Editor’s note: This article originally appeared in the fall/winter 2024 edition of Think magazine. Visit https://case.edu/think/ to read more recent stories.
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.