Lab Projects
STEAM Study
We have reason to suspect that when an adolescent sleeps might be as important how much they sleep. Using experimental methods, we are investigating whether the benefits of extended sleep depend on whether the timing aligns with a person’s internal body clock, or circadian phase. Most sleep advice for teens focuses on them going to bed early to ensure they get enough sleep during the school week. But what if that just doesn’t help adolescents whose body clocks are set much later than others? And would waking up later be the solution for all adolescents, including those whose body clocks are set earlier than others?
The Sleep Timing, Eating, and Activity Measurement (STEAM) study is beginning to shed light on these questions. Data collection has run each summer since 2021, with plans to finish data collection in 2025. While it’s too early for final analyses, preliminary results suggest that (a) the study protocol is working properly to allow us to compare the effects of aligned versus misaligned sleep extension, and (b) the timing of sleep does seem to matter, at least for some sleep-sensitive outcomes. We look forward to learning more and sharing what we learn.
