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Does a bad night's sleep really fuel anxiety? And should we really be banning smartphones in schools?

Posted on 24 November 2025

Listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music or on our website www.theresearchroompodcast.com

A podcast about the science that's shaping your future health.

Discover the groundbreaking clinical trials happening at the York Trials Unit at the University of York!

Join us each week in The Research Room where we sit down with the researchers themselves to explore how their work is shaping the future of people’s health. From revolutionary new medical devices to transformative educational programmes and vital research into mental health support, we dive into the diverse projects that truly make a difference.

Does a bad night's sleep really fuel anxiety? And should we really be banning smartphones in schools?

This week we’ve ventured across campus to the Department of Psychology to talk to Emma Sullivan all about the complex science of sleep, screens, and stress.

Join us as Emma walks us through two bold projects. The first plunges participants into an unnerving virtual environment to reveal how a sleepless night traps the brain in a state of hypervigilance. The other tracks a Channel 4 documentary-inspired experiment where teenagers attempt a total smartphone ban.

We hear about the reality of sleep research: from watching brainwaves in the Sleep Lab and using Virtual Reality to test emotional recovery, to the hurdles of convincing teenagers to hand in their smartphones. Plus, we find out why the digital detox might not be the silver bullet for mental health that the headlines suggest.

Listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music or on our website www.theresearchroompodcast.com

 

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