About Dr. Stremler
Dr. Stremler is a nurse scientist whose research is aimed at improving sleep and related health outcomes for families. She is an Associate Professor and Director, PhD Program, at the University of Toronto in the Lawrence S. Bloomberg Faculty of Nursing and an Adjunct Scientist at The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids). Dr. Stremler’s past clinical care activities include staff nurse positions in various maternal and newborn care and sleep clinic settings. She has taught in the undergraduate and graduate programs and in clinical and classroom settings at the Faculty of Nursing.
About Stremler Research
Dr. Stremler’s research team focuses on evaluations of nursing interventions to improve health for families. Consistent with Dr. Stremler’s clinical experience in maternal child health and pediatric sleep and her methodological expertise in randomized controlled trials (RCTs), specific areas of research focus include:
- Interventions to improve sleep;
- Wearable sleep technology;
- Sleep for vulnerable populations
Sleep for families with a newborn
Sleep is difficult to achieve, yet critically important for postpartum families. Currently health care professionals have little evidence-based advice to offer postpartum families to improve sleep and fatigue. The current TIPS Trial will determine the effects of a behavioural-educational intervention on maternal and infant sleep, fatigue, depression, breastfeeding and other health outcomes.
Sleep for families with an acutely or chronically ill child
Children and parents facing acute or chronic illness at home or in hospital are challenged by symptoms and procedures at night, anxiety and uncertainty about the future, and difficult care decisions. Adequate sleep for parents is crucial to their health and their ability to support their child and participate in and determine the course of their child’s care. Adequate sleep for children is essential for their ability to cope physically and emotionally with their health challenges. A series of our completed and current studies will yield information about factors that affect sleep, along with qualitative data from families and health care professionals with respect to barriers to sleep during a child’s illness. Understanding the extent and effects of sleep disturbance during acute and chronic illness and hospitalization is the first step in moving toward development of strategies and interventions to decrease sleep disturbance and its negative health outcomes.
Nursing interventions to improve perinatal outcomes for women and infants
Dr. Stremler’s clinical experience as a nurse in various maternal-newborn settings, combined with her expertise in RCT methodology has resulted in a research focus on interventions to improve outcomes for families during pregnancy, labour and birth, and the postpartum. In particular, she is interested in evaluations of low-risk, non-invasive nursing interventions to improve health for women and infants.