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Professor Paul Gringras

Consultant in Paediatric Neurodisability and Sleep Medicine

Professor Paul Gringras is a medical doctor and alongside his work here at The Giaroli Centre is also:

Professor Gringras is a pioneer in paediatric sleep medicine with over 25 years in clinical academia at Guy’s and St Thomas’ Hospital spearheading national and international research studies, developing cutting edge innovations for the fields of paediatric sleep and neurology. As the first Professor of Sleep Medicine at Kings College, London he developed a strong track record of growing a diverse team and managing the busiest sleep medicine department in the UK. Regulatory experience including advisor to EMA, MHRA, NICE and clinical expert for EMA and MHRA submissions

He specialises in the fields of Paediatric Neurodisability and Paediatric Sleep Medicine. Sleep problems are very common in children and young people with ADHD, Autism and many other neurodevelopmental disorders. Improving the sleep, learning, behaviour and quality of life for these children and their families is strong focus of Professor Gringras’ work.

The sleep clinic he founded has a holistic approach that addresses behavioural, genetic and neurological causes of sleep disorder, in addition to commoner sleep related breathing problems. The clinic provides a national narcolepsy service supporting over 200 children and young people with narcolepsy at present.

Professor Gringras lectures and runs workshops at national and international conferences. He has written over 100 peer reviewed papers, as well as book and book chapters. He holds research grants in the fields of Neurodisability and Sleep medicine.

His studies include epidemiological work tracking sleep patterns in large numbers of UK children, then studying how sleep differs in those diagnosed with ADHD and Autism. He has conducted two of the world’s largest and longest trials of melatonin to improve sleep in children with Autism. He also conducted a randomised controlled trials of weighted blankets in Autism.

He has co-developed novel tools to assess sleep-related learning in children (Sleepsuite), authored the MindEd tutorial on sleep difficulties and is currently researching whether a specially designed online sleep behavioural program can improve the sleep of children and young people with epilepsy.

​Professor Gringras’ General Medical Council (GMC) registration is 3124932.

Professor Paul Gringas

World Renowned Research

Professor Gringras is world renowned within his field of research and has published extensively within the UK and internationally.

