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Dr. Esther Lau (with her co-investigators including Hinako Kojima, PhD student) has been awarded a HK$500,000 grant from the Health and Medical Research Fund to support her innovative project focusing on understanding whether napping affects nighttime sleep and mental health of young adults.
Titled “Nap Right: A Longitudinal Day-to-Day Investigation of Bidirectional Sleep-Mood Associations in Young Adults with Subclinical Insomnia, Depression, and Anxiety Using Ecological Momentary Assessment and Electroencephalography,” the study seeks to explore the intricate connections between napping, nighttime sleep, and mood among 18- to 25-year-old habitual nappers, who experience minimal to mild insomnia, depression, and anxiety symptoms. This rigorous project will utilize both self-reports of sleep and moods, and objective tools of actigraphy-watches and electroencephalography (EEG) to assess sleep patterns and mood states over time and in real-world settings.
The ultimate goal of Dr. Lau's project is to enhance community well-being by improving both daytime and nighttime sleep. Through establishing the bidirectional relationship between napping and mood, the interdisciplinary research team aims to develop individualized napping. “By precisely defining optimal napping practices, we strive to maximize benefits and minimize harm of napping for young adults with different levels of mood and sleep problems,” Dr. Lau explained.
The project is set to commence in March 2025 and will conclude in February 2027. The findings will be widely disseminated to inform the public and shape clinical recommendations.
