Benjamin Olsson

Short presentation

I am a PhD student in medical science in the research group CIRCLE at the Department of Women’s and Children’s Health at Uppsala University, researching the DREAMS-START intervention, with the goal of improving sleep in people living with dementia, as well as easing the experience of their informal caregivers. I am a member of U-CARE, a research program aiming to increase psychological wellbeing among patients and close ones living with a somatic disease.

Keywords

• Dementia
• Sleep
• DREAMS-START
• Informal caregiver
• Intervention

Biography

I have a bachelor's degree in social science with psychology as my major, as well as a master's degree in psychology, from Uppsala University. As part of my bachelor, I've also done courses at the Bachelor's Programme in Physics, as well as the Bachelor's Programme in Media, Communication and Journalism Studies, also at Uppsala University.

During my master I've been an intern at the Uppsala Child and Baby Lab. From the autumn of 2026, I've been doing my PhD at the Department of Women's and Children's Health, as a part of the SOVA project. It focuses on the DREAMS-START intervention, and how it could be adapted to a Swedish context.

Research

My doctoral project, SOVA, aims to test the DREAMS-START intervention, to see how it can be adapted to a Swedish context. DREAMS-START was first developed in the UK as a non pharmacological intervention, that by utilizing routine and dietary changes, light therapy, physical activity and education, aims to improve sleep in people living with dementia. It also aims to elevate pressure on informal caregivers.