Sarah Blunden

Prof Sarah Blunden (MAPS, BAPsych Hons, MSocSc, PhD) is a clinical psychologist and Head of Paediatric Sleep Research at the new Adelaide campus of Central Queensland University, The Appleton Institute, Director of the Paediatric Sleep Clinic and founding Director of the Australian Centre for Education in Sleep (www.sleepeducation.net.au) which aims to include sleep education into schools. Her sleep research interests revolve around the effects of poor sleep on wellbeing (particularly school performance and mental health) from birth to 18 years of age, including from baby settling, behavioural sleep interventions, sleep education in schools, the interrelationship between sleep and media usage, dietary intake, and mental health and sleep in indigenous children. She is both Chair of the Indigenous Sleep Working Party and paediatric representative on the Education committee of the Australasian Sleep Association. She has published many papers on paediatric sleep, has presented at national and international sleep and psychology conferences, presents regularly to health and education professionals throughout Australia, has won awards for academic and research excellence and is a recognized expert in her field both nationally and internationally. She has recently authored two books for parents of infants ( “The Sensible Sleep Solution: a guide to sleep in the first year” and “The Boss of My Sleep Book” at www.snoozeforkids.com )