A Blog For Sleep Disorders Professionals By Theresa Shumard

Sleep Programs at the CDC...

2008-05-31T08:34:00.003-05:00

APPROPRIATIONS BILLS BEING WRITTEN!
ASK CONGRESS TO EXPAND FUNDING FOR SLEEP PROGRAMS AT THE CDC!

Kudos to the The National Sleep Foundation (NSF) and member organizations of the National Sleep Awareness Roundtable (NSART). These groups are seeking expanded funding for sleep activities at the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), and your help is appreciated. This funding will allow the CDC to improve population data collection activities, create education materials for public health professionals, create public health interventions, and establish fellowship opportunities for promising researchers.

The House and Senate Appropriations Committees have indicated that they will be issuing their health funding bills by mid-June. Help save lives today by contacting Congress to request increased funding for sleep and sleep disorders at the CDC! Visit NSF’s Advocacy Action Center to call or e-mail Congress today!

Be well...Sleep well,
Theresa

Terry M. Brown, DO, ABSM, Puts Positive Spin on Clinton Nap Media Fiasco

2008-01-25T03:35:00.000-05:00

There must not have been anything sensational going on with Paris or Brittney earlier this week. I was most pleased to see a board-certified sleep specialist weigh in with a scientific explanation regarding the recent Bill Clinton nap that was followed by a mainstream media fiasco.

The former president participated in tribute services at Convent Avenue Baptist Church in Harlem, New York to honor slain Civil Rights Leader Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King on Monday. News outlets appeared to go after the human frailties of the former president with even more gusto than usual -- except for the Monica Lewinsky scandal, of course. Internet video outlets reported that the Clinton microsleeps incident was viewed by an estimated half million people worldwide within 12 hours of the Dr. King tribute. Dr. King’s son, Martin Luther King III delivered a speech about his father as Clinton fought sleep.

Kudos to Terry M. Brown, DO for being the voice of reason as he commented in a news clip that appeared on WSIL-TV this week. The station’s viewing area encompasses Southern Illinois. Dr. Brown is a Diplomate of the American Board of Sleep Medicine (ABSM) and medical director at the Sleep Disorders Center at St. Joseph Memorial Hospital in Murphysboro, Illinois.

Dr. Brown told reporters,

“If you don't get enough sleep, it could lead to an accident, embarrassing situations. Your cognitive functions are diminished. It's one of those things that may worsen your health in the long run...If you know you've been sleep deprived, you can take a short, preventative nap. Then you'd be more ready for a meeting. More able to stay awake. There are some studies that show cognitive function improves after a nap, almost as much as a full night's sleep."Dr. Brown also advises that individuals will know when they are sleep deprived because cognitive function is slower, and they might get the urge to take unintentional naps.

Likely, the former president is fatigued from sleep deprivation due to the rigorus schedule he keeps supporting his wife Hilary on the presidential campaign trail. Other celebrity sensationalisms have clearly taken the place of the Clinton nap story, and it is unlikely that his very public nap will weaken his standing or wound Hillary’s campaign in the least. Some politial rhetoric watchers theorize that Clinton’s human slip gained even more favor with supporters as they may ask, 'who among us has not fought the same fight (sleep) and lost'.
How can the Sleep Community advocate for napping in the frenzy of this non-stop world? I guess it all boils down to our clinical professionals taking the high road and carrying the positive nap message forward through interviews -- such as Dr. Brown did – stating that napping is not a crime. In the words of William Anthony, author of The Art of Napping, “Nappers are never caught napping, because there is no crime to catch. Nappers are merely seen napping.”

As we begin to gear up for National Sleep Awareness Week, it would be responsible of us to also give our attention and support to National Napping Day on March 10, the first Monday after the beginning of daylight savings time.

Be well, Sleep well,
Theresa

The Year-End CEU Scramble!

2007-10-31T10:40:00.001-05:00

Greetings!

I've heard from many of you that are unable to travel to conferences before the end of the year who are also looking for solutions to obtaining CEUs to maintain credentialing. Here is an offering that might help you.

The Atlanta School of Sleep Medicine is hosting a a webinar module that consists of five special, training topics that will provide you with the CEUs required to fulfill the yearly BRPT re-certification requirement. You can access the webinars beginning November 15th. They will continue to be available to you until you complete the topics. With the webinars archived, each topic is presented to you at your convenience by a nationally known sleep technology instructor.

Topics Include:

New Scoring Rules for the Experienced Technologist
Managing Diversity in Sleep Lab Personnel
Health Literacy: Educating the Patient with Sleep Abnormalities
Adding Research to your Resume
Is Pediatrics Right for your Adult Sleep Lab?

You can register at: https://www.gotomeeting.com/register/490579459

For more information, Email gotceus@sleepschool.com
or call 678-651-2000.

Be well-Sleep well,
Theresa

CEU Webinars- Live or On-Demand

2007-09-07T11:35:00.000-05:00

No Cost CEU Webinars by DeVilbiss Healthcare Education Department

Worth 1 Credit Each
Audience: Sleep Technologists and Respiratory Therapists

DeVilbiss Healthhcare has positioned itself as a leader in providing complimentary continuing education lectures for clinical professionals in the field so individuals may meet their CEU requirements. Webinars from DeVilbissClinicalEducation.com help you keep your professional education and certifications up-to-date easily, and at no cost. We offer a variety of clinically-relevant topics as both live and on-demand courses. This means you can access CEU courses from the comfort of your home or office. Two types of Webinars are offered: Live and On-Demand

“Research Review: Clinical Management of Poor Adherence to CPAP”
Wednesday, September 19, 2007 12:30 PM - 1:30 PM EDT

This Webinar will focus on advances in research regarding the consequences of sleep apnea and methods to improve adherence to treatment. It examines medical and psychological consequences of sleep apnea and non-restorative sleep. Some of these studies also utilize behavioral methods, based on psychological theories of behavior change, in an attempt to enhance treatment adherence in newly diagnosed patients with sleep apnea syndrome.

