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The Significance of Slumber

Nursing school collaborative strengthens research on sleep and circadian science

A good night's sleep doesn't just feel good—it's critical to your quality of life. In adults, sleep helps maintain healthy brain function and mental and physical health. In children, it's key to growth and development. Lack of sleep has been tied to higher risk of coronary heart disease, hypertension, impaired immune function, high blood pressure, obesity and stroke. In 2017, research into circadian rhythms won the Nobel Prize in physiology or medicine. It's just that important.

"In a 24-hour day, we spend one-third of that time sleeping," said Elliane Irani, PhD, RN, assistant professor at Case Western Reserve University's Frances Payne Bolton School of Nursing. "We ought to be focused on sleep with the same emphasis as diet and physical activity when it comes to maintaining health."

That's why nurse scientists at the school formed the Sleep and Circadian Science Collaborative (SCSC) in 2022. Irani is among the six members, who each study different populations and issues related to sleep. They benefit from each other's areas of expertise, sharing resources and insights, brainstorming approaches to research challenges and questions, and collaborating on new projects.

Stephanie Griggs, PhD, RN, and Valerie Toly, PhD, RN (NUR '90; GRS '09, nursing), launched the initiative and are its co-chairs.

Toly, an associate professor and the Carl W. and Margaret Davis Walter Professor of Pediatric Nursing, for example, studies the sleep patterns of parents of children who are dependent on medical technology, such as mechanical ventilation or feeding tubes, and require around-the-clock care. Griggs, an associate professor, studies the sleep of young adults with Type 1 diabetes. Irani focuses on the sleep of family caregivers of adults with chronic conditions. Assistant Professor Christine Horvat Davey, PhD, RN (GRS '19, nursing), focuses on sleep in older adults with HIV.

By combining their efforts, they are strengthening each other's publications, grant proposals, research and interpretations of their findings. So far, members of the group have produced 12 papers and co-presented at conferences on a range of topics.

They've also received National Institutes of Health grants for further studies.

The SCSC is among the few sleep research groups based in a school of nursing instead of medicine, said Griggs, and its members aim to establish the nursing school as a recognized hub for excellence in sleep and circadian science.

"We're really bringing in a rigorous systematic approach to studying sleep," she said.

The group also is applying for funding for a training program for postdoctoral fellows and has a handful of PhD students interested in sleep and circadian science. SCSC members also are expanding their work with faculty and students from across the university.

"We intersect with several disciplines and the synergy this intersection creates truly strengthens our scientific advancement, " Griggs said.

— JEN A. MILLER