Sleep Development Lab

09/03/2026

05/28/2026

Just started year 5 of our NICHD R01. Still recruiting from the NICU and the Lab but having the pleasure of 2 year-old motor assessments. It's super fun to see our participants grow up!! 🥰

07/01/2025

Our colleagues at Lancaster University Babylab are running a study and would love your help!

"We have a prenatal study where you have a chance to win a prize or receive a gift.

We often assign our unborn babies personality characteristics, such as “cheeky” or “shy”. In this study we are investigating how mums’ predictions about their unborn babies’ temperaments are influenced by movement in the womb, the current prenatal bond felt between baby and mum, the biological s*x of the baby (if known), family history of neurodiversity, and recent experiences with a range of emotions.
In the study we will ask you to record your baby’s activity using an “active/ stop” button at home. This will take approximately 30 minutes. We will also ask you to fill out a questionnaire about your baby’s expected temperament once they’re born.
If you want to learn more or take part, you can use this link: https://lancasteruni.eu.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_2rXiiKgKjQFA1b8
If you want to learn more about the study, please contact Betül at [email protected]"
Lancaster University Babylab

05/24/2025

Come visit Taylor and Greta at the Iowa City Farmer’s Market and learn more about our sleep studies!! 💤

04/12/2025

IC Parents, stop by family storytime at the Iowa City Public Library and learn about infant sleep! As part of her independent project as a Iowa Sciences Academy Latham Science Engagement Fellow, Lydia Karr will tell you about infant sleep and when you can expect your own sleep to improve. The lab will also be on hand to talk about our research if you are interested in hearing more.

Family Storytime is a fun experience for all ages, featuring a mix of shorter and longer stories along with interactive games and activities. This Saturday, join us for a special Family Storytime focused on sleep! We'll read stories and sing songs all about bedtime. Plus, we’re excited to welcome ...

04/10/2025

This article has been in the works for awhile and we are super excited that it is finally published!

https://stories.uiowa.edu/exploring-origins-and-functions-sleep-premature-infants #:~:text=Researchers%20at%20the%20University%20of%20Iowa%20are,the%20nascent%20communication%20between%20brain%20and%20body.

07/25/2024

Our very own Lydia Karr presenting at the 2024 University of Iowa Summer Undergraduate Research Conference. She did such a great job presenting her work looking at the validity of scoring infant sleep using different methods common in the field.

01/11/2024

For those in need of entertainment during the upcoming winter storm, check out season 1 episode 5 of the Netflix series, Babies, featuring our ongoing research looking at twitches and infant sleep!

https://www.netflix.com/title/80117833

08/31/2023

The New Yorker has published an article featuring our research on sleep and Mark Blumberg's journey toward unraveling the mystery of dreaming!

Converging lines of research suggest that we might be misunderstanding something we do every night of our lives.