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Professor Mary A. Carskadon is visiting the UAE for the first time, to explain her science-backed research into why teenagers need more sleep

Global expert calls for UAE- based schools to open later, helping teens gain better health

[Dubai, January 18, 2023] Cutting-edge research regarding teenagers and sleep will be shared with UAE schools, universities and Abu Dhabi Department of Education and Knowledge (ADEK) in an upcoming UAE visit from world-renowned sleep and Circadian rhythms expert, Professor Mary A. Carskadon.

Invited by Dubai-based sleep and parenting experts, Nurture2Sleep, the Professor will be sharing her wisdom during a whirlwind visit between January 25-27.

The professor postulates that our teenagers are not lazy – that’s not why they struggle to get to bed in the evenings, and won’t get up in the morning. We know most teenagers require nine and a quarter hours’ sleep to be optimally alert, but her research suggests that most average just 7.5...

As parents/caregivers, we may/may not be aware that our children go through waves of separation anxiety, especially in the pre-verbal stages. By understanding when and why separation anxiety starts and peaks, we then can be aware and offer support our children while they are moving through these stages.

Separation anxiety is children’s fear of being away from their parents or caregiver. It is a normal emotional stage of development that starts when babies begin to understand that things and people exist even when they're not present – something called "object permanence.“ Children with separation anxiety might cry or cling to their parents or caregiver when being separated from them.

It can be difficult for pre-verbal children to articulate separation anxiety. Our little ones are still growing and discovering new feelings each day, often not knowing the “name” of the feeling so they can “tame it”. As our children become more verbal this...