Bridging Pediatric Sleep Research, Clinical Practice & Holistic Sleep Across the Lifespan
Meet Ali Alpak, a nurse and sleep researcher based in Istanbul, Türkiye, and a graduate of IPHI’s Holistic Pregnancy & Child Sleep Consultant and Integrative Adult Sleep Coach Certification Programs.
Ali’s professional work brings together areas that are increasingly recognized as interconnected: sleep, respiratory health, nutrition, pediatric health, family well-being, and whole-person care.
His professional affiliation with the Department of Sleep at Başakşehir Çam and Sakura City Hospital places sleep at the center of his work, while his published research has explored factors that may influence sleep quality in children.
At IPHI, we are especially proud to spotlight professionals like Ali who continue expanding the conversation around sleep beyond a single symptom or behavior and toward the many physiological, environmental, nutritional, developmental, and family factors that can influence it.
A Professional Focus on Sleep and Healthcare
Ali is based in Istanbul, Türkiye, where published research identifies his professional affiliation with the Department of Sleep at Başakşehir Çam and Sakura City Hospital.
His professional interests also intersect with pediatric health, nursing, sleep research, and healthcare education.
This multidisciplinary foundation is particularly relevant in the field of sleep because sleep rarely exists independently of the rest of an individual’s health and daily life.
Respiratory function, nutrition, health conditions, environment, development, family circumstances, and other factors can all become part of the larger picture when investigating sleep.
Ali’s work provides an excellent example of why looking beyond sleep in isolation can be so important.
Contributing to Pediatric Sleep Research
In 2025, Ali was a co-author of the peer-reviewed study:
“The effect of respiratory problems and nutritional characteristics of children on sleep quality and influencing factors: A descriptive study.”
The study was published in the Toros University Journal of Food, Nutrition and Gastronomy and included 101 children with an average age of 7.3 years and their mothers.
Researchers examined children’s sleep in relation to numerous factors.
Among the factors associated with sleep quality were:
- nutrition, including the number and timing of snacks
- daytime sleep duration
- nighttime waking
- characteristics of the sleep environment
- respiratory disorders
- ADHD
- sleep disorders diagnosed through polysomnography
- maternal health
The researchers emphasized the importance of healthy sleep and nutritional patterns and concluded that individual and family-based approaches are needed when supporting healthy sleep patterns in children.
That broader perspective is particularly meaningful within pediatric sleep.
Rather than viewing sleep exclusively as a nighttime behavior, research such as this helps illustrate the multiple dimensions that may need to be considered when understanding why a child is struggling.
Connecting Research With a Holistic Understanding of Sleep
Ali’s professional development through IPHI expands this perspective across different stages of life.
As a graduate of IPHI’s Holistic Pregnancy & Child Sleep Consultant Certification Program, he has studied sleep through a multidimensional framework that considers the child within the context of development, health, environment, nutrition, emotional well-being, family dynamics, and other potential contributors to sleep.
His completion of the Integrative Adult Sleep Coach Certification Program further extends that education into adult sleep and wellness.
Together, these areas create an unusual professional intersection:
clinical sleep + pediatric research + holistic child sleep + integrative adult sleep.
This also creates an opportunity to view sleep across the lifespan rather than as an isolated concern belonging to one particular age group.
Why Multidisciplinary Sleep Education Matters
One of the central principles behind IPHI’s sleep education is that sleep challenges do not always begin and end with sleep itself.
A person’s sleep can intersect with physical health, respiratory function, nutrition, stress, lifestyle, environment, development, emotional well-being, family circumstances, and numerous other variables.
Ali’s research provides a particularly relevant example.
His 2025 study did not identify one universal explanation for children’s sleep quality. Instead, multiple characteristics were associated with sleep, ranging from respiratory conditions and nutrition to nighttime waking, sleep environment and maternal health.
For professionals supporting individuals and families, this reinforces the importance of remaining curious about the larger picture.
PROFESSIONAL PROFILE
Ali Alpak
Healthcare Professional | Sleep Researcher | Nurse
Professional Affiliation:
Department of Sleep
Başakşehir Çam and Sakura City Hospital
Istanbul, Türkiye
Research Interests / Professional Areas:
Sleep Research
Pediatric Sleep
Respiratory Health & Sleep
Nutrition & Sleep
Pediatric Health
Family-Centered Sleep Support
Published Research:
Co-author, The effect of respiratory problems and nutritional characteristics of children on sleep quality and influencing factors: A descriptive study (2025)
IPHI Graduate:
Holistic Pregnancy & Child Sleep Consultant Certification Program
Integrative Adult Sleep Coach Certification Program
Celebrating Ali Alpak
We are proud to recognize Ali Alpak as a graduate of two of IPHI’s professional sleep certification programs.
His work represents an important intersection between healthcare, sleep research, pediatric health, and holistic sleep education.
Professionals entering IPHI bring knowledge and experience from many disciplines, and that diversity strengthens the larger conversation surrounding sleep and wellness.
Ali’s involvement in pediatric sleep research, combined with his continued professional education across both child and adult sleep, reflects the kind of interdisciplinary thinking that can help move the field forward.
Congratulations, Ali. We are honored to have you as part of the global IPHI graduate community.
