Sleep disorders manifest as one of the most prevalent symptoms in the context of PTSD. They are associated with a variety of negative effects, including a worsening of psychosocial factors and more severe PTSD symptoms. Despite the use of current gold standard therapies for PTSD, sleep disturbances often do not remit in affected patients. The fact that there are hardly any effective therapeutic interventions to alleviate both sleep disorder and PTSD symptoms points to the need to better understand the nature of their relationship. In particular, investigating how PTSD symptoms and sleep disorder may influence each other on a daily basis - while identifying factors that promote or attenuate their relationship - can identify valuable targets for future treatments. Understanding these possible interactions therefore forms an essential basis for the development of interventions that alleviate sleep disturbances in addition to PTSD symptoms. Better therapies could improve the quality of life of those affected in a sustainable way.

For her research, Barth uses a combination of Ecological Momentary Assessment (EMA) and Actigraphy (motion sensors), which will be implemented for the first time in a synchronized approach in the context of this specific issue. In particular, the high frequency of the measurement times through the EMA enables an in-depth analysis of the mutual effects of the factors described. This quantitative approach is supplemented by objective sleep parameters (actigraphs), which have proven in the past to be a valuable method for investigating sleep disorders in people with psychological stress. Barth's research project is linked to the psychotherapeutic-psychosomatic day clinic at St. Hedwig Hospital, which provides all the necessary resources for the study.

Charlotte Barth completed her bachelor's and master's degrees in psychology at Philipps University in Marburg. During her studies, she was already involved as a research assistant in clinical child and adolescent psychology. Her master's thesis dealt with the development of intrusions in the context of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). As a co-author, she was responsible for the data preparation and statistical analyses of a scientific publication within her research project at the time.