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News Release
Tuesday, April 4, 2006
IOM Report on Sleep Disorders and Sleep Deprivation Statement from Elizabeth G. Nabel, MD, Director, National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute
Today, the Institute of Medicine (IOM) of the National Academies released a report on the status of academic sleep research and sleep medicine in the United States. The report includes recommendations to improve public awareness and strengthen the field of sleep medicine. The project was initiated and funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, Sleep Research Society, and the National Sleep Foundation.
"Sleep Disorders and Sleep Deprivation: An Unmet Public Health Problem" represents the culmination of 18 months of work conducted by a 14-member multidisciplinary ad hoc Committee on Sleep Medicine and Research appointed by the IOM.
Because of the inherently cross-cutting nature of sleep medicine, several Institutes and Centers at NIH support related research, training, and education activities. These activities are coordinated by the National Center on Sleep Disorders Research (NCSDR) and the Trans-NIH Sleep Research Coordinating Committee with input from the Sleep Disorders Research Advisory Board (SDRAB). The SDRAB includes academic researchers, private citizens, and non-voting representatives from Federal agencies. The IOM report will inform the SDRAB and the NCSDR as they advise NIH on sleep research, education, and training needs.
The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) commends the IOM committee for its in-depth review of the public health significance of sleep loss and sleep disorders, and its analysis of national research and clinical resources to meet current and future needs. The NCSDR, which NHLBI administers, will give the IOM committee’s recommendations careful consideration as it coordinates and integrates sleep research and training efforts at the NIH.
Since the U.S. Congress mandated the establishment of the NCSDR in 1993, sleep research and training programs have contributed significantly to improving our understanding of sleep. For example, recent findings indicate that the chronic lack of sleep and untreated sleep disorders may be factors in the development of cardiovascular disease, obesity, and diabetes. Sleep also plays a role in our ability to learn and perform at our best. In short, sleep loss and untreated sleep disorders have a substantial impact on public health and safety.
To learn more about healthy sleep and sleep disorders:
“Your Guide to Healthy Sleep,” http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/public/sleep/healthy_sleep.htm
Sleep, Sleep Disorders, and Biological Rhythms supplemental curriculum for use in high school biology classes http://osedev.od.nih.gov/supplements/nih3/sleep/default.htm.
Star Sleeper educational materials for children and their caregivers http://starsleep.nhlbi.nih.gov.
National Center on Sleep Disorders Research www.nhlbi.nih.gov/sleep
Institute of Medicine Committee on Sleep Medicine and Research www.iom.edu/sleep
The National Center on Sleep Disorders Research was established in 1993 through U.S. congressional legislation authorizing support for sleep-related research and educational programs, and the coordination of related activities among the NIH, other federal agencies, and nongovernmental organizations. NIH annually funds more than $189 million in sleep-related research conducted by researchers in universities and hospitals in the U.S. and abroad. For more information, visit www.nhlbi.nih.gov/sleep.
Part of the National Institutes of Health, the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute plans, conducts, and supports research related to the causes, prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of heart, blood vessel, lung, and blood diseases; and sleep disorders. The Institute also administers national health education campaigns on women and heart disease, healthy weight for children, and other topics. NHLBI press releases and other materials are available online at: www.nhlbi.nih.gov.
About the National Institutes of Health (NIH): NIH, the nation's medical research agency, includes 27 Institutes and Centers and is a component of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. NIH is the primary federal agency conducting and supporting basic, clinical, and translational medical research, and is investigating the causes, treatments, and cures for both common and rare diseases. For more information about NIH and its programs, visit www.nih.gov.
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