On Monday, November 3, 2025, Project Sleep facilitated the sixth annual Sleep Advocacy Forum in Washington, DC. This in-person event brought together a diverse group of policy makers and sleep community leaders to share updates and discuss areas of common interest. This year’s forum was centered around sleep as a public health priority.
This year’s forum featured powerful patient perspectives, sleep research updates, a discussion on sleep apnea patient care, and the naming of the 2025 Sleep Advocacy Champion.
During Project Sleep’s sixth annual Sleep Advocacy Forum, patient advocate Stephanie Manuli, MPH, was named the Sleep Advocacy Champion of 2025. The Sleep Advocacy Champion Award annually recognizes an individual who has worked to elevate the voice of sleep through federal and grassroots advocacy and public discourse. Starting in 2023 with the inaugural awardee, Matt Horsnell, Stephanie is the third recipient of this award.
Stephanie’s involvement with Project Sleep began in 2019 when she became a patient speaker with Project Sleep’s Rising Voices program. Since then, Stephanie has become well-involved with Project Sleep’s advocacy efforts in Washington, D.C. Stephanie attended both the 2023 Sleep Advocacy Forum and White House Sleep Equity Convening, and the 2024 Sleep Advocacy Forum. In January 2024, she became a Board of Directors Member of Project Sleep. Stephanie also worked with Project Sleep throughout 2025 to analyze and present Project Sleep’s data on sleep in the LGBTQ+ community as her Master of Public Health thesis. She has presented this data at two major sleep conferences, World Sleep 2025 in Singapore and SLEEP 2025 in Seattle, WA.
Sleep Advocacy Champions are trailblazers and community leaders who lead by example and embody Project Sleep’s commitment to making progress for sleep health, sleep equity, and sleep disorders. “Over the years, we’ve watched Stephanie Manuli, MPH grow into an extraordinary community leader, forging a vital new path at the intersection of sleep and public health,” said Julie Flygare, President & CEO of Project Sleep. “From championing Project Sleep’s analysis of LGBTQ+ sleep health data to serving as an inspiring board member and role model for young people with sleep disorders, Stephanie embodies the spirit of this award.”
I’ve learned that even when you don’t see immediate change, your effects are creating ripples. Every conversation and every story shared, it really all adds up.”
– Stephanie Manuli, MPH, Patient Advocate & Sleep Advocacy Champion Awardee
Alternative Dispute Resolution Manager and an explorer of many passions, Taya Austin, opened the forum by sharing her compelling story of being diagnosed with idiopathic hypersomnia at age 41 after decades of symptoms. As a speaker with Project Sleep’s Rising Voices program, Taya shares her 20+ year journey to diagnosis to shine a light on the need for public awareness of sleep disorders and sleep-related health disparities affecting underrepresented communities.
My [goal] is to raise awareness. To use my public speaking not just for equal employment opportunity, but for opportunities like this, to advocate and educate people on sleep.”
-Taya Austin, Rising Voices Speaker
Next, Eleanor DeHoney, Senior Vice President of Policy and Advocacy at the nonpartisan, nonprofit advocacy alliance, Research!America, delivered a keynote presentation on advancing research funding and navigating today’s federal landscape.
Eleanor emphasized the importance of advocacy work throughout her presentation and shared, “It is really heartening to be here with you all and to hear about your advocacy work.” She also acknowledged the difficulty at which it is to navigate this space, saying, “There is A LOT going on when it comes to policy, research, and advocacy,” while a shark-nado gif played on the projection screen next to her.
Project Sleep’s Sleep Apnea Program Manager, Emma Cooksey, led a discussion on a diagnosis and coverage determinations issue for obstructive sleep apnea that disproportionately affects women. Emma shared her perspective as a patient and public sleep apnea advocate and also broke down the science and history of it all. Learn more about this issue and take action to modernize sleep apnea coverage at CMS.
This has been one of the things over the years where there is really nothing to do to help these [women]. We just need to change the rule.”
–Emma Cooksey, Sleep Apnea Program Manager, Project Sleep
After lunch, the forum continued with an important and insightful Patient-Providers Perspectives Panel that featured four providers who are also patients and advocates in the community. These panelists included Dr. Jennifer Talbert, a chiropractor living with sleep apnea; Kenya Gradnigo, a social worker living with narcolepsy; Dr. Lindsay McCullough, a sleep physician living with narcolepsy; and Dr. Christopher Allen, a sleep physician living with sleep apnea.
Each panelist shared a bit about themselves, their diagnosis journeys, and how they manage symptoms in their roles and discussed how providers in varying fields can facilitate better care for their patients.
Meeting [patients] where they are, really talking with them, and teaching them how to advocate goes a long way.”
-Kenya Gradnigo, social worker living with narcolepsy
The 2025 Sleep Advocacy Forum closed out with a presentation from Dr. Michael Grandner on Sleep as a Health Priority. Dr. Grandner shared his journey and work to get sleep added as the American Heart Association’s eighth determinant of heart health, updating “Life’s Simple 7” to “Life’s Essential 8.”
I think the culture is shifting in the public and I think it has to do with the talking we are doing. I think the field is moving from just sleep medicine into sleep health…touching policy, practice, education, and all of these things.”
– Dr. Michael Grandner, Ph.D.
Advocacy Organizations Represented:
Federal Speakers Acknowledged:
2025 Public Policy Leadership Awards:
A huge thank you to all those who made the 2025 Sleep Advocacy Forum such a wonderful meeting! Special thanks to our sponsors who made this event possible, including Jazz Pharmaceuticals, Avadel, Harmony Biosciences, Takeda, Centessa Pharmaceuticals, Eisai, Apnimed, Resmed, Lilly, and Axsome.
While this year’s Sleep Advocacy Forum aimed to foster in-person connections, the 2020 and 2021 Sleep Advocacy Forums were virtual, with extensive video content available online to watch.
Thank you to everyone who attended our sixth annual Sleep Advocacy Forum to advocate for sleep health, sleep equity, and sleep disorders! The day following the forum, Project Sleep returned to Capitol Hill to raise awareness of sleep with policy makers. Learn more about the 2025 Hill Day.
My [goal] is to raise awareness. To use my public speaking not just for equal employment opportunity, but for opportunities like this, to advocate and educate people on sleep.”
