Lauren E. Hartstein, PhD

Dr. Lauren Hartstein is a developmental researcher whose work focuses on modifiable environmental and behavioral factors affecting sleep and circadian health in early childhood. She utilizes measures of behavior, cognition, and physiology to explore the contributions of the lighting environment and media use affecting children’s sleep and circadian rhythms. She completed her postdoctoral training in the Department of Integrative Physiology at the University of Colorado Boulder.

Her recent NIH-supported research examined the sensitivity of the circadian system to the spectrum and intensities of light exposure before bedtime in preschool-aged children. She also studies children’s use of melatonin supplements to understand why parents are administering it and its effects on the maturing circadian clock. Through this body of work, Dr. Hartstein aims to inform recommendations for parents and other stakeholders on best practices to promote children’s sleep health and wellbeing.