With more than a million children in childcare in Australia, the impact of QUT’s Dr Sally Staton’s sleep research is a wakeup call for industry, governments and families.
Named as a finalist in the Queensland Young Tall Poppy Science Awards of the Year, Dr Staton’s research on children of mandated daytime sleep and the lack of proper practices in childcare centres has been immediate and extensive.
Dr Staton is among three QUT researchers to be honoured by this year’s Young Tall Poppy Science awards, run by the Australian Institute of Policy and Science (AIPS).
QUT's molecular microbiologist Dr Makrina Totsika was named as joint Queensland Young Tall Poppy Scientist of the Year with University of Queensland’s Dr Barnaby Dixson .
“Lack of sleep makes us feel grumpy, slower to learn and less able to cope with everyday problems,” Dr Staton said.
“Childcare provides a natural laboratory to study day-sleep in early childhood which is a time of rapid brain development and lifetime sleep patterns are established.
“I have found that day-sleep reduces the duration of night-sleep in pre-school children, even when they no longer go to childcare they have shorter night sleep.”
Up to 96 per cent of Australian families attend a childcare or early education program before school entry.
Dr Staton identified that current practices in childcare do not align with evidence from sleep science nor with legislation of the National Quality Framework that requires that children’s individual needs for sleep and rest be met.
In response, the Queensland Government contracted translation of the findings into a professional development package for the early education and care sector.
Dr Staton recently received funding approval to extend the study to investigate younger children, below age three.
“Sleep in children is particularly interesting as it has impacts not only for the children themselves, but also for families,” she said.
“As a mother of two small children I can certainly attest to the way in which children's sleep raises endless questions about what is normal, how we should be responding and whether we are getting it ‘right’.
“My research is really about providing some science to help inform these questions.”
Dr Staton was also awarded a prestigious NHMRC Early Career Fellowship late last year.
MEDIA CONTACT: Debra Nowland, QUT Media, 07 3138 1150 or media@qut.edu.au
