Sleep Laboratory

The Wits Dial.a.Bed Sleep Laboratory is part of the Brain Function Research Group, School of Physiology and is the only dedicated sleep research unit in Southern Africa. Founded in 1985 with a start-up 10-year sponsorship from a bedding manufacturer, Edblo (Africa), the Sleep Lab is equipped with 3 instrumented bedrooms, bathrooms, a kitchen as well as a large living area to improve the comfort of subjects. In addition to the computerised digital electroencephalograph (EEG), used to record sleep patterns, the Sleep Lab has facilities for measuring body temperature, metabolic rate, reaction times, blood pressure, oxygen saturation, circadian rhythms and tocomplete jetlag/shiftwork experiments. It is adjacent to a well-equipped human Exercise Research Laboratory, and has access to a climatic chamber. The Wits Dial.a.Bed Sleep Laboratory is a research entity investigating the nature and function of sleep. The staff do not carry out clinical consultations, however, they are happy to diffuse knowledge of sleep disorders. For clinical enquiries please refer your calls to: Morningside Hospital 011 784 0278 Milpark Hospital 011 726 3394 Current Research: Sleep deprivation and exercise performance The relationship between sleep and pain Restless legs syndrome Sleep, circadian rhythms and immune function Click here for more details on current research projects Staff: Dr Karine Scheuermaier Ms Stella Iacovides Ms Samantha Kerr Honorary staff Dr Alison Bentley Prof Duncan Mitchell Dr Fiona Baker Dr Helen Driver

Postgraduate Opportunites:

Click here for Postgraduate Opportunities in the BFRG

Latest publications in Sleep Research:

COLRAIN IM, BAKER FC.

Changes in sleep as a function of adolescent development

Neuropsychology Review 21: 5-21, 2011

COLRAIN IM, SULLIVAN EV, ROHLFING T, BAKER FC, NICHOLAS CL, PADILLA ML, CHANRAUD S, PITEL A-L, PFEFFERBAUM A.

Independent contributions of cortical gray matter, aging, sex and alcoholism to K-complex amplitude evoked during sleep.

Sleep 34: 787-795, 2011

GRADINGER F, GLÄSSEL A, BENTLEY A, STUCKI A

Content comparison of 115 health-status measures in sleep medicine using the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) as a reference

Sleep Medicine Reviews 15: 33-40, 2011

GRADINGER F, CIEZA A, STUCKI A, MICHEL F, BENTLEY A, OKSENBERG A, ROGERS AE, STUCKI G, PARTINEN M

Part 1. International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) Core Sets for persons with sleep disorders: Results of the consensus process integrating evidence from preparatory studies.

Sleep Medicine 12: 92–96, 2011

KERR S, BENTLEY A, ANDERSON D, MCKINON W

Reflex testing reveals circadian variation of spinal excitability in restless legs syndrome patients.

Sleep and Biological Rhythms 9: 157-164, 2011

MURPHY S, AVIDON I, FULLER A, BENTLEY A

The effect of three days of repeated endurance mountain biking on objective and subjective measures of sleep

South African Journal of Sports Medicine, 23: 3-8, 2011

SCHEUERMAIER K, MEYERS M, SURPRISE M, LOUGHLIN KR, DUFFY JF

Reciprocal relationship between age-related sleep disruption and urological symptoms.

British Journal of Urology International 107: 871-873, 2011

SULLIVAN EV, PFEFFERBAUM A, ROHLFING T, BAKER FC, PADILLA ML, COLRAIN IM

Developmental change in regional brain structure over 7 months in early adolescence: Comparison of approaches for longitudinal atlas-based parcellation.

BAKER FC, COLRAIN IM

Daytime sleepiness, psychomotor performance, waking EEG spectra and evoked potentials in women with severe premenstrual syndrome

Journal of Sleep Research 19: 214-227, 2010

COLRAIN IM, CROWLEY KE, NICHOLAS CL, AFIFI L, BAKER FC, PADILLA M, TURLINGTON SR, TRINDER J 

Sleep evoked delta frequency responses show a linear decline in amplitude across the adult lifespan

Neurobiology of Aging 31: 874-883, 2010

DAYA VG, BENTLEY AJ

Perception of experimental pain is reduced after provoked waking from rapid eye movement sleep

Journal of Sleep Research, 19: 317-322, 2010

BAKER FC, WOLFSON AR, LEE KA

Influence of sociodemographic, lifestyle, and health factors on poor sleep quality and daytime sleepiness in women: Findings from the 2007 National Sleep Foundation "Sleep in America" Poll

Journal of Women's Health 18: 841-851, 2009

COCKCROFT K, ASHWAL J, BENTLEY A

Sleep and daytime sleepiness in methylphenidate medicated and un-medicated children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)

African Journal of Psychiatry, 12: 275-279, 2009

COLRAIN IM, CROWLEY KE, NICHOLAS CL, PADILLA M, BAKER FC

The impact of alcoholism on sleep evoked delta frequency responses

Biological Psychiatry, 66: 177-184, 2009

COLRAIN IM, TURLINGTON S, BAKER FC

Impact of alcoholism on sleep architecture and EEG power spectra in men and women

Sleep 32: 1341-1352, 2009

IACOVIDES S, AVIDON I, BENTLEY A, BAKER F

Diclofenac potassium restores objective and subjective measures of sleep quality in women with primary dysmenorrhea

Sleep, 32: 1019-1026, 2009

For more information on the research activities in the Wits Dial.a.Bed Sleep Laboratory, contact Dr Karine Scheuermaier (Karine.Scheuermaier@wits.ac.za)