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.
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 went into specific challenges in some depth: infant sleep training, adolescent sleep, and sleep difficulties during pregnancy and menopause. I also reviewed the consequences of sleep deprivation and the major sleep disorders — obstructive sleep apnoea, restless legs syndrome, REM sleep behaviour disorder and insomnia — along with how each is managed. The session closed on lifestyle medicine and sleep hygiene, and on treatment options such as medication and cognitive behavioural therapy for insomnia.