Meet Your Sleep Technologist CEU Requirements From Home or Office. To pre-register for the live Sleep Webinars, go to www.devilbissclinicaleducation.com

Other Sleep Topics in On-Demand Archives available for 1 CEU Credit each:

Audience: Sleep Technologists & Respiratory Therapists
* “How to Start an OSA Patient Education Program in Your Sleep Lab”
* “Latest Findings on CPAP’s Impact on Strokes, Diabetes, Parasomnias & Impotence”
* “Research Review: Clinical Management of Poor Adherence to CPAP” (Available On- Demand after Sept. 19, 2007)

Respiratory Category Topic Areas for Live Webinars Include:

Audience: Respiratory Therapists
*“Asthma Healthy Home Guidance for Your Patients and Their Families”
Wednesday, September 19, 2007 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM EDT

This Webinar will discuss how to identify environmental asthma triggers and biological pollutants in the home. You will learn how to help your patients and their caregivers locate pollutants and minimize allergens. Additionally, nebulizer cleaning and compressor filter replacement will be covered.

Respiratory On-Demand Archives:
* “Practical Aspects of Oxygen Conserving Devices” “Ambulatory Oxygen via Transfilling Technology According to GOLD and LTOT”
* “Tips and Techniques for Helping Your Patients Live With Supplemental O2”
* “Economic and Therapeutic Factors Driving Home Oxygen Technology” (delivered in two-parts)
* “Striking GOLD in the Home Care Market”
* “Advances in Compressor Nebulizer Technology”
* “Asthma Healthy Home Guidance for Your Patients and Their Families” (Available On-Demand after Sept. 19, 2007)

For more information, contact Theresa Shumard, Sleep Advocate & Manager of Clinical Services & Education for DeVilbiss at theresa.shumard AT devilbissHC dot com (email address spelled this way here to avoid spam-bot intrusions. Please use standard email format for contacting Theresa by using the @ sign for "AT" and . for the "DOT" as listed above).

Current Concepts of Sleep 2007 A Great Success

2007-09-01T00:57:00.000-05:00

More than 500 attendees are participating in the Current Concepts of Sleep 2007 Conference this weekend in Tampa, FL. The event is being held at the Tampa Marriott Waterside Hotel and Marina. The organization of this conference is hard to beat. I don't think I've ever seen a better run conference and the site is perfect. Kudos to organizers, longtime sleep professionals, Janice East and David Gregory and their respective staffs for a job well done.

The annual event is sponsored by area hospitals: Morton Plant Mease Health Care, St. Anthony's Health Care, All Children's Hospital, Tampa General Hospital, and University Community Hospital.

This symposium is aimed at advancing an interdisciplinary understanding of sleep-related medical disorders. Information on advanced laboratory techniques is provided to the sleep technologists and updated diagnostic tools will be presented to practitioners. The latest information in pediatric, adolescent, and adult sleep disorders is being discussed. Separate tracks are provided for the Sleep Clinician, Sleep Technologists and Therapists, and Primary Care Providers. The primary focus of the speakers within each track is to address the individual needs of the attendees so they can integrate new concepts into their practices. Individuals will be able to attend sessions from any of the tracks as space allows. There is a fourth track designed for Educators including School Psychologists and Nurse Practitioners.

SAVE THE DATE and Earn Continuing Education Credit

2007-08-20T23:50:00.000-05:00

Sept. 19, 2007 1:00 – 2:00 pm Eastern Time

Live Webinar: “Research Review: Clinical Management of Poor Adherence to CPAP”

Webinar registration opens soon, and you can also register just before the Webinar begins. There is no fee to attend, and all you need to participate is a computer with an Internet connection and an open phone line. Multiple people can attend under one registration. They can all watch from one computer and listen to the audio on speaker phone. But it is still necessary to register individually. This allows attendance tracking for CEU reporting, and also a way for you to receive communication and logon instructions about the Webinar and CEUs via email.
*CEU Credit-granting provider approved by both sleep technologist and respiratory therapist credentialing organizations, the BRPT and NBRC.
*One CEU will be given per lecture.

On-Demand Webinars

For those of you that missed the last live CEU Webinars we presented at DeVilbiss, you can still earn CEUs. Just contact me and I will let you know how to attend “on-demand” Webinars you can access anytime. You would need to take the post-quizzes to receive credits.

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New England Polysomnographic Society (NEPS)

There is still time to register for the NEPS 5th Annual Meeting August 23-24, 2007, in Portsmouth, NH at the Frank Jones Center, 400 US Highway 1 Bypass, 03801. For more information, visit the NEPS Web site.

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Remember Your Sleep Techs!

AAST Sleep Technologist Appreciation Week October 1-7, 2007

Traditionally held in March, the annual Sleep Technologist Appreciation Week recognizes the critical role that sleep technologists play in the provision of quality medical care for people with sleep disorders. Don't forget to honor your staff in some way!

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Remember Your Dually-Credentialed Staff!

AARC National Respiratory Care Week October 21-27, 2007

There are lots of ways to celebrate and to honor your sleep staffers with respiratory care backgrounds. The AARC has listed 100 Ideas for Respiratory Care Week - - A compilation of new ideas, RC Week successes from the past, and ideas borrowed from other groups.

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Pickwick Fellowships

The National Sleep Foundation (NSF) has announced two postdoctoral fellowship opportunities for 2008. Since 1995, the NSF Pickwick Postdoctoral Fellowship program has provided funds to enable young researchers to devote full-time professional effort to mentored research in sleep or sleep disorders. Fellowships are available for basic, applied or clinical research. Visit NSF's Web site for information on how to apply.

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ASMF and AASM Strengthen Commitment to Research

The American Sleep Medicine Foundation (ASMF) in 2007 alone has awarded more than $1.1 million dollars in new grants to advance the study, understanding and practice of sleep medicine through research. Grants awarded this year will fund strategic research that documents the efficacy of new or established practice pathways and confirms outcomes of patient care delivered by sleep medicine specialists.

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Be well. Sleep well.

Theresa

Sleepmate Technologies Receives Accreditation as A-STEP Provider

2007-07-27T12:55:00.000-05:00

Sleepmate Technologies recently received accreditation from the American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM) as a Provider of the Accredited Sleep Technologist Education Program, A-STEP.

