The Ontario Ministry of Research and Innovation has presented Bloomberg Nursing professor Robyn Stremler with an Early Researcher Award (ERA), which will help fund the education of the next generation of sleep scientists in the province – a field in which nurses are especially underrepresented.
Stremler, a CIHR New Investigator, is the principal investigator for the Sleep TYME (Throughout Your Motherhood Experience) Study, which will provide a better understanding of the prevalence of, and risk factors for, sleep disturbance in pregnancy. Little research has examined women’s experiences of sleep loss and disturbance during this period, but there is evidence that poor sleep in pregnancy and after birth increases the risk of adverse perinatal outcomes, such as preeclampsia, caesarean section and depression. The information gathered during the study will aid in the design of prevention and screening strategies, and guide the development of interventions to improve the health of mothers and infants.