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 to children’s sleep and circadian rhythms. She previously completed 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.
Professional Affiliations
- Sleep and circadian physiology
- Child development
- Melatonin
- Light exposure
- Media use
Hartstein LE, Garrison MM, Lewin D, Boergers J, Hiraki BH, Harsh JR, LeBourgeois MK. Factors contributing to US parents' decisions to administer melatonin to children. Sleep Medicine 2023, 114: 49-54.
Hartstein LE, Garrison MM, Lewin D, Boergers J, LeBourgeois MK. Characteristics of melatonin use among US children and adolescents. JAMA Pediatrics 2023; 178(1), 91-93.
Hartstein LE, Diniz Behn C, Akacem LD, Wright KP Jr, Stack N, LeBourgeois MK. Evening light intensity and phase delay of the circadian clock in early childhood. Journal of Biological Rhythms 2022; 38(1), 77-86.
Hartstein LE, Diniz Behn C, Akacem LD, Wright KP Jr, Stack N, LeBourgeois MK. High sensitivity of the melatonin suppression response to evening light in preschool-aged children. Journal of Pineal Research. 2022; 72(2), e12780.