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Introduction:
COVID and Sleep

In April 2020, the Sleep Foundation released sleep guidelines to address the growing COVID-19 pandemic. As multiple nations began to institute a variety of lockdowns and closures, millions of people had the rhythms of their daily lives disrupted.

 

Traditional extrinsic markers of time — such as set times for work, school, or other activities — began to erode, and with it, so did the boundaries of when we should sleep and wake-up.

 

The stress and isolation of the pandemic also gave way to increased rates of depression and anxiety, an increase in screen time, and as a result, an overall decrease in the sleep quality of the population.

Image for COVID-19 and Sleep Roundtable
Who Did We Do It With?
Why Did We Do This?

The United States is nearing one year since its first full-scale lockdowns, and with it, the profound disruption of daily life.

We checked in with four sleep experts on what trends they’ve seen in sleep health in their clinics and in studies over the past year. We wanted to gain a better understanding of how they’ve seen their patients cope with the duration of the pandemic, what issues have presented in their clinics, and how the pandemic has created new opportunities for practicing medicine and seeing patients.

Who Did We Do It With?
What Did We Do?

On January 29, 2021, the Chairman and Strategic Advisor of Sleep Foundation, David Cloud, gathered four sleep experts to hold a roundtable conversation. The two-hour conversation occurred over Zoom, and the pages below feature their individual responses in the form of a Q&A. Each transcript has been lightly edited for clarity and concision.
 
Click here to watch the full COVID-19 and Sleep Roundtable Video

author

Written By

Tom Ryan

Who Did We Do It With?
author

Written By

Tom Ryan

David Cloud
David Cloud
Featured Moderator
David Cloud
Featured Moderator
David Cloud
David Cloud is a strategic advisor to sleep technology companies and organizations. For 13 years he served as the National Sleep Foundation CEO developing its award-winning websites, guidelines (e.g. sleep duration recommendations) as well as the introduction of sleep technology and testing standards. Prior to NSF, Mr. Cloud owned a private company in Boston that served academic surgical associations. A Chicago native where he earned his MBA, he began his career with the American Medical Association engaged in strategic planning and advocacy. Read More
A Conversation With Dr. Brian Abaluck
A Conversation With Dr. Brian Abaluck
Guest Expert
Dr. Brian Abaluck, MD
Guest Expert
Dr. Brian Abaluck, MD
Dr. Brian Abaluck earned his B.S. in Molecular Biology from Yale University and his M.D. from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. He completed a residency in neurology at the University of Michigan and a fellowship in sleep medicine at Harvard Medical School. His practice in Malvern, Pennsylvania, cares for patients with sleep disorders and connects these patients to trials of novel medicines and devices. Read More
A Conversation With Dr. Helene Emsellem
A Conversation With Dr. Helene Emsellem
Guest Expert
Dr. Helene A. Emsellem, MD
Guest Expert
Dr. Helene A. Emsellem, MD
Helene A. Emsellem, MD, is the Director of The Center of Sleep & Wake Disorders in Chevy Chase, Maryland, and a Clinical Professor of Neurology at George Washington University. She enjoys all aspects of sleep medicine, including direct patient care, research into new agents and devices for the management of sleep disorders, teaching, and public advocacy about the importance of sleep. Dr. Emsellem wrote the book Snooze… or Lose! Ten No-War Ways to Improve Your Teen’s Sleep Habits to help teens and parents understand the unique aspects of adolescent sleep. Read More
A Conversation With Dr. Geneviève Forest
A Conversation With Dr. Geneviève Forest
Guest Expert
Dr. Geneviève Forest, Ph.D
Guest Expert
Dr. Geneviève Forest, Ph.D
Dr. Geneviève Forest earned a Ph.D. in Neuropsychology from Université de Montréal in 2001 and completed postdoctoral studies in sleep and chronobiology at the University of Ottawa, both in Canada. Dr. Forest has been a full professor in the Department of Psychoeducation and Psychology at the Université du Québec in Outaouais since 2004. Her main research interests focus on the role of sleep in psychological, emotional, and cognitive functions, as well as the impact of sleep deprivation on these functions. Read More
A Conversation With Dr. Michael Thorpy
A Conversation With Dr. Michael Thorpy
Guest Expert
Dr. Michael Thorpy, MD
Guest Expert
Dr. Michael Thorpy, MD
Dr. Thorpy is a Professor of Neurology at Albert Einstein College of Medicine and Director of the Sleep-Wake Disorders Center in the Department of Neurology at Montefiore Medical Center, both in New York. In addition to treating patients with sleep disorders, he conducts research in narcolepsy, insomnia, and sleep apnea. Born in New Zealand, Dr. Thorpy earned his medical degree from the University of Otago Medical School. After receiving postgraduate training in Dunedin, New Zealand; Bombay, India; and London, England, he completed his residency in neurology at the State University of New York in Syracuse and a neuroendocrinology fellowship at Albert Einstein College of Medicine and Montefiore Medical Center. Dr. Thorpy is board certified in sleep disorders medicine. Read More

Watch the Full Roundtable Discussion

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