A-STEP provides participants with standardized education and training that develops a knowledge-base about sleep medicine and the professional skills required of a sleep technologist. As a staff member at a sleep facility, a sleep technologist administers sleep tests to patients as well as therapeutic services. The sleep technologist also assists the sleep physician with patient care and education.

A-STEP is a two-step training program that includes an 80-hour educational course (STEP 1) and an 18-month on-the-job training and e-learning program (STEP 2). Sleepmate Technologies has earned a two-year accreditation as an A-STEP Provider, meaning that the education offered by Sleepmate Technologies, STEP 1 course has met the standards of accreditation designated by the AASM. The accreditation process involved a detailed evaluation of Sleepmate Technologies program, including faculty, curriculum, resources and assessment.

“The American Academy of Sleep Medicine congratulates Sleepmate Technologies on fulfilling the high standards required for receiving accreditation as an A-STEP Provider,” said Alejandro D. Chediak, MD, AASM president. “Sleepmate Technologies A-STEP is a significant resource to the local community as it ensures that those who assist in the diagnosis and treatment of patients with sleep disorders are well-trained and that patients suffering from sleep disorders receive the highest quality of care.”

Individuals interested in receiving formalized education and training in sleep technology by enrolling as an A-STEP participant at Sleepmate Technologies can contact Sleepmate customer support at 804-378-8265.

Sleepmate also provides classroom training, developed with education partners including DeVilbiss Healthcare, for the new and experienced sleep professional. Registry Review, Scoring Workshop, CPAP Workshop, Basic and Intermediate Polysomnography, Pediatric Sleep, Webinars, and most recently, an accredited Sleep Technologist Education Program (A-STEP). Our classes offer AARC Continuing Education Credits. Visit http://www.sleepmate.com/.

Kittens Catchin’ Catnaps, Dozing Dogs and Pooped Parrots

2007-06-28T10:03:00.000-05:00

The National Sleep Foundation Launches

“My Pet Loves Sleep Contest” and Asks Americans to Share Favorite Photographs of Sleeping Pets

Twelve Weeks of Photos Judged Online; Winning Photographs Available in Pet Winner’s Gallery for All the World to See!

What: The National Sleep Foundation (NSF) wants all-time favorite photos of your pet stealin’ 40 winks! Why: NSF wants to share photos of America’s most adorable sleeping pets with everyone who visits www.sleepfoundation.org/pets [NOTE: The site goes live July 2]

When: The contest launches on Monday, July 2 and continues until Sunday, September 30. Each week for 12 weeks, NSF Web site visitors will vote online for the cutest sleeping pet of the week. All 12 winners will be featured on NSF’s popular Web site. Where: Submit your most cherished sleeping pet photograph by visiting www.sleepfoundation.org/pets All entries received during the week (beginning each Monday and ending each Sunday for 12 consecutive weeks) will be judged by participating NSF Web site visitors.

How: Email a color digital photo with a maximum of 150 K and resolution of 72 dpi maximum by visiting www.sleepfoundation.org/pets NSF will post all photo entries received during a specific week in the Sleeping Pet Photo Gallery and encourage all NSF Web site visitors to cast their vote. The weekly “sleeping pet” winner will be determined by which photo receives the most votes during the designated seven-day period. Only one vote per NSF Web site visitor is allowed per week.

If you want your pet to win, send a My Pet Loves Sleep E-card (available at www.sleepfoundation.org/pets) and encourage your friends and family to join in the fun and vote. Once the week is over, winning photographs will be housed in the Sleeping Pet Winner’s Gallery. Visit www.sleepfoundation.org/pets for additional details. Contact: Lisa Tumminello; National Sleep Foundation; ltumminello@sleepfoundation.org; 202-347-3471, x211

I think it's great to see something on the lighter side regarding sleep from NSF. Now, not that I am playing favorites or anything, but this is the sleeping pet picture that should win! My dearest Princess Peanut Fi`do. What do you think? Isn't she the best sleeper?

Be well...Sleep well (and VOTE FOR PEANUT :-)

Theresa

Historic Portsmouth, NH host to the 5th Annual NEPS Conference August 23 & 24

2007-06-26T15:27:00.000-05:00

If you need a summer, family getaway that includes sleep education that earns you continuing education credits, the New England Polysomnographic Society (NEPS) may have your tonic… And, a trip to New England is never complete without stopping in the historic coastal city of Portsmouth, New Hampshire.

Registration is now open for the NEPS 5th Annual Meeting, August 23-24, 2007, at the Frank Jones Center, 400 US Highway 1 Bypass, Portsmouth, NH, 03801. The conference brochure is posted on the society’s web site and lists lecture information. For additional information, e-mail NEPS President Bethany Munn at info@nepolysomnographic.org.

Here are some links to area attractions:
New Hampshire Seacoast Beaches & Parks
Sleep Tech Leisure Guide
Lake Winnipesaukee & Lake Sunapee (There are 273 lakes and ponds in the Lakes Region of New Hampshire—great fishing too!)
History buffs

Pictured above, John Paul Jones, foreground, oversees preparations for the launch of his vessel CSS Ranger in 1777. In the background is Colonial Portsmouth. The painting is by world famous maritime artist John Stobart. http://www.portsmouthchamber.org/historyintro.cfm

Hope to see you there!

Be well...Sleep well,

Theresa

Online Sleep Videos and Health Fair

2007-06-21T13:06:00.000-05:00

1. Sleep Diagnosis & Therapy Features Online Videos

Kudos to the online site of Sleep Diagnosis and Therapy for producing video interviews with leading sleep specialists and making them available to viewers. I contacted Alan Hickey, publisher, to ask him about the venture. “The videos are the beginning of an ongoing project for us.” He added that the editorial board for Sleep Diagnosis and Therapy, the online format, wants to provide online visitors with clinical and scientific sleep information and updates with more viewer appeal in order to meet the needs of those looking for news and advances in sleep medicine. The journal is the publishing company’s flagship offering, and the online presence as an augmentation to its hardcopy journal. The site also offers a blog and industry buyer’s guide which serves as a directory of sleep equipment manufacturers and distributors.

