Introducing the 2025 Labfront Sleep Research Grant Recipients

We’re excited to announce the recipients of the 2025 Labfront Sleep Research Grant for Trainees, supporting researchers who use consumer wearables to advance our understanding of sleep and health.

Labfront’s actigraphy solution helps capture high-quality sleep data and digital biomarkers like beat-to-beat interval  (BBI) data for deriving heart rate variability (HRV).

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🏆 Meet the 2025 Grant Recipients

Dr. Amy Hartman, University of Pittsburgh

What goes on when the lights go off? Measuring the settling-down period of autistic children

Bedtime routines are often difficult for autistic children. Dr. Hartman’s team will use Garmin wearables and Labfront analytics to measure pulse, respiration, and stress during bedtime, combining physiological data with caregiver and child reports. The findings aim to refine interventions that help families ease the transition to sleep.

Dr. Rachel Walsh, Harvard Medical School

Actigraphy-Based Assessment of Sleep and Suicide Risk in Hospitalized Youth

Sleep disturbances are a major but overlooked factor in adolescent suicide risk. This study will track 40 hospitalized adolescents using Garmin devices to assess how sleep patterns change during treatment and whether improved sleep relates to reduced self-injurious thoughts and shorter hospital stays.

Liam Lynch, University of Kansas Medical Center

Tracking Sleep in 200-Mile Ultramarathons

Extreme endurance races push both body and mind. This study will monitor three ultramarathon athletes before, during, and after 200-mile races, using Garmin vívosmart® 5 and Labfront analytics to capture sleep, BBI, and HRV data. Results will shed light on how the body manages recovery under prolonged stress.

Dr. Shayleigh Page, University of Pennsylvania

Sleep Health in Families of Adolescents with Down Syndrome

Sleep issues affect both adolescents with Down syndrome (AYA-DS) and their parents. This pilot will test the feasibility of Garmin wearables and Labfront’s app-based ecological assessments in tracking sleep and daily behavior within one family over ten days, paving the way for larger studies on family sleep health.

Dr. Kealey Wohlgemuth, University of Cincinnati

Sleep and Recovery in Firefighters

Shift work often disrupts firefighters’ sleep and recovery. Dr. Wohlgemuth will track sleep and HRV across on- and off-shift days to better understand recovery dynamics. The results could guide improved shift scheduling and on-station rest strategies to promote health and safety.

Grant Package

Each recipient receives:

• 3 Garmin vívosmart® 5 devices
  
• A 1-year Labfront Advanced account
  
• The Labfront Actigraphy Duo  analytics package

Valued at $3,950 USD, this award equips trainees with the tools to collect and analyze real-world sleep data.

Future of Sleep Research

These projects highlight how wearable technology is reshaping sleep science—bridging real-world data with meaningful health insights.
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Learn more about Labfront’s grant programs and how to apply at labfront.com/grant.