Description: Sleep is increasingly recognized as a crucial determinant of physical and mental health. Leading health organizations, such as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the World Health Organization, acknowledge that sleep is one of the three pillars of health along with nutrition and physical activity. Some believe that sleep is as essential for survival as water and air. Yet, most adults in the US experience poor sleep.
This course takes a multidisciplinary approach to examine sleep health, integrating perspectives from biology, clinical practice, and population health. Topics include the neurobiology of sleep, epidemiology of sleep disturbances and their impact on chronic disease and societal well-being, screening and diagnostic tools for common sleep disorders, and the cultural, environmental, and socioeconomic factors influencing sleep.
Learning Objectives: Students taking this course are expected to:
1) Understand the biological, behavioral, and social perspectives of sleep health
2) Describe practices of good sleep hygiene and strategies to improve sleep habits
3) Learn about the major sleep disorders – screening, evaluation and treatment
4) Develop the ability to critically assess current epidemiologic sleep research