  • >100 peer-reviewed original manuscripts
  • Web of Science h-index 36
  • 5661 citations for peer-reviewed manuscripts: i10 Index 60
  • His publication ‘impact factors’:
    • Lancet (IF 44.02)
    • British Medical Journal (BMJ) (IF 20.785)
    • Journal of American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (AACAP) (IF 7.62)
    • Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism (IF 5.445)
    • NIHR Journals Library (IF 5.596)
    • Pediatrics (IF 5.705), Sleep (IF 4.923)
    • Sleep Medicine (IF 4.79)
  • Selected Publications
    • Cameron, S., Donnelly, A., Broderick, C., Arichi, T., Bartsch, U., Dazzan, P., Elberling, J., Godfrey, E., Gringras, P., Heathcote, L.C. and Joseph, D., 2024. Mind and skin: Exploring the links between inflammation, sleep disturbance and neurocognitive function in patients with atopic dermatitis. Allergy, 79(1), pp.26-36.
    • Paton, C., Gringras, P., Ruan, A., Liew, A., Rendora, O., Bove, G. and Barnes, T.R., 2024. Quality of melatonin use in children and adolescents: findings from a UK clinical audit. BMJ Ment Health, 27(1).
    • Plazzi, G., Pizza, F., Lecendreux, M., Gringras, P., Barateau, L., Bruni, O., Franco, P., Iranzo, A., Jennum, P., Khatami, R. and Knudsen‐Heier, S., 2023. Pharmacological management of narcolepsy in children and adolescents. Journal of Sleep Research, p.e14055.
    • Malow, B.A., Findling, R.L., Schroder, C.M., Maras, A., Breddy, J., Nir, T., Zisapel, N. and Gringras, P., 2021. Sleep, growth, and puberty after 2 years of prolonged-release melatonin in children with autism spectrum disorder. Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, 60(2), pp.252-261.
    • Krishnan, M.L., Berry-Kravis, E., Capal, J.K., Carpenter, R., Gringras, P., Hipp, J.F., Miller, M.T., Mingorance, A., Philpot, B.D., Pletcher, M.T. and Rotenberg, A., 2021. Clinical trial strategies for rare neurodevelopmental disorders: challenges and opportunities. Nature Reviews Drug Discovery, 20(9), pp.653-654.
    • Stowe, J., Andrews, N., Gringras, P., Quinnell, T., Zaiwalla, Z., Shneerson, J. and Miller, E., 2020. Reassessment of the risk of narcolepsy in children in England 8 years after receipt of the AS03-adjuvanted H1N1 pandemic vaccine: A case-coverage study. PLoS Medicine, 17(9), p.e1003225.
    • Wilson, S., Anderson, K., Baldwin, D., Dijk, D.J., Espie, A., Espie, C., Gringras, P., Krystal, A., Nutt, D., Selsick, H. and Sharpley, A., 2019. British Association for Psychopharmacology consensus statement on evidence-based treatment of insomnia, parasomnias and circadian rhythm disorders: an update. Journal of Psychopharmacology, 33(8), pp.923-947.
    • Maras A, Schroder CM, Malow BA, Findling RL, Breddy J, Nir T, Shahmoon S, Zisapel N, Gringras P. Long-Term Efficacy and Safety of Pediatric Prolonged-Release Melatonin for Insomnia in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder Journal of Child and Adolescent Psychopharmacology 2018 28:10, 699-710
    • Almandil N, B, Lodhi R, J, Ren H, Besag F, M, C, Rossolatos D, Ohlsen R, Slomp C, Lapetina D, L, Plazzotta G, Murray M, L, Al-Sulaiman A, A, Gringras P, Wong I, C, K, Aitchison K, J: Associations between the LEP 2548G/A Promoter and Baseline Weight and between LEPR Gln223Arg and Lys656Asn Variants and Change in BMI- Scores in Arab Children and Adolescents Treated with Risperidone. Mol Neuropsychiatry 2018;4:111-117.
    • Colonna A, Smith AB., Smith S, VanDenEshof K, Orgill J, Gringras P, Pal D.The Effects of Sleep on Emotional Target Detection Performance: A Novel iPad-Based Pediatric Game. Frontiers in Psychology 9  2018 241
    • Gringras P, Nir T, Breddy J, Frydman-Marom A, Findling RL. Efficacy and Safety of Pediatric Prolonged-Release Melatonin for Insomnia in Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder. Journal of American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry 2017; 56(11):948-957.
    • Gringras P, Middleton B, Skene DJ, Revell VL. Bigger, Brighter, Bluer-Better? Current Light-Emitting Devices – Adverse Sleep Properties and Preventative Strategies. Front Public Health. 2015 Oct 13;3:233
    • El-Kersh K, Jungbluth H, Gringras P, Senthilvel E. Severe Central Sleep Apnea in Vici Syndrome Pediatrics. 2015 Nov;136(5):e1390-4.
    • Colonna A, Smith AB, Pal DK, Gringras P. Novel mechanisms, treatments, and outcome measures in childhood sleep. Front Psychol. 2015 May 12;6:602. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2015.00602. eCollection 2015.
    • Gringras P, Green D, Wright B, Rush C, Sparrowhawk M, Pratt K, Allgar V, Hooke,N, Moore D, Zaiwalla Z, Wiggs L. Weighted blankets and sleep in autistic children–a randomized controlled trial. Pediatrics. 2014 Aug;134(2):298-306.
    • Thebault S, Vincent A, Gringras P. Narcolepsy and H1N1 vaccination: a link? Curr Opin Pulm Med. 2013 Nov;19(6):587-93
    • Leschziner G, Gringras P. Restless legs syndrome BMJ. 2012 May 23;344:e3056.
    • Gringras P, Gamble C, Jones AP, Wiggs L, Williamson PR, Sutcliffe A, Montgomery P, Whitehouse WP, Choonara I, Allport T, Edmond A, Appleton R; MENDS Study Group. Melatonin for sleep problems in children with neurodevelopmental disorders: randomised double masked placebo controlled trial. BMJ. 2012 Nov 5;345:e6664.
    • Edmonds, C.J., Isaacs, E.B, Cole, T.J., Rogers, M., Lanigan, J., Singhal, A., Gringras, P., Denton, J., & Lucas, A. The effect of intrauterine growth on verbal IQ scores in childhood: A study of monozygotic twins. Pediatrics, 2010 126 (5), e1095-e1101.
    • S J Wilson, D J Nutt, C Alford, S V Argyropoulos, D S Baldwin, AN Bateson, TC Britton, C Crowe, D-J Dijk, CA Espie, P Gringras, G Hajak, C Idzikowski, AD Krystal, J R Nash, H Selsick, A L Sharpley and A G Wade British Association for Psychopharmacology consensus statement on evidence-based treatment of insomnia, parasomnias and circadian rhythm disorders J Psychopharmacol September 2010
    • Koppen-Schomerus G, Eley TC, Wolke D, Gringras P, Plomin R. ‘The Interaction Of Gestational Age With Genetic And Environmental Influences On Cognitive And Language Development in twins.’ Journal of Pediatrics 2000;137(4):527-33
    • Gringras P. Identical Differences-Phenotypic Differences in Monozygotic Twins. Lancet 1999:353;9152
  • Demarcation of NHS and Independent Work

    Professor Gringras leads the Evelina Children’s Sleep Service, part of Guys and St Thomas NHS Foundation Trust which is a busy specialist sleep unit seeing thousands of children with a range of sleep disorders and offering comprehensive diagnostics when required. There are strict criteria for which children and young people the Evelina Children’s Hospital can see, and a long waiting list for some assessments there. The referral criteria for the Evelina Children’s Hospital include the requirement for referrals to be made by the child’s NHS consultant Paediatrician or child and adolescent psychiatrist.

    It is important therefore to understand that seeing Professor Gringras in the private sector here at The Giaroli Centre will neither exclude nor bypass, or shorten referral to this or any other NHS sleep service, and such a referral can still only be made by your child’s NHS consultant Paediatrician or child and adolescent psychiatrist.