Sleep, health, and medicine

The idea that there is an association between sleep and health is not new, but only recently has research provided clear evidence of the adverse effects of sleep loss and sleep disorders. However, in spite of improvements in the evaluation and treatment of patients with sleep disorders, the importance of sleep has not been integrated fully into medical practice. In April 2006 the Institute of Medicine (IOM) published a report, Sleep Disorders and Sleep Deprivation: An Unmet Public Health Problem, which highlighted the wide range of health consequences resulting from inadequate sleep. It noted that 50-70 million Americans suffer chronically from a disorder of sleep and wakefulness. The report concluded that, currently, there are insufficient resources to improve patient care and expand scientific research. The authors called for strategies to increase public awareness and medical education about sleep loss and sleep disorders, to restructure and enhance sleep education and research in academic health centers, and to increase sleep-related training and research opportunities.