I am personally thrilled to see innovative formats such as this appearing on our radar screens because we, as sleep professionals, appear to be joining the ranks of other fields in that we like choices on the formats in which our news is delivered to us. Some of us like print publications. Some of us prefer online editions. Many of us consume both!
The first two videos produced by Sleep Diagnosis and Therapy include interviews with Prof. Peretz Lavie and Marc Pritzker, MD, FACC. Lavie is a world-renowned authority on the psychophysiology of sleep and sleep disorders. He is leader of the Technion Sleep Laboratory, chairperson of the Behavioral Biology Department in the Bruce Rappaport Faculty of Medicine, and is the incumbent of the Andre Ballard Chair in Biological Psychiatry. Pritzker is a cardiologist at Minneapolis Cardiology Associates, Minneapolis Heart Institute in Minneapolis, MN. He is board certified in internal medicine and cardiovascular diseases with clinical interests in complex heart disease, heart failure, wounds, and pulmonary artery hypertension.
2. First Online Health Fair Includes NSF

The National Sleep Foundation (NSF) was chosen by Revolution Health to be part of an online “health fair.” The founder of Revolution Health is Steve Case, best known as the co-founder and former chief executive officer and chairman of America Online (AOL). RevolutionHealth.com, a free online health and medical web site that combines expert content and online tools with the power of social networking, today announced its first online health fair to be held on June 18-30, 2007. Revolution Health is partnering with ten national nonprofit organizations including Autism Speaks, the Asthma & Allergy Foundation of America, and the Society for Women's Health Research, among others.
Revolution Health will make a donation to each of the participating nonprofit groups, based on the number of visitors to that group's 'booth.' The maximum donation that Revolution Health will make to the participating groups is $100,000, with a maximum donation of $10,000 per organization.
Increasing public awareness of the importance of sleep, increasing public recognition of the signs and symptoms of sleep disorders, launching promising new investigators into careers in sleep research and advocating for sleep-friendly policies in the public and private sectors are central to the mission of NSF. The foundation relies on grants, sponsorships, memberships and other contributions to help provide comprehensive education and awareness programs.

Case reached his highest profile when he played an instrumental role in AOL's merger with Time Warner in 2000. Case resigned from the Time-Warner board of directors in October 2005, to spend more time working on Revolution LLC, a holding company he founded in April 2005.

Be well. Sleep well,

Theresa

AAST Annual Meeting Events at SLEEP 2007

2007-06-13T01:28:00.000-05:00

The American Association of Sleep Technologists (AAST) held several events at its annual meeting Tuesday during the SLEEP 2007 conference in Minneapolis. In the top photo is William Dement, MD, Ph.D. pleased the crowd again this year as he entertained attendees at the Blues Night sponsored by Pro-Tech and MVAP. In the second photo, a group of technologists that have been participants of binarysleep.com for years, but have never met in person had the opportunity to meet at the Blues Night. In the third photo, Mary Kay Hobby, CRT, RPSGT, a recent Let's Talk Sleep podcast guest, received the AAST 2007 Sharon Keenan Service Award sponsored by Sleepmate, Inc. Sharon Baker-Holdsworth, Sleepmate Marketing Manager presented Hobby with her award. And last, Brendan Duffy, RPSGT, was the recipient of the Allen DeVilbiss, MD Literary Award. I had the honor of presenting Duffy with his award for an article published in A2Zzz Magazine that dealt with technologist issues related to dealing with difficult patients.

Be well-Sleep well,
Theresa

Scenes from SLEEP 2007 in Minneapolis

2007-06-11T15:04:00.000-05:00

SLEEP 2007 Secrets of Sleep Research Dinner

2007-06-11T08:37:00.000-05:00

The Secrets of Sleep Research Dinner was held last night in Minneapolis kicking off today's opening of the SLEEP 2007 Annual Meeting sponsored by the Associated Professional Sleep Societies. The annual meeting runs through Thursday. Today's official opening begins less than 15 minutes from now with the plenary session featuring k eynote speaker Mark Mahowald, MD. In the first photo of the dinner last night, pictured left to right are Claude Albertario, RPSGT, Mineola, NY, Debbie Carr, RPSGT and Brendan Duffy, RPSGT, both of Port Jefferson, NY, and Karen Allen, RPSGT, of Billings, Montana. In the second photo, Meir Kryger, MD, left, converses with Leon Rosenthal, MD.

HBO Features Drs. Dement, Rosekind, Simon, Speilman, Kayumov in Documentary “Wide Awake”

2007-05-06T10:22:00.000-05:00

You won’t want to miss several Sleep Community luminaries in Wide Awake: Portrait Of An Artist As Insomniac, an HBO Documentary that premieres Wednesday, May 23 at 8pm Eastern Time, with a special "Insomniac Premiere" on Tuesday, May 22 at 1:30am. Eastern Time.

Wide Awake is a brutally honest self-portrait of a sleep-deprived and sleep-obsessed night-owl filmmaker, Alan Berliner's personal tour through a lifelong obsession with insomnia. In the spirit of his acclaimed personal documentary films, Berliner once again uses his own life as a laboratory, this time to illuminate how a restless mind that won't shut down at night leaves him feeling "jet lagged in my own time zone."

Among the experts who share their knowledge in Wide Awake are: William C. Dement, MD, PhD, Director, Sleep Disorder Clinic and Research Center at Stanford University; Leonid Kayumov, PhD, Director, Sleep Neuropsychiatry Institute at the University of Toronto; Mark Rosekind, PhD, President & Chief Scientist, Alertness Solutions; Richard D. Simon Jr., MD, Medical Director, Kathryn Severyns Dement Sleep Disorders Center; and Art Spielman, PhD, Associate Director, Center for Sleep Medicine, Weill Medical College at NY Presbyterian Hospital- Cornell University.

A brilliantly edited blend of the hilarious and deeply personal, Wide Awake weaves hundreds of archival film clips, consultations with sleep specialists, an overnight stay at a sleep lab, conversations with family members, home movies, dream visualizations, and behind the scenes footage of the film being made. Torn between the creative passion he derives from the night, and the emotional tugs of love and family life, only the birth of his first child can get Berliner to “consider joining the day shift.”

