Can young people sleep their way to better mental health?

Professor Allan Rechtschaffen famously said, “if sleep does not serve an absolutely vital function, then it is the biggest mistake the evolutionary process has ever made.” But just how important is sleep for young people’s mental health?

This talk will summarise the key processes that influence adolescent sleep, unpack the relationship between sleep and mental health in young people, and explore how sleep treatments may represent an exciting new avenue for mental health problems.

Dr Richardson’s research focuses on sleep and mental health in young people. In particular, Cele has worked to develop the evidence base to treat sleep problems such as Delayed Sleep Wake Phase Disorder and Insomnia in children and teenagers. Most recently, Cele has applied these effective sleep treatments to young people with depression. Sleep and internalising problems, such as depression and anxiety, commonly co-occur and Cele works to identify mechanisms linking sleep with emotional problems in adolescence.

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