This online course provides an overview of the importance of sleep in health and disease, the mechanisms underlying the regulation of normal sleep and wakefulness, the impact of inadequate and poor sleep, and an overview of common sleep disorders. Text, interactive activities and video clips are used as instructional methods. The course begins with information concerning the physiologic underpinnings of normal sleep and factors regulating the patterning of sleep and wakefulness. This basic physiology is followed by a discussion of the importance of sleep on memory, learning and performance, and the impact of the consequences of insufficient sleep on health and disease risk. Finally, there is a brief overview of common sleep disorders and their treatment.

NUMBER OF CREDIT HOURS: The Harvard Medical School designates this educational activity for a maximum of 2 AMA PRA Category 1 credit(s)™. Physicians should only claim credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.

COST: $40.00
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OVERALL LEARNING OBJECTIVES:

1. Understand the benefits of obtaining an optimum amount of sleep.
2. Learn the adverse impact of insufficient sleep on performance and disease risk.
3. Understand how sleep and wakefulness are regulated.
4. Acquire knowledge related to the normal circadian rhythm of sleep and how circadian rhythm misalignment (e.g., with shift work) affects sleep and wakefulness.
5. Learn the clinical manifestations of some common sleep disorders.

CLINICAL LEARNING OBJECTIVES:

1. Same as overall learning objectives.

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STUART F. QUAN, MD Course Director

Dr. Quan is a graduate of the University of California, San Francisco School of Medicine. He did residency training in Internal Medicine at the University of Wisconsin, and fellowships in Critical Care Medicine and Pulmonary Medicine at the University of California, San Francisco and University of Arizona respectively. He is Professor Emeritus of Medicine at the University of Arizona where he was Chief of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine and Director of the Sleep Disorders Center, and is Visiting Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School. He is currently the editor-in-chief of the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine; a member of the advisory board for the National Center on Sleep Disorders Research (National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute); and chair of the Sleep Medicine examination committee for the American Board of Internal Medicine. Dr. Quan also has served as the president of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine (1999-2000) and been on the board of directors of the American Board of Sleep Medicine (1990-1996). Most recently, he was a member of the Steering Committee that developed the new sleep scoring manual for the American Academy of Sleep Medicine and is currently the Interim Editor of the Sleep and Health Education Program at Harvard Medical School’s Division of Sleep Medicine. Dr. Quan's current research activities focus on the epidemiology of sleep and sleep disorders, particularly sleep disordered breathing. DISCLOSURE:

CHARLES CZEISLER, MD, PHD Course Contributor

Bio and Photo Coming Soon. DISCLOSURE:

RICHARD FERBER, MD Course Contributor

Bio and Photo Coming Soon. DISCLOSURE:

JANET MULLINGTON, PHD Course Contributor

Bio and Photo Coming Soon. DISCLOSURE:

THOMAS SCAMMELL, MD Course Contributor

Bio and Photo Coming Soon. DISCLOSURE:

STEVEN SHEA, PHD Course Contributor

In 1982 Steven Shea set up one of the first clinical sleep laboratories in the UK, at Charing Cross Hospital in London, and this laboratory became an established Supra-Regional clinical specialty. Dr. Shea obtained his PhD from the University of London (UK) in 1989 for studies on breathing during sleep. He was awarded a Harkness Fellowship for post-doctoral study at Harvard School Public Health, Boston, MA, became Assistant Professor of Physiology at Harvard School of Public Health in 1992, Assistant Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School in 1997, and Associate Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School in 2002. He is currently Acting Director of the Division of Sleep Medicine at BWH as well as Director of the Sleep Disorders Research Program at BWH. He is Associate Director of the NIH supported Training Program in Sleep, Circadian and Respiratory Neurobiology at Harvard Medical School. Nationally, Dr. Shea serves on the Research Committee of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine (Chair); Strategic Research Task Force of the American Sleep Medicine Foundation (member), Program Committee of the Association of Professional Sleep Societies (member), Circadian Section of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine (Chair) and Executive Board of the American Sleep Medicine Foundation (member). Dr. Shea’s research is in the field of medical chronobiology - to understand the circadian and sleep/wake mechanisms underlying the day/night pattern in the severity of a number of disorders, including nocturnal asthma, epilepsy, obstructive sleep apnea and cardiovascular disease. The longer-term goals are to improve therapy in such disorders via modifications in behavior or chronopharmacology. His research has been supported by NIH grants since 1992, and he currently holds two NIH grants to study circadian factors underlying cardiovascular risk and sleep apnea, and an NIH K24 "mid-career" award with a primary aim to develop a group of outstanding clinical inves DISCLOSURE: Company: Sleep Health Centers, Brighton, MA (affiliated with Brigham & Women's Hospital) Type of Relationship: Salary support via Brigham & Women's Physicians' Organization for services provided (interpretation of sleep studies)

ROBERT STICKGOLD, PHD Course Contributor

Bio and Photo Coming Soon. DISCLOSURE:

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CHARLES CANTOR, MD Reviewer

Charles R. Cantor, MD is a Clinical Associate Professor of Neurology and Medicine, and the Medical Director of the Penn Sleep Center, the clinical arm of the Division of Sleep Medicine, in the University of Pennsylvania Health System. He is a graduate of Harvard College and the University of Massachusetts Medical School. He completed his neurology residency at Pennsylvania Hospital and a fellowship in neuro-ophthalmology at Wills Eye Hospital in Philadelphia. He has a particular interest in neurologic sleep disorders including narcolepsy and sleep in extra-pyramidal disease. DISCLOSURE:

KAREN J. CARLSON, MD Reviewer

Dr. Carlson is Assistant Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School and Director of Women’s Health Associates at Massachusetts General Hospital. She is co-editor of a medical textbook, Primary Care of Women, and a comprehensive book on women’s health, The Harvard Guide to Women’s Health. Dr. Carlson is Assistant Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School and Director of Women’s Health Associates at Massachusetts General Hospital. She is co-editor of a medical textbook, Primary Care of Women, and a comprehensive book on women’s health, The Harvard Guide to Women’s Health. DISCLOSURE:

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NUMBER OF CREDITS: 2 

Harvard Medical School is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) to provide continuing medical education for physicians.

The Harvard Medical School designates this educational activity for a maximum of 2 AMA PRA Category 1 credit(s)™. Physicians should only claim credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.

Upon completion of the course you will get a certificate via e-mail within 2 weeks.

Click the image to view a sample of the certificate

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