Wide Awake received its world premiere at the 2006 Sundance Film Festival, and its international premiere at the 2006 Berlin Film Festival. Berliner's previous films include The Sweetest Sound (2001), Nobody's Business (1996), Intimate Stranger (1991) and The Family Album (1986). You can own the film for $24.98 by visiting the HBO Store. A preview of the 90-minute film Wide Awake may be viewed at the Edinburgh International Film Festival site.

Be well, Sleep well,
Theresa

Dr. Mark Rosekind: New Podcast Available

2007-05-02T01:45:00.000-05:00

· New Podcast with former NASA Scientist Dr. Mark Rosekind

· 'Epidemic' of sleep deprivation spreads among busy Britons

· Veteran sleep tech in the news ‘restoring sweet dreams’

· SESW Conference in Virginia Beach this week

· ASAA NewZzzz
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New Podcast with Dr. Mark Rosekind

Dr. Mark Rosekind discusses sleep tech fatigue and alertness issues, and his very interesting career as a former NASA sleep specialist. To listen to past guests on the podcasts, go to the archive section of Let's Talk Sleep by Sleepmate Radio.

Archived Podcasts Include Guests:

Mike Bederka
Kellie Scarrow
Graduating Class from somniSchool
Lena Kauffman
Ron Sherman and Sharon Kline
Terry Malloy
Dr. Michael Breus
Patrick Sorenson
Colleen Bazzani
Dave Hargett
Dr. Meir Kryger
Richard Gelula
Dr. Carlos Schenck

Dr. Mark R. Rosekind is the President and Chief Scientist of Alertness Solutions. He is internationally recognized for translating scientific knowledge on sleep, circadian factors, human fatigue, performance, and alertness into practical strategies that improve safety and productivity in our 24-hr society. For over 20 years, Dr. Rosekind’s research, publications, presentations, and practical applications have led to many significant changes in real-world settings. These accomplishments have been recognized through honors and awards that include the NASA Exceptional Service Medal, a Flight Safety Foundation Presidential Citation for “Outstanding Achievement in Safety Leadership,” and a NASA Group Achievement Award. In 1999, Dr. Rosekind was a Fellow at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland and the recipient of the Business Aviation Meritorious Award presented by the Flight Safety Foundation.

'Epidemic' of sleep deprivation spreads among busy Britons

A news report from London says that where sleep is concerned, most British workers are losing two and a half years of sleep over the course of their career.

Veteran Sleep Tech in the News ‘Restoring Sweet Dreams’

Longtime sleep technologist Tish (Galloway) Pitcherello, RPSGT of St. Francis Medical Center Sleep Center in Trenton, New Jersey is featured in a Trenton Times article titled “Restoring sweet dreams” The article is a public-oriented feature story about sleep disorders and the services provided at St. Francis. Tish said in the article that when she deals with pediatric patients, sometimes she puts electrodes on teddy bears and dolls to help her young patients feel less anxious about the sleep study. Also included in the article is Dr. Marc M. Seelagy, board- certified sleep physician and medical director of St. Francis's program

BA flight is delayed for 13hrs so pilot can sleep

Passengers on a British Airways (BA) flight from New Delhi to London recently faced a 13-hour delay - because the pilot felt he was too sleepy after a noisy night in a New Delhi hotel.
Angry passengers were offloaded from the plane after the pilot refused to fly until he caught up with his sleep.
"The crew had not had enough rest ... the entire crew had a disturbed night," said Radhika Raikhy, spokeswoman for BA. She said the airline's safety rules do not allow its crew to operate in such conditions. advertisement
It was reported the flight and cabin crew complained of not getting enough rest because their hotel was too noisy. The flight, BA 142, finally took off 13 hours later, to the fury of passengers who were sent to city hotels to wait out the delay as the crew rested. One passenger, Sunil Thapar, said: "It was very chaotic. Due to a shortage of rooms, some people, including me, had to share rooms with strangers."

Southeast/Southwest Regional Association of Polysomnographic Technologists (SESW RAPT) 25th Annual Meeting This Week:

SESW RAPT 2007, Virginia Beach, VA, USA, May 3-7
25th Annual Meeting. Sheraton Oceanfront "Mr. Sandman Bring Me A Dream"See the 2007 Meeting page for more info.

ATS 2007, San Francisco, CA, USA, May 20-22

KSS 2007, Bowling Green, KY, USA, May 31-June 1

Movement Disorders Society 2007 Congress, Istanbul, Turkey, June 3-7

Sleep 2007 (APSS), Minneapolis, MN, USA, Jun 9-14

New England Polysomnographic Society (NEPS) 5th Annual Meeting August 23 - 24, 2007. Portsmouth, NH at the Frank Jones Center, 400 Us Highway 1 Bypass, 03801. For more information, visit the NEPS Web site or email: info@nepolysomnographic.org . An online registration will soon be available, and information posted on the Let’s Talk Sleep blog.

Current Concepts in Sleep 2007, Tampa, FL, USA, Aug. 31-Sept. 1

worldsleep07, Carins, QLD, Australia, Sept. 2-6

Montana Regional Sleep Seminar 2007 at St. Vincent Healthcare, Billings, MT, USA, Sept. 6-8 Hosted by The Sleep Center at St. Vincent Healthcare at the Mansfield Health Education Center. Also presented will be a full day Technologist Review Course. AARC CRCE and AAST CEC applications will be submitted. Registration fee ($75) includes 3 day conference, exhibits, continuing education credits, break refreshments, continental breakfasts and lunches. For more information, contact Karen Y. Allen, CRT, RPSGT at karen.allen@svh-mt.org or call toll free (866) 4 SNORES.

