SLEEP 2022 to Focus on Treatment Advancements, Timely Topics

At the Associated Professional Sleep Societies’ (APSS) first in-person conference in 2 years, experts will highlight a myriad of new research on clinical sleep medicine and explore best practices for patient care.

SLEEP 2022 is slated to take place in Charlotte, North Carolina from June 4-8 and will feature keynote speaker Susan Redline, MD, MPH, a professor of sleep medicine and epidemiology at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.

One overarching theme of the conference is improving racial and economic disparities in sleep disorders and care.

"Over the years, there's been really widespread recognition, number one, that sleep is really an essential factor that links the adverse social and physical environment with downstream health problems," said Redline in an interview with The American Journal of Managed Care®.

"When you think about sleep as a mediator, you realize that in order to overcome disparities and promote health equity in society, we need to understand sleep across all populations, and direct our attention at improving sleep, especially in individuals who have been marginalized or otherwise disadvantaged," she continued.

Several awards will be presented from the American Academy of Sleep Medicine and the Sleep Research Society, which together make up the APSS. The APSS Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Leadership awards will also be presented.

Postgraduate courses, discussion groups and rapid-fire symposia will take place alongside both oral and poster presentations and traditional symposia.

Sessions will span a wide variety of subjects including management of pediatric sleep disorders, the evolution of sleep medicine, digital health, and the role of sleep in women’s health.

With regard to specific disease states, scheduled talks include several on insomnia, obstructive sleep apnea, and narcolepsy among others.

Timely topics including the role of artificial intelligence in sleep medicine and addressing disparities in sleep care will be addressed in sessions, along with the impact of COVID-19 on sleep and circadian rhythm.

“Sleep, the Internet, and Social Media,” “Sleep and Mental Health,” and “Sleep Disorders as a Potential Risk Factor for Dementia in Elderly Adults,” are among the talks to be presented.

An entire session will be dedicated to the relationship between substances (caffeine, opioids, alcohol and marijuana) and sleep.

Additional presentations include:

• More Than Mindfulness: Addressing Sleep, Fatigue, and Burnout in Sleep Medicine Professionals
• Optimizing Sleep for Elite Performers: Translating the Science into Real-World Outcomes
• The Addressing the Myths, Misconceptions, and Misused Science of Time Change Policy
• Enhancing Sleep Literacy Among College Students Through a General Education Course
• Narcolepsy and Pregnancy: Elevating Patient and Clinician Voices to Explore Best Practices and Shared Decision-Making

Experts Miranda Lim, MD, PhD, an associate professor of neurology, Oregon Health & Science University; Sanjay Patel, MD, a professor of medicine, epidemiology, and clinical and translational science, University of Pittsburgh; and Ronald Chervin, MD, a professor of neurology, University of Michigan will join Redline as featured lecturers throughout the conference, while Charles Czeisler, MD, PhD, will deliver the Tom Roth Lecture of excellence.

Additional speakers include Thomas Scammell, MD; Mark Blumberg, PhD; Yo-el Ju, MD; Isabelle Arnulf, MD, PhD; and Lauren Hale, PhD, whose talks range in topics from social determinants of sleep health to the neurobiology of narcolepsy.