The School of Psychological Sciences at Monash University is conducting a study on adolescents’ sleep, mood, and academic outcomes including NAPLAN and VCE results. The Circadian Light in Adolescence, Sleep and School (CLASS) study is funded by the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) and the Australian Research Council (ARC). It has been approved by the Monash University Human Research Ethics Committee (Project #18718).

STUDY OVERVIEW
As you know, healthy sleep is fundamental to adolescents’ development. Developmental changes during adolescence lead to changes in the internal body clock (circadian clock). Combined with social (e.g., smartphone use) and environmental (e.g., early school start times) factors, changes in sleep timing result in many adolescents experiencing sleep difficulties that can impact their daily functioning.

In the first study of its kind, the CLASS study aims to investigate how adolescents’ sleep patterns change as they get older and how exposure to light affects the body clock. We are also investigating how changes in sleep patterns might affect daytime sleepiness, mood, cognition, and academic performance. Ultimately, we hope to uncover modifiable factors that can be used for future prevention and early intervention programs, and evidence to inform recommendations for educational policy and practice.

HOW YOUR SCHOOL CAN HELP
We are recruiting participants currently enrolled in Year 8. We are contacting local schools to help us promote the CLASS study throughout 2022 and 2023 to their Year 8 students and/or their parents.

The specific nature of your school’s involvement (including the frequency and duration of involvement) would be at your discretion and we are happy to discuss study promotion strategies that do not increase burden on school staff. Note that we will provide hard and/or electronic copies of all study information flyers.

Interested students who request additional information about the study and wish to sign up would do so in their own time - no further school involvement would be required.  

BENEFITS FOR YOUR SCHOOL
If you are able to help us with promoting the CLASS study at your school, we can send you an adolescent sleep information pack (PDF) to say thank you. In some cases we might be able to also offer a customised adolescent sleep and wellbeing or sleep science and careers presentation to your Year 8 students and/or their parents. During the presentation we would explain the study and invite students to participate. Your school will receive a summary of the study’s overall findings at the end of the project.

NEXT STEPS
Information about the CLASS study can be found on our website https://classstudymonash.weebly.com/. In the next few weeks, a member of our research team will contact you to discuss your potential involvement. If you would like to discuss the study before this, please don’t hesitate to contact the study coordinator Dr Julia Stone on 9905 5341 or email her at base.class@monash.edu.

We thank you in anticipation of your involvement in this study!

Yours sincerely,

Shantha Rajaratnam

Professor
Sleep and Circadian Rhythms Research Group
Turner Institute for Brain and Mental Health
School of Psychological Sciences
Monash University