Delegate: Mürşide Gül Yılmaz
Delegate Short Bio: I am Mürşide Gül Yılmaz, a specialist psychologist, sleep therapist, and psychology educator currently working in Northern Cyprus. I completed both my undergraduate and master’s degrees in psychology at Eastern Mediterranean University, where I also worked as a research assistant during my graduate studies. My academic research has focused on developmental psychology, particularly the relationship between sleep quality, screen time, and attention in preschool children.
Alongside my academic background, I currently work as a psychology teacher and school guidance counselor at an English school, where I support students’ emotional well-being, social development, and learning processes. I also provide psychological counseling to children, adolescents, and families, working on areas such as behavioral difficulties, attention development, sibling relationships, and emotional regulation.
In addition to my work in education and counseling, I practice as a sleep therapist, applying evidence-based behavioral sleep interventions and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia (CBT-I). I am currently completing sleep specialist training program with the World Sleep Society.
My professional interests focus on children’s sleep problems, parent–child interaction, screen exposure in early childhood, and behavioral sleep interventions. I am actively involved in raising awareness about sleep health through workshops, school programs, radio broadcasts, and social media outreach. Through my work, I aim to support children’s cognitive development, emotional well-being, and attention skills by promoting healthy sleep habits and informed parenting practices.
Scope of Activity: Individual activity
Activity: We met on Bayrak Radio for World Sleep Day
World Sleep Society has been organizing World Sleep Day since 2008 to raise awareness about the importance of sleep health in more than 70 countries around the world.
Within this scope, I had the opportunity to participate in a live broadcast on Bayrak Radio, one of the oldest radio stations in Northern Cyprus. During the program, we discussed the topic “Optimizing Sleep Quality and Sleep Habits in Early Childhood.” The conversation focused on how healthy sleep habits developed during the early years can have a long-lasting impact on children’s cognitive development, emotional well-being, and overall health.
During the program, we addressed several important topics, including:
• What is sleep and why is it essential for human functioning?
• The importance of high-quality sleep during childhood
• The benefits of good sleep for children’s brain development, learning capacity, attention skills, and emotional regulation
• The negative consequences of chronic sleep deprivation in children, including behavioral difficulties, reduced concentration, and potential impacts on physical health
• Screen time and sleep in children: what scientific research tells us about the relationship between digital media use and sleep quality
• General sleep recommendations provided by the American Academy of Sleep Medicine and the American Academy of Pediatrics
• Practical strategies for building a healthy and consistent bedtime routine for children
• Sleep hygiene education and evidence-based behavioral sleep interventions that support healthy sleep habits
Healthy sleep habits established during early childhood play a fundamental role in children’s cognitive development, attention regulation, emotional balance, and overall well-being. When children sleep well, they are better able to learn, regulate their emotions, engage socially, and maintain healthy physical growth.
I would like to sincerely thank Bayrak Radio for giving me the opportunity to talk about sleep health on such a meaningful awareness day and for helping raise public awareness about the importance of healthy sleep habits for children and families.
Location: Bayrak Radyosu KKTC’nin adresi: BRTK Sitesi, Dr. Fazıl Küçük Bulvarı, Lefkoşa, Kuzey Kıbrıs Türk Cumhuriyeti (KKTC).
Date of Activity: 12.03.2016
