While You Were Sleeping: What Sleep Technologists Need to Know This Week

Your media watchdog for headlines and trends
relevant to sleep technology and patient education.

PANDEMIC QUICK LINKS

• UC Berkeley team creates respiratory devices from sleep apnea machines
  BERKELEY NEWS  || July 7, 2020
• COVID workplace suits increase: Report
  BUSINESS INSURANCE  || July 7, 2020
• Rhythm and Blues: Sleep and circadian rhythms during the COVID-19 lockdown
  PSYCHOLOGY TODAY  || July 7, 2020
• Think pink: Getting a good night's sleep in difficult times
  PENN STATE NEWS  || July 6, 2020

For the latest information, please check the following resources :

• Updated: Sleep-Related COVID-19 Resources
  AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF SLEEP TECHNOLOGISTS || July 14, 2020
• The Post-Pandemic Sleep Lab
  YALE SCHOOL OF MEDICINE  || April 29, 2020
• Reopening of Sleep Centers/Clinics: Sleep Technologist Considerations
  AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF SLEEP TECHNOLOGISTS || June 5, 2020
• COVID-19 (Coronavirus) and Sleep Centers: Risks, Precautions, and Recommendations
  AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF SLEEP TECHNOLOGISTS || March 25, 2020
• COVID-19 mitigation strategies for sleep clinics and sleep centers – REOPENING
  AMERICAN ACADEMY OF SLEEP MEDICINE || April 27, 2020
• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19)
• World Health Organization Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak

ADVOCACY WATCH

Sleep leadership in the army: A group randomized trial
SLEEP HEALTH
July 8, 2020

From the research study summary: “[A] simple training intervention targeting leaders may be able to shift sleep health and the cultural perspective on sleep across an organization.”

Takeaway: The military is just one of many organizations and institutions which could benefit from more sleep health training to improve performance and long-term health among its members. 

CULTURE WATCH

The Long-Term Solutions to Pediatric Sleep Apnea Are Changing
SLEEP REVIEW
July 8, 2020

From the article: “Evidence suggests that adenoid-tonsillectomy is beneficial in the management of pediatric obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) in the short term, but less successful in the long term. The putative cause for this refractory recidivism, and pediatric OSA in general, remains obesity.”

Takeaway: It's refreshing to see sleep apnea actively discussed within the context of pediatrics. If we can stop it in childhood, we can expect to have a lot of healthier adults in our general population in the future.

TREND WATCH

Observed link between sleep apnea and CKD risk may be due to obesity
NEPHROLOGY NEWS & ISSUES
July 7, 2020

From the website: “Although study results showed severe obstructive sleep apnea was associated with increased risk for incident chronic kidney disease, the risk was attenuated and no longer statistically significant after adjusting for obesity.”

Takeaway: This is an important clarification, as CKD has been connected a lot recently in discussions among sleep researchers. Obesity continues to be the underlying problem here, it appears, just as it is for other chronic illnesses also connected to OSA, such as diabetes.

INDUSTRY WATCH

Medicare finalizes LCD policies for hypoglossal nerve stimulation for sleep apnea
AMERICAN ACADEMY OF SLEEP MEDICINE
July 6, 2020

From the website: “Medicare has finalized and posted local coverage determination (LCD) policies on 'Hypoglossal Nerve Stimulation for the Treatment of Obstructive Sleep Apnea.'”

Takeaway: Time for sleep clinics to update policies and protocols and synchronize with the billing department. 

TECHNOLOGY WATCH

Researchers receive $3.6M grant to continuously monitor blood pressure during sleep
TEXAS A & M UNIVERSITY ENGINEERING
July 6, 2020

From the article: “While one in three American adults has high blood pressure, about 20% of people are unaware that they have it because it is largely symptomless. Researchers at Texas A&M University hope to help remedy this with a wrist-worn system that monitors blood pressure during sleep.”

Takeaway: Great idea! If you've ever had to wear a BP monitor overnight in the hospital, you can attest to how disruptive it can be to sleep. This could be a fantastic solution to a widespread problem.  

PHARMA WATCH

Avadel Sells Off Sterile Injectable Drug Portfolio to Focus on Investigational Narcolepsy Drug Formulation
SLEEP REVIEW
July 8, 2020

From the article: “'The sale of the sterile injectable drug portfolio is a significant milestone for the company, as it further reflects our commitment to strategically focus on advancing FT218 through the regulatory review process and, if approved, bringing our once-nightly formulation of sodium oxybate to patients,' says Greg Divis, chief executive officer of Avadel, in a release.”

Takeaway: Sodium oxybate is a major narcolepsy treatment; its once-nightly dosage is a boon for many dealing with this life-altering sleep disorder.

SLEEP HYGIENE WATCH

Can Nightmares Kill You? No, But They Could Hurt Your Health
TEEN VOGUE
July 9, 2020

From the series intro: “Dream Diary is a series exploring dreams, nightmares, and what happens when they bleed into real life. Here, we debunk the rumor that nightmares can kill.”

Takeaway: Whodathunk Teen Vogue would be a reliable resource, and yet here's a great series that shows they can be capable of good healthcare reporting.

LEGAL WATCH

Ocala homeless fined, jailed: nowhere to sleep legally
HURON DAILY TRIBUNE
July 11, 2020

From the article: “Coleman wanted to figure out how she could help Bertramsen and the 600 or so homeless people who live in Ocala and surrounding Marion County. The city has adopted harsh policing policies and earned notoriety for the way it criminalizes homelessness. …The National Law Center on Homelessness and Poverty examined laws in America that punish people without a home and named Ocala in its 'Hall of Shame' for enacting what it called 'draconian' methods. The city is now facing a federal lawsuit that alleges Ocala’s policies are not only discriminatory but unconstitutional.”

Takeaway: The right to sleep continues to be a battleground for civil and human rights for the homeless.

BIO:  AAST blog columnist Tamara Sellman RPSGT, CCSH curates the sleep health information clearinghouse, SleepyHeadCENTRAL, where she follows sleep health news headlines daily. She is also an independent sleep health journalist, writes sleep-related columns for two chronic illness patient advocacy publishers, and contributes the Journal Club continued education presentations for the AAST. She can be reached at sleepyheadcentral@gmail.com.