Forsknings- og udviklingsprojekt

Melatonin Controversies

Deltagere fra Designskolen Kolding
Sofie Kinch
Louise Aagaard
Thilde Laursen
Forsknings- og udviklings projekttype
Forskning og udvikling
Projektperiode
nov. 2024 - maj 2025
Projektledelse

Sofie Kinch

LAB
LAB for Leg og Design
LAB tema
Playful Care
Støtte
Region Sjællands Sundhedsvidenskabelige Forskningsfond
Samarbejdspartnere
Forskningsenheden for Almen Praksis, Slagelse (Research Unit for General Practice in Slagelse)
Baggrund
By prioritizing creativity and play, this study uncovers new insights into how children and adolescents navigate sleep in their daily lives - moving beyond prescriptions to consider the emotional, social, and imaginative dimensions of rest.

About the project

Sleep difficulties among children and adolescents in Denmark are a growing public health concern, with melatonin prescriptions more than doubling between 2011 and 2020. Despite this trend, young people’s perspectives on sleep and melatonin use remain largely unexplored.

This study embraces playful care by engaging children and adolescents in creative, participatory research. Rather than relying solely on traditional interviews and observations, we use ‘cultural probes’, inviting participants to explore sleep-related themes in their own environments through interactive and imaginative activities. Recognizing the deep influence of peer dynamics, we extend this approach with ‘play probes’, incorporating fictional and mirroring narratives. These playful methods create poetic and reflective spaces where young people can express their experiences beyond medicalized perspectives.

Contact

Sofie Kinch
Lab for Leg og Design

Sofie Kinch

Adjunkt, Lab for Leg og Design