ABSTRACT It is estimated that 50 to 70 million Americans chronically
suffer from a disorder of sleep and wakefulness, hindering daily functioning
and adversely affecting health and longevity. The cumulative long-term
effects of sleep deprivation and sleep disorders have been associated with a
wide range of deleterious health consequences including an increased risk
of hypertension, diabetes, obesity, depression, heart attack, and stroke. The
Institute of Medicine (IOM) Committee on Sleep Medicine and Research
concluded that although clinical activities and scientific opportunities in the
field are expanding, awareness among the general public and health care
professionals is low, given the magnitude of the burden. The available
human resources and capacity are insufficient to further develop the science
and to diagnose and treat individuals with sleep disorders. Therefore, the
current situation necessitates a larger and more interdisciplinary workforce.
Traditional scientific and medical disciplines need to be attracted into the
somnology and sleep medicine field. Renewed and revitalized commitments
to the field from the National Institutes of Health (NIH), academic health
centers, private foundations, and professional societies are essential to
ensure appropriate public and professional awareness, education and training,
basic and clinical research, and patient care. Finally, the fragmentation
of research and clinical care currently present in most academic institutions
requires the creation of accredited interdisciplinary sleep programs in academic
institutions.