2007 BSS 19th Annual Scientific Meeting, Cambridge, UK, Sep. 23-25

XII Congreso Panamerricano de Neurologia 2007, Santo Domingo, Domincan Republic, Oct. 7-11

Narcolepsy Association UK (UKAN) 2007 Annual Conference, Altrincham, Cheshire, UK, Oct. 13

ESRS 2008, Glasgow, Scotland, Sep. 9-13

Japanese Film Festival: The Bad Sleep Well

Visit The Stanford Daily for a review by Marco Hernandez on the film featured by the Japanese Film Festival titled The Bad Sleep Well. Hernandez recommends that it is “definitely not a film that puts viewers to sleep.”

NAPS Abstract of the Week

Does sleep quality predict pain-related disability in chronic pain patients? The mediating roles of depression and pain severity.

NAUGHTON F, ASHWORTH P, SKEVINGTON SM.
Pain 2007;127(3):243-52. Department of Psychology, University of Bath, BA2 7AY, UK. fmen2@medschl.cam.ac.uk

Abstract

Disrupted sleep has long been associated with physical functioning and disability in chronic pain populations and recent research shows that patterns of sleep and rest can predict physical disability, independent of depression and pain levels in this group. However, it is unknown whether sleep quality may independently predict disability in this way. The aim of the present study was to examine the self-reported relationship between sleep and disability in 155 chronic pain patients attending a pain management service. The sample had an average age of 52.9 years and 69% were female with mean pain duration of 10.5 years. Disrupted sleep and rest patterns and poor sleep quality were positively correlated with depression and pain-related disability. Hierarchical regression analyses showed that sleep quality did not predict pain-related disability when depression and pain severity were taken into consideration. Separate mediation analyses of depression and pain severity revealed that both variables were important partial mediators of the relationship between sleep quality and disability. Depression was found to be a stronger mediator than pain severity. These findings highlight the important role of sleep in chronic pain suffering. However, due to the cross sectional nature of this study, the mediation pathways proposed require testing by further research adopting a prospective design. Ideally, future research should evaluate whether targeted interventions to improve sleep can reduce pain severity, depression and ultimately, pain-related disability.

ASAA NewZzzz

The American Sleep Apnea Association (ASAA) has had a recent flurry of activity, according to ASAA Executive Director Edward Grandi. The ASAA recently launched the Apnea Advocacy Action Program. This is a grassroots advocacy program for apnea patients and their families. Since announcing the first call to action on March 15 – securing additional funding for the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) for data collection on sleep and sleep disorders – 126 messages were sent to Congress through ASAA, and the organization has 24 subscribers who are interested in helping on the next important issue. You can access the Legislative Action Center from www.sleepapnea.org/advocacy. I would encourage you to let others in your sleep center know about this important resource.

Mr. Grandi wrote an article for the May issue of Future Healthcare , about the role of patient
education and support for improved CPAP therapy adherence in the treatment of obstructive sleep apnea.

Mr. Grandi recently met with Dr. Nancy Collop the director of Sleep Disorder Center at Johns Hopkins University (JHU) about ASAA developing a disease management program for sleep apnea. JHU has well established disease management program for other respiratory disorders.

Finally, the Indigent Patient Program, renamed CPAP Assistance Program (CAP) was formally to our A.W.A.K.E. coordinators announced in April. The initial response was very favorable. We are in the process of finalizing the guidelines for participation in the program. The first group of machines likely to be shipped by mid-May.

Be well, Sleep well,

Theresa

DeVilbiss Webinars This Week

2007-04-23T15:26:00.000-05:00

Dear Colleagues,

Many of you have expressed interest in attending the DeVilbiss 2007 Sleep and Respiratory and Workshops. We are offering four live workshops this week that you are able to access from the comfort of your home or office. All you need is an Internet connection, an email address and a telephone to join these sessions. There is no fee for the Webinars.

Webinars will be offered throughout the year by DeVilbiss. You can receive up to 10 CRCEs through the AARC and up to 4 CECs through AAST. Sleep topics are eligible for both AARC and AAST credits.

PLEASE NOTE: THE TIMES LISTED BELOW ARE MOUNTAIN TIME.

Please click on each link below to register for each workshop that you are interested in attending:

Tuesday, April 24, 2007

Practical Aspects of Oxygen Conserving Devices

9:00 AM - 10:00 AM MDT

Register: https://www.gotomeeting.com/register/386854534 <https://www.gotomeeting.com/register/386854534>

Ambulatory Oxygen Via Transfilling Technology According to GOLD and LTOT

10:30 AM - 11:30 AM MDT

Register: https://www.gotomeeting.com/register/731612662 <https://www.gotomeeting.com/register/731612662>

Wednesday, April 25, 2007

How to Start an OSA Patient Education Program in Your Sleep Lab

9:00 AM - 10:00 AM MDT

Register: https://www.gotomeeting.com/register/219987020 <https://www.gotomeeting.com/register/219987020>

Tips and Techniques for Helping Patients Live with Supplemental Oxygen

10:30 AM - 11:30 AM MDT

Register: https://www.gotomeeting.com/register/617904237 <https://www.gotomeeting.com/register/617904237>

For any technical questions regarding the registration process, please contact webmaster@sunmed.com

Thank You,

The DeVilbiss Clinical Education Team

Mike Bederka April 17th Let's Talk Sleep Podcast: Investigation of the formation of a sleep specialty exam for respiratory therapists

2007-04-15T16:35:00.000-05:00

The communications a medical field receives from its own specialized news outlets naturally delves deep into the layers of pertinent information that impacts its audience. It is a responsibility. As you may be aware, The National Board for Respiratory Care (NBRC), at the request of The American Association for Respiratory Care (AARC), is exploring the formation of a sleep specialty exam for respiratory therapists, a move that has become a divisive issue for some sleep as well as respiratory care professionals. The Board of Registered Polysomnographic Technologists (BRPT) and other sleep-related professional organizations, have supplied statements regarding the proposed exam.

My guest expert on this topic this Tuesday April 17th on Let’s Talk Sleep will be Mike Bederka, (pictured) senior associate editor for both ADVANCE for Managers of Respiratory Care and ADVANCEforSleep.com. Mr. Bederka has conducted an extensive investigation into the issue of a new NBRC credential, as well as magazine interviews with both the AARC and the BRPT. He has also collected public opinion data from the sleep industry on this issue.

