On Monday Oct 24, 2022, Project Sleep facilitated the third annual Sleep Advocacy Forum in Washington, DC. This in-person event brought together a diverse group of policy makers and sleep advocates to share updates and discuss areas of common interest.
In the morning, Matthew Horsnell kicked off the event sharing his journey from feeling alone with narcolepsy toward becoming an empowered sleep advocate and community leader.
Sharing my journey with fellow sleep advocates makes the struggles of living with sleep disorders worthwhile. There is no greater honor than representing the sleep community with legislative advocacy.”
– Matt Horsnell, Rising Voices Speaker, Wake Up Narcolepsy Small Groups Facilitator
Next, Dr. Marishka Brown, Director of NIH’s National Center on Sleep Disorder Research (NCSDR) delivered keynote remarks on NIH’s broad commitment to sleep research across all Institutes. Dr. Brown also shared key opportunities for future sleep research innovations.
From here, the Sleep Advocacy Forum‘s educational sessions covered an array of timely topics from medical research to public health and patient care issues. One particularly exciting update came from the American Heart Association’s Government Relations Manager, John Laughner. John shared about the AHA’s recent transition from Life’s Simple 7 to Life’s Essential 8, adding sleep as a key component of heart health.
In the afternoon, a panel of patient advocates shared first-hand experiences living with sleep disorders. The panelists detailed long delays to diagnosis, barriers to care, and patient-centered research priorities. Closing the day, representatives of advocacy organizations shared policy priorities and updates.
Professional Societies Represented:
Advocacy Organizations Represented:
A huge thank you to all those who made the 2022 Sleep Advocacy Forum such a joyful and productive return to in-person sleep advocacy! Special thanks to our sponsors who made this event possible, including: Jazz Pharmaceuticals, Harmony Biosciences, Takeda, Avadel, and Centessa Pharmaceuticals.
While this year’s Sleep Advocacy Forum aimed to foster in-person connections, the past two Sleep Advocacy Forums were virtual, with extensive video content available online to watch.
On Tuesday, Oct. 25th, 2022, representatives of advocacy organizations and professional societies educated Congressional offices on sleep across Capitol Hill. Read more.
Sharing my journey with fellow sleep advocates makes the struggles of living with sleep disorders worthwhile. There is no greater honor than representing the sleep community with legislative advocacy.”
