You should sleep on it: Workshop on Understanding Sleep and Sleep Problems for Healthcare Professionals
Date:
I was invited by Clarice Tam, an occupational therapist, to deliver a professional training session on sleep for healthcare professionals. The talk provided an overview of sleep science, common sleep problems, and practical approaches to managing them in clinical practice.
In the presentation, I explained the functions and mechanisms of sleep, including sleep stages, the science of sleep regulation, and how sleep changes across the lifespan from infancy through to older adulthood. We had in-depth discussions of specific challenges such as infant sleep training, adolescent sleep issues, and sleep difficulties during pregnancy and menopause. I also reviewed the consequences of sleep deprivation, and major sleep disorders including obstructive sleep apnoea, restless legs syndrome, REM sleep behaviour disorder, and insomnia, along with their management. The session concluded with an emphasis on lifestyle medicine and sleep hygiene, as well as treatment options such as medication and cognitive behavioural therapy for insomnia. The talk was highly engaging, with many thoughtful questions from the audience that reflected the clinical relevance.