Prior to ADVANCE, he spent several years in the newspaper business as an editor and reporter. His writing has earned several industry honors, including awards from the Associated Press, the American Society of Healthcare Publication Editors, and the Maryland-Delaware-D.C. Press Association. Mike graduated from the University of Delaware in 2000 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in English/Journalism and a minor in Black American Studies.

In closing I will say that it is my opinion that it is certainly a very different political climate now than it was when many of us entered the fields of sleep or respiratory care. As a member of the sleep healthcare media for many years, I know the value and importance of the press to represent the ethics of journalism correctly and provide the truth. People need and have the right to know what is happening in career-related arenas. This is true even if the issues may seem alien, such as in territorial conflict situations.

What is more imperative than keeping abreast of the issues is the importance of those in clinical practice on both sides of a healthcare territorial conflict to maintain respectful and professional working relationships with one another so that they may not be distracted away from providing quality patient care, every patient’s right.

I encourage you to take a few minutes to listen to the Let’s Talk Sleep Podcast featuring Mike Bederka, one of many broadcasts designed to keep you abreast of current events in sleep and respiratory care.

The Chinese Sleep Research Society 2007 Conference
2007年世界睡眠日暨中国健康睡眠促进工程启动仪式新闻发布会胜利召开

2007年4月12日，国家民间组织管理局孙伟林局长、中国科协学术学会部朱雪芬副部长和朱文辉处长、中共中央对外联络部办公厅金鑫处长一行，就全国学会改革和发展的情况来我会进行专门调研，汪光亮常务副秘书长和韩芳副秘书长向参加调研的领导围绕研究会的历史、现状和未来的发展思路进行了汇报，与会领导对研究会的工作予以充分肯定并提出了许多建设性的指导意见。

Information about the Chinese Sleep Research Society from its mission page:

The Chinese Sleep Research Society (CSRS), affiliated to China Association for Science and Technology, was officially approved in 1994 by the Ministry of Civil Affairs. Linking with Chinese Academy of Sciences and Beijing Union Medical College Hospital, CSRS enjoys the reputation of the most authoritative professional academic institution in the field of sleep.
With the support of China Association for Science and Technology, the Ministry of Health and all stratum and with the joint efforts of Council and all the members, Chinese Sleep Research Society always adheres to all guidelines and policies of the Central Party Committee and the State Council. With the important thoughts - Deng Xiaoping Theory and the Three Represent as the guide, CSRS has accomplished a step-by-step development by implementing the scientific concept of development, building socialist harmonious society as the overall principle.
Within the society, there are five committees ranging from Academic Exchanges, Organization, Popularization of science, International Exchanges and Cooperation to Promotion of Science and Technology Industry. There are also two professional academic committees, sleep-disordered breathing and sleep disorders. We officially declared to the competent authorities according to law the established secondary branches: Sleep Physiology and Pharmacology, Mental Health Sleep, Sleep Environmental Engineering, the Traditional Chinese medicine Sleep, Sleep Environmental Engineering, and Sleep-enhancing Products etc. There are nearly 2,000 senior members nationwide, most of whom have high-class titles in sleep-related fields, such as clinical, basic, pharmacology, biomedical engineering, sleep-related industries and other relevant fields.

