Sleep Disruption, Aggression, & Violence

This brief recognizes aggression and violent behavior as a public health crisis and provides a review of the role of sleep disruption as a precursor to aggression. It offers clinical practitioners and researchers a synopsis of sleep assessments and intervention strategies that can be utilized to enhance sleep quality/quantity or target sleep disorders along with an overview of the potential effects that sleep interventions may have on aggressive behaviors.  The volume also gives special consideration to the possible contributions of sleep disruption in institutional aggression. It provides recommendations for such environments (i.e., correctional facilities, nursing homes, psychiatric institutions, schools) to inform policy and future research efforts.

Ana Imia Fins, Ph.D., is a professor at the College of Psychology at Nova Southeastern University and a board-certified psychologist in behavioral and cognitive psychology. For over 20 years, she has been training students in the application of CBT-I and other behavioral sleep medicine intervention strategies. Her research and clinical interests expand across various areas of behavioral sleep medicine including insomnia and the effects of sleep deprivation and sleep extension on physical and mental health.
Ashley Stripling, Ph.D., is an associate professor at Nova Southeastern University's College of Psychology. Her research interests include sleep, geropsychology, clinical training, research and advocacy, promotion of successful, healthy aging through advocacy and clinical interventions; understanding ageism, subjective aging, and the intersection of aging language and perceptions; combating ageist stereotypes.
Natalie Dautovich, Ph.D., is an associate professor and an established author, scholar, and social advocate within the field of sleep health. She serves as Director of Chronopsychology: The Daily Research Lab at Virginia Commonwealth University, where she leads cutting-edge research exploring the role that sleep and other bodily processes play in everyday life. Much of her work has focused on populations vulnerable to sleep disparities, including racial minorities, women, and older adults.
Sahar Sabet, M.A., M.S., is a doctoral candidate in Counseling Psychology at Virginia Commonwealth University with interests in behavioral health and a particular focus on behavioral sleep medicine. 
Sarah Ghose, M.S., is a doctoral candidate in Counseling Psychology at Virginia Commonwealth University with a focus on sleep health across the lifespan and examines the links between sleep and psychosocial outcomes.