The year is off to a flying start for the Commonwealth grant program

Find out the latest news on publications, resources and activities on sleep health in primary care.

What's new in the Learning Centre?

Check out the latest offerings in ASA's Learning Centre:

• The ultimate paediatric year in review short course
  This short course was part of Sleep DownUnder 2022 and presents the ultimate paediatric year in review. It includes 6 hours of core paediatric sleep medicine topics, latest updates in these areas as well as refreshing background knowledge. This course is suitable for those working in the field as well as those who wish to learn more about specific areas of paediatric sleep medicine. $75 for members
• Management of less common sleep disorders in general practice: narcolepsy, RLS and REM sleep behaviour 
  This 90-minute webinar recording, offers an introduction to the challenges associated with diagnosing and managing less common sleep disorders in general practice and the importance of working collaboratively with specialist services.  Free for members.
• Sleep in individuals with traumatic brain injury and spinal cord injury
  Sleep is especially impaired in individuals who have a Traumatic Brain Injury or Spinal Cord Injury. However, sleep disorders in both groups are under-recognized, underdiagnosed, and untreated for a substantial majority of patients. This webinar recording, aims to drive an increase in awareness and improve sleep disorder management in these patient populations. Free for members
• Science Communication Skills
  Effective science communication skills can help researchers present complex ideas in simpler ways, improving science accessibility and stakeholder engagement with research. This upcoming, free interactive forum, co-hosted by the Australasian Sleep Association Network of Early career Sleep researchers in Training (NEST) and Monash University’s Rehabilitation, Ageing and Independent Living (RAIL) Research Centre, will focus on how to get your message across, using visual and graphical techniques. Our three experts in science communication will present real-world examples of creating visual abstracts, improving data visualisation and sketchnoting. Free for members

Webinar: Sleep Snapshots from Across the Lifespan: #WorldSleepDay

Presented by speakers from the NZ branch of the Australasian Sleep Association, this webinar will expand on the 2023 World Sleep Day theme “Sleep is essential for health” by taking the theme across the lifespan.

This is to promote and celebrate World Sleep Day 2023. World Sleep Day is an annual celebration of sleep and a call to action on important issues related to sleep. Challenges seen at unique life stages will be presented along with potential solutions to poor sleep health, taking snapshots of evidence from research and clinical practice, and where possible our own NZ-based research and experience. The webinar will cover issues, for example, from the child who has a fear of going to sleep, to the teen whose device use takes precedence over sleep, through to older adults where sleep patterning and disturbances have unique challenges. A discussion will follow to keep the sleep conversations going and promote good sleep health, every day, and especially on #WorldSleepDay. 

Date: Friday 17 March 2023
Time: 12pm- 1pm NZT
          10am-11am NSW, ACT, Tasmania and Victoria
          9am-10am QLD 
          9:30am-10:30am SA
          7am-8am WA

Match with a sleep research leader

Applications are now being accepted for the next class of mentees in the International Sleep Research Training Program (ISRTP). 

ISRTP is a one-year mentorship program that pairs a young or mid-career researcher with an accomplished leader in sleep research. Applications close 31 March 2023.

Call for insomnia and sleep health council nominations

The council recorded a successful year in 2022 with lots of insightful events including seminars, a webinar, and conference symposia. To ensure we have an equally engaging experience in 2023, we need to fill the following roles: 

1. Co-chair
   There is one vacancy in this role. Two co-chairs work together to oversee and coordinate the roles and responsibilities of the Council and its Members to achieve the goals of the Council. 
2. Conference Committee Representative
   One nominee is needed for this role. This individual will represent the ISHC on the Sleep DownUnder 2023 conference committee.

If interested in any of these roles, kindly email Edith Botchway ([email protected]) by Friday 3 March 2023.

• VIC State meeting 5 May 2023 
• SA State meeting 10 May 2023 
• Sleep in Aotearoa 22-23 June 2023 
• Sleep Down Under 8-11 Nov 2023