For more information about the CSRS, contact by phone: 010-65281730, Fax: 010-65123351, or e-mail: sleepcn@163.com

~~~~~~~

Be well, Sleep well,
Theresa

NTSB: Air controller fatigue contributed to 4 mishaps

2007-04-11T12:46:00.000-05:00

It's about sweet time someone thinks it's a good idea to encourage more rest to increase alertness for air traffic controllers (ATC). The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) thinks so and sent a letter to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) following an investigation of the crash of Comair flight 5191 in Lexington, KY August 27 after the plane had been cleared for take off by an ATC working alone in the control tower while on his second shift in 24 hours.

In 2002, the FAA distributed self-study materials addressing shift work and fatigue to all air traffic control specialists (1), but perhaps structured naps and better schedules for ATCs as well as pilots would make sense. Common sense if you ask me. (If you dare, remind me to tell you sometime about the interview I did with a pilot in an airport restaurant. I asked him if there were any mechanisms in place for him to rest before a flight should he feel too sleepy to fly a plane, for whatever HUMAN reason... I warn you, this one will bother you if you fly).

When will society ever embrace that humans are not machines? I mean, seriously, what would be the downside of installing some of those nap pods in airports in pilot lounges or in ATC towers for scheduled rest periods? Ok, I'll get off the soapbox now.

Highlights of the NTSB/ FAA story released yesterday include:

Click here for photo of investigators studying the runway at Blue Grass Airport in Lexington, Ky on August 28, the day after a Comair jet crashed just after takeoff.

Reference

1. P.S. Della Rocco and T.E. Nesthus, "Shift Work and Air Traffic Control: Transitioning Research Results to the Workforce." In B. Kirwan, M.D. Rodgers, and Dirk Schaefer (Eds.), Human Factors Impacts In Air Traffic Management. Aldershot, UK: Ashgate (2005).

Be well, Sleep well,

Theresa

Federal Funding for CDC Sleep and Sleep Disorders Activities

2007-04-09T09:19:00.000-05:00

We can all make a difference. The National Sleep Foundation (NSF) needs help from sleep professionals. The NSF and member organizations of the National Sleep Awareness Roundtable (NSART) are seeking funding for sleep activities at the CDC this year. This money will allow the CDC to start data collection and surveillance activities, create education and awareness materials for the public and health care professionals, and establish fellowship opportunities for promising researchers at universities and colleges. Please help by contacting Congress today!

For more information, please visit, www.sleepfoundation.org/advocacy

You can help secure funding for sleep-related programs at the CDC by e-mailing, calling, or faxing a letter to your Representative and Senators today. A sample letter is provided for you to personalize as much as possible (click here).

I encourage you to support the sleep field by contacting your legislators today.

Be well, Sleep well,
Theresa

Let's Talk Sleep!

2007-04-05T11:20:00.000-05:00

Support Our Troops

I am so happy to be part of this project where I’ll also be on hand to visit with you in-person. Sleepmate Technologies invites you to record a message for our military. Come visit me at the 7th Annual Focus Conference on Respiratory Care and Sleep Medicine with Sleepmate at its booth #513 during these hours to record your message to all our troops overseas:

April 20th from 10:00-12:00 and 4:30-6:30

The conference will be held April 19 - 21, 2007 at the Opryland Hotel & Convention Center in Nashville Tennessee.

Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. to Lecture at Focus Conference

Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. will be the keynote speaker at the 7th Annual Focus Conference on Respiratory Care and Sleep Medicine April 19 - 21, 2007 at the Opryland Hotel & Convention Center, Nashville Tennessee.
Kennedy’s reputation as a resolute defender of the environment stems from a litany of successful legal actions. Mr. Kennedy was named one of Time magazine's “Heroes for the Planet” for his success helping Riverkeeper lead the fight to restore the Hudson River. The group's achievement helped spawn more than 130 Waterkeeper organizations across the globe.
Kennedy is credited with leading the fight to protect New York City's water supply, but his reputation as a resolute defender of the environment stems from a litany of successful legal actions. The list includes winning numerous settlements for Riverkeeper, prosecuting governments and companies for polluting the Hudson River and Long Island Sound, arguing cases to expand citizen access to the shoreline, and suing treatment plants to force compliance with the Clean Water Act.Mr. Kennedy acts as Chief Prosecuting Attorney for Riverkeeper. He also serves as Senior Attorney for the Natural Resources Defense Council and as President of the Waterkeeper Alliance. At Pace University School of Law, he is a Clinical Professor and Supervising Attorney at the Environmental Litigation Clinic in White Plains, New York. Earlier in his career Mr. Kennedy served as Assistant District Attorney in New York City.
Robert Francis Kennedy Jr. often referred to as RFK Jr. is the third of eleven children born to Ethel Skakel Kennedy and the late Robert F. Kennedy.

Sleeping Alone

We’ve all experienced this as sleep professionals at some point. Occasionally patients that come to the sleep laboratory complain that they have difficulty sleeping away from their spouses or bed partners. A survey in the New Scientist magazine shows men suffer disturbed sleep patterns when they share a bed - while women sleep more deeply. According to the survey, carried out by the University of Vienna, men wake feeling stressed and unrefreshed after a night of broken sleep, whereas women say they sleep best when they share a bed.

New Research:
Mild brain injuries linked to insomnia

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Experiencing a mild traumatic brain injury may increase the risk of developing a sleep disorder, and a good portion of these appear to be based on disturbances in the body's normal circadian rhythm, according to the results of a new study.
"As many as 40 to 65 percent of patients with minor traumatic brain injury complain of insomnia," Dr. L. Ayalon, of the University of California, San Diego, and colleagues write in the medical journal Neurology.

Lilly Announces Completion of Hypnion Acquisition

INDIANAPOLIS, April 3 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE:LLY) today announced that it has completed its acquisition of Hypnion, Inc., a privately held neuroscience drug discovery company focused on sleep disorder research. The deal, valued at a total purchase price of $315 million, bolsters Lilly's pipeline with several new early-stage drug candidates and HY10275, an insomnia molecule currently in Phase II of development. HY10275 is a dual-acting H1/5HT2A compound that is targeted at both sleep onset and sleep maintenance, thereby potentially helping people fall asleep and stay asleep.

Grants for Original Research Announced: Sleep Medicine Fellowships

2007-03-29T12:33:00.000-05:00

Four $50,000 One-Year Awards by Pharmaceutical Company

Announced this week was the launch of the Jazz Pharmaceuticals Fellowship Training Grant in Sleep Medicine for physician and research. Fellows conducting original peer-review research in sleep medicine are eligible for the 2008-2009 academic year. Program sponsors hope to support promising research conducted by Fellows in accredited sleep training programs, or complementary programs focused in the field of sleep medicine. Read more here.

Case Study Video: Adult Sleep Disorder Induced by Childhood Trauma

2007-03-27T12:22:00.000-05:00

Dr. L. Peabody Groat, Jr. discusses research findings on newly identified potential sleep disorders at the Groat Center for Sleep Disorders.

SAVE THE DATES: (No Cost) DeVilbiss 2007 Sleep Webinars

2007-03-27T12:01:00.000-05:00

Continuing Education Credits (CECs) by the American Association of Sleep Technologists application has been made by DeVilbiss Healthcare, Inc. There is no cost to participate in the Webinars, and information will be posted in April regarding toll-free call-in numbers and pass codes. Attendance will require a high-speed Internet connection and a telephone line for audio. For pre-registration, attendees may email sleepsymposia@yahoo.com Please include your current email contact information where you may receive larger files.

April 25: 11am – 12pm EST How to Start an OSA Patient Education Program in Your Sleep Lab

July 24: 11am – 1pm EST (2 Webinars back to back)

(1) OSA and Co-Morbidities: Latest Findings on the Impact of CPAP therapy on Stroke, Diabetes, Parasomnias, and Impotence

(2) Respiratory Events: Overview of the AASM Manual for Scoring of Sleep and Associated events: Rules, Terminology, and Technical Specifications

Sept. 19: 11am – 12pm EST Research Review: Clinical Management of Poor Adherence to CPAP

Be well,
Theresa

Sleep T-Shirts & Novelites

2007-03-27T11:55:00.000-05:00

I am always looking for t-shirts or novelties items that display sleep, and I haven’t seen these before by the Advance Healthcare Shop. Remember these for Sleep Tech Appreciation Week October 1-7, 2007.

Sleep-Related T-Shirts

"Z" Pen

New Abstracts & Papers on Sleep (NAPS) March 26 Edition

2007-03-27T11:50:00.000-05:00

These are only two of the most recent research papers on sleep topics that can be searched at NAPS.

COLLOP N. The effect of obstructive sleep apnea on chronic medical disorders.Cleve Clin J Med 2007;74(1):72-8. View abstract.

FIESE BH, WINTER MA, SLIWINSKI M, ANBAR RD. Nighttime waking in children with asthma: an exploratory study of daily fluctuations in family climate. J Fam Psychol 2007;21(1):95-103. View abstract.