The Northumbria Centre for Sleep Research

The Northumbria Centre for Sleep Research (NCSR) is a purpose-built two-bedroom en suite facility with a fully integrated kitchen, conference room and lounge and laboratory control room. The NCSR is designed to study and treat disorders of sleep and wakefulness.

Our aim is two-fold:

We conduct research into the mechanisms underlying the transitions between sleep and wakefulness and how biological, psychological, social, and environmental circumstances affect these normal, albeit complex, transitions.

Our second aim is to help assess, diagnose, and treat sleep disorders, using a variety of techniques and methodologies, in different populations (children, adults, older adults, those with acute or chronic illnesses).

The NCSR has been designed to conduct research examining sleep and wakefulness using psychophysiologic assessment (e.g., EEG, EMG, EOG, ECG, ERP), indices of basal functioning of the endocrine and immune systems (e.g., diurnal cortisol, Cortisol Awakening Rise, cytokines, melatonin), and a variety of signal processing techniques, including power spectral analysis (PSA). We also utilise ecologically valid paradigms (e.g., multi-tasking) to model the reactivity of these systems within the sleep lab environment. Each bedroom has Bluetooth connectivity to the control room so that video and audio monitoring can be conducted in IP mode but it also means that we can do ‘at-home’ ambulatory studies.

The NCSR affords the opportunity to examine full physiological and sleep / wake parameters over the 24 hour cycle for short or long durations. Not only does it allow descriptive studies to be undertaken on objective markers of sleep quality, quantity, and timing; it also can be used as a diagnostic measure of ‘clinically relevant’ adverse nocturnal events which impact on sleep and daytime functioning in physically and psychologically ill populations and in patients with neurodegenerative disorders.

If you would like further information, please e-mail us at: ls.ncsr@northumbria.ac.uk

Currently we are running several projects looking at the causes and consequences of insomnia. We are looking for individuals to take part, both good sleepers and people who are not sleeping well at the moment.

If you are interested in taking part in any of our research projects or would like further information, please e-mail us at: ls.ncsr@northumbria.ac.uk