Back to Sleep 2022' Key Takeaways

Dr. Susan Redline, a professor of sleep medicine at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public
Health's epidemiology, delivered a keynote address at SLEEP 2022, the annual joint meeting of
the American Academy of Sleep Medicine and the Sleep Research Society. After two years of
virtual events, the conference returned to an in-person format in North Carolina. The four-day
event covered a wide range of topics related to sleep, including the impact of COVID-19 on
sleep and circadian rhythms and the role of sleep in preconception. Several sleep experts
shared their insights and predictions for the future of sleep based on the discussions at the
conference.

Embracing patient voices and personalizing healthcare are major themes

A positive trend at Sleep 2022 was the emphasis on incorporating patient perspectives. This
was highlighted in two sessions: the “Rise of the Patient Voice in Sleep Medicine” panel and the
“Narcolepsy and Pregnancy” discussion that aimed to improve patient care by considering their
experiences and opinions.

Emma Cooksey, who is a writer, speaker, and host of the Sleep Apnea Stories, praised the
organizers for giving patient organizations such as Project Sleep, the Hypersomnia Foundation,
and the RLS Foundation, the opportunity to share their valuable advocacy work. Some
organizations also brought in real-world patients to discuss their experiences.

Dr. Anne Marie Morses' panel included patients sharing their experiences of being pregnant
with narcolepsy. Cooksey expressed that it was encouraging to see the AASM embrace patient
voices at the conference this year and hopes to see more of it in the future.

Dr. Catherine Darley, who founded the Institute of Naturopathic Sleep Medicine, shared on her
Instagram account SkilledSleeper that personalized medicine and patient advocacy were
discussed a lot at the sleep meeting this year. The sleep field is moving towards customizing
approaches to individual patients and working with them to decide on the best treatment plan
that aligns with their values. Dr. Darley was happy to see this progress.

A-HA Moments

Dr. Susan Redline, a sleep medicine and epidemiology expert from Harvard T.H. Chan School
of Public Health, gave a keynote speech that contained many insightful moments. She talked
about how sleep-disordered breathing can increase the risk of cardiovascular diseases and
shared a study that revealed CPAP didn't improve cardiovascular outcomes for sleep apnea
patients.
Emma Cooksey found this finding surprising, especially because patients on CPAP and their
doctors have been relying on it. Dr. Redline also discussed how sleep apnea differs among
different genders and endotypes.

Cooksey continues to say that Dr. Redline discussed the drawbacks of relying solely on AHI as
a measure for diagnosing obstructive sleep apnea. This is significant for patients who
experience symptoms like daytime sleepiness, mental fog, and anxiety, but have low AHI
scores. Conversely, some patients may have high AHI scores but show few symptoms. This
acknowledgment is a positive development for patients who have struggled with this issue.

Dr. Redline and Dr. Darley emphasized the importance of taking a more personalized approach
to treat sleep disorders. Dr. Redline emphasized the need for clinical trials to be more
representative of the diverse patient population impacted by sleep disorders, while Dr. Darley
suggested that identifying different phenotypes within a disease would lead to more effective
therapies.

Dr. Darley believes that it is important for different groups within a disease to identify the most
effective therapies. For instance, when it comes to chronic insomnia, it is crucial to distinguish
between those who sleep less than six hours per night and those who sleep six hours or more
per night. Dr. Darley notes that those who sleep less than six hours do not respond as well to
cognitive-behavioral therapy, demonstrating that a universal treatment approach is not effective.

Sleeping in the Future

During the conference, Cooksey observed the growth of new technology in the sleep industry
that could potentially help patients shift sleep diagnostics from the clinic to their homes. This
could be a great opportunity for people who are currently undiagnosed with sleep disorders as it
can make the diagnosis and treatment process more accessible and easier for them.