuality, attendance and well-being, after much-needed extra sleep.

Both Prof. Mary and Julie hope her visit will be the first of many, and lead to a national change in school starting hours, greater understanding from parents and, of course, happier, healthier, more productive teenagers. 

If you’d like to know more about the panel discussion, click here. 

About Nurture2Sleep

At Nurture 2 Sleep, we use our decades of experience as parents, midwives, health visitors, child development experts and sleep practitioners to support children, parents and the entire family.

From our years of experience, we have seen many highly burnt-out parents suffering and constantly questioning their intuition because of an overwhelming amount of information that doesn't take into account their individual child and families’ needs.

By working with us, you become empowered with the knowledge of evidence-based research and how to then apply that to your individual family. We believe in science, we believe in connection and love, and together they are so powerful in teaching and supporting our children. 

https://www.nurture2sleep.com/

About Professor Mary 

Professor, Psychiatry and Human Behavior, Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University

Director, Chronobiology and Sleep Research Laboratory

Director, Center for Sleep & Circadian Rhythms in Child; Adolescent Mental Health

EP Bradley Hospital Providence, RI 02906

Mary A. Carskadon, Ph.D., is an authority on human sleep and circadian rhythms. She is director of the Chronobiology and Sleep Research Laboratory at EP Bradley Hospital. Carskadon’s early research developed the standard clinical and research measure of sleepiness, the multiple sleep latency test (MSLT).  

Her work is known for raising public health concerns about early school starting times, affecting education policy, and prompting the American Academy of Pediatrics and others to promote later school timing for adolescents. 

Carskadon is director of the NIGMS-funded EP Bradley Hospital COBRE Center for Sleep and Circadian Rhythms in Child and Adolescent Mental Health, and inaugural editor-in-chief of the journal, SLEEP Advances of the Sleep Research Society. 

Her current research with Dr. Daphne Koinis-Mitchell looks at sleep/health disparities in children with asthma and assesses the impact of experimentally-induced sleep disruption on immune function of children with asthma. Carskadon is also working with two groups to examine sleep patterns and suicide risk, one project in adolescents and the other in adults. Dr. Carskadon is a distinguished alumna and honorary degree-holder of Gettysburg College and holds an earned doctorate in neuro- and bio-behavioral sciences from Stanford University, with a specialty in sleep research.