How does insufficient sleep duration, irregular timed sleep schedules, and poor sleep quality contribute to the pathophysiology of lung, heart and blood diseases?

Will sensitivity to the psychological aspects of obesity, including lifestyle priorities and motivations, improve the efficacy of long-term effectiveness of weight loss and obesity prevention interventions?

Would improving sleep and circadian rhythms in the critical care setting result in improved patient outcomes (e.g., reduce severity of infection, duration of intubation, length of hospital stay)?

Arousals in obstructive sleep apena (OSA) are life saving, but the associated disruption of sleep is now thought to cause cognitive impairment, increased risk of high blood pressure and atherosclerosis, as well as glucose intolerance and metabolic syndrome. The mechanisms for these downstream effects, however, are not well understood. Can these specific pathophysiological mechanisms be identified, and can ways for mitigating... more »

I have extreme delayed sleep phase disorder (DSPD), a circadian rhythm disorder (CRD). I fall asleep at dawn and wake up early afternoon. My dim light melatonin onset (DLMO) is at 5:30 am. A normal person’s DLMO may be at 9 pm, for example.

CRD treatment—prolonged bright light after temperature nadir, dark restriction/melatonin starting several hours before natural bedtime, darkness till temperature nadir—does not work... more »

There is evidence of a higher prevalence of sleep and circadian disorders in different ethnic groups. This is true for both adult and pediatric subjects. There is also evidence that minority populations in lower socioeconomic groups do not seek evaluation for sleep disorders as frequently as other segments of our population. There is also evidence that they are less adherent to treatments such as nasal CPAP for obstructive... more »

We need to understand sleep and circadian disorders at a more mechanistic level. This applies to both the pathogenesis of these disorders and to their impact on health. New neurobiological and molecular tools facilitate this research. The focus needs to be not only in brain but also the impact of these disorders on future of peripheral organs. The elucidation of the fundamental functions of sleep and the impact of... more »

There is developing evidence that sleep disorders, in particular obstructive sleep apnea and inadequate sleep, can influence the course of other chronic diseases. Observational studies show that CPAP treatment of patients with pre-diabetes who have OSA reduces the incidence of future diabetes. Moreover, animal and human data indicate that insufficient sleep and sleep apnea can affect the rate of progression of neurodegenerative... more »

There is developing evidence of major individual differences in pathways to different common sleep disorders such as obstructive sleep apnea. Moreover, there is evidence of different clinical presentations of disease and different outcomes. For example, some subjects with obstructive sleep apnea who get excessive sleepiness while others do not. The latter are still at risk for other consequences of the disorder such... more »

There are several possible physiological causes of Circadian Rhythm Sleep-Wake Disorders (CRSWDs), including lack of sensitivity to light, over-sensitivity to light, deficiencies in the ipRGC cells of the retina, lack of melatonin production, long elimination time of melatonin, long intrinsic circadian period, differences in timing of sleep relative to internal circadian rhythms, differences in tolerance to phase mismatch,... more »

Develop algorithms/chemistries (i.e. biomarkers) differentiating between sleep deficiency and health in point-of-care diagnostic evaluation of health risks.

It is estimated that up to 28% of the population suffer from sleep apnea, which impairs functioning and reduces quality of life, while increasing risk of accidents and a variety of cardiovascular, metabolic, and neuropsychiatric diseases. A large portion of sleep apnea cases are caused by abnormal oro-nasal-maxillo-mandibular features that result in crowding of the upper airway, making it vulnerable to collapsing or... more »

What characteristics of sleep relate to obesity and does improving sleep using medication help with changes linked to obesity and in the end with weight?

Sleep Paralysis (SP) is a very common (up to 40% of all people), yet little-known condition that is terrifying, and potentially traumatizing, especially to people who are unaware of this condition. It is critical that SP is better known by all doctors, therapists, and the public. Too many people are mistreated and misdiagnosed as psychotic or even demon possessed when they do not understand SP, or they hide the experience... more »

Does screening for and treating sleep apnea improve outcomes in HLB diseases, such as heart failure?