This episode of 'Mind the Kids - When Sleep & Anxiety Collide' is hosted by Mark Tebbs, who is joined by Liga Eihentale, an early career research scientist at Florida International University, whose work focuses on anxiety, memory, and sleep in peri-adolescence.

The conversation centres around Liga’s recent paper titled 'Anxiety severity in peri-adolescents is associated with greater generalization of negative memories following a period of sleep relative to wake" published in the Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry (DOI: 10.1111/jcpp.70005).

The episode explores how sleep impacts emotional memory consolidation in anxious youth during this sensitive developmental period. Liga highlights key findings, explaining that “sleep plays an active role in shaping how young people perceive and generalize negative experiences, especially in those with higher anxiety.” She further notes, “higher anxiety severity in youth is associated with greater negative memory generalization after sleep, which could help us understand the mechanisms behind anxiety disorders.”

Listeners will gain valuable insights into the interplay between anxiety, sleep, and memory, and what these findings mean for potential intervention strategies targeting young people at risk of anxiety disorders. Don’t forget to like, subscribe, and share this episode with those interested in the future of mental health interventions.