Sleep Technology

The AAST Fellow Program is a means of recognizing those who have made significant and sustained contributions to the field of sleep technology. Fellowship recipients must be credentialed in sleep technology by a nationally recognized organization for at least 15 years and have been a regular AAST member, in good standing, for the last 10 consecutive years.

As the COVID-19 pandemic continues, stress levels continue to rise along with the use of coping behaviors. Among those coping behaviors is the increased consumption of alcohol. As the level of consumption increases, the quality of sleep continues to decrease.

Over the summer, I read an enjoyable motivational book about developing grit and learning successful life skills. I recommend it; however, being a sleep/sports performance enthusiast, I did have some angst as to how sleep was portrayed in this story — especially as athletes start a brand new high school season.

Alaska is a land of extremes, especially when it comes to the unique patterns associated with the cycle of day and night. When summer fades to fall and fall fades to winter, the sunlight fades out as well. With these intriguing patterns of day and night come sleep challenges for those who reside in the state. As a sleep technologist, especially if you live and work in Alaska, it’s vital to understand the sleep challenges of those living in “The Last Frontier” and be equipped with a few tips and tricks to getting a full night of sleep — even when the sun is shining bright at 3 a.m.

Sleep disorders, as well as sleep problems, are extremely common in individuals with Down syndrome (DS), with many issues presenting at birth and persisting throughout the life span. Ensuring that sleep assessment is included throughout the life continuum for patients with DS is quite important, as sleep issues may contribute to behavior and cognitive issues or good sleep may contribute to better functioning. Knowledge and appreciation about this condition, as well as treatment options related to sleep and associated disorders for the individual and families, are essential for the sleep health professional, as the sleep problems we face as a society are exacerbated in individuals with DS. Similar to the lack of sleep inquiry in the general population, it may be that much more needs to be done to address this significant issue in this population.

A patient scenario involves analyzing the patient’s test results and utilizing appropriate communication techniques to provide enhanced targeted education to improve outcomes. As sleep health navigators, and Certified Clinical Sleep Health (CCSH) educators, we focus on patient strategies to improve adherence, improve sleep and improve the comorbidities that impact a patient’s overall health. These patient scenarios, which are a part of the AAST Enhanced CCSH Designated Education Program Recorded Modules, build skills, knowledge and critical thinking skills to help you develop educational techniques that can influence a patient’s self-management of their health and well-being.

Aging and neurodegenerative conditions such as Alzheimer’s disease are associated with changes in slow-wave sleep (SWS), slow oscillations (SOs) and spindles, and changes in these sleep features have been associated with impaired memory and cognition. Some recent research indicates that administering noninvasive brain stimulation using transcranial magnetic stimulation and transcranial ultrasound stimulation can enhance SWS, SOs and spindles. These techniques can also improve certain aspects of memory in older adults and in adults with mild cognitive impairment.

While more research and testing are needed to show the correlation between lack of sleep and sports-related concussions (SRCs), as noted in part one of the Sleep and Sports-Related Concussion series, baseline concussion tests on athletes can help identify the effects of post-concussion syndrome and sleep disturbances.

The following is a recap of the California Sleep Society’s 14th annual education symposium.

This article is based on the content provided in the Using Baseline Symptoms of Athlete Sleep to Help Interpret Post-Concussion Recovery presentation provided by Brendan Duffy, RPSGT, RST, CCSH.