World Sleep Forum: the Seventh Think Tank at USI

On 1 and 2 October 2024, Università della Svizzera italiana (USI) hosted the World Sleep Forum: seventh Think Tank, a key event to address the challenges related to sleep health and associated disorders. The Think Tank, organised by the European Sleep Foundation (ESF) and led by Prof. Claudio L. A. Bassetti, its founder and president, brought together numerous international experts in an interdisciplinary format. The forum provided a vital platform for fostering collaboration and outlining new strategies that could significantly improve global sleep health.

The event's main objective was to explore and deepen the importance of sleep health, identifying future sleep-related challenges and strategies to manage sleep disorders, with a public health perspective, the social and health costs associated with these issues, and the efficiency of healthcare systems.

Four workshops were offered during the two days; the first, titled "Epidemiology of Sleep Disorders", and coordinated by Saverio Stranges, Evelina Pajediene and Luca Vignatelli, focused on the prevalence and incidence of sleep disorders globally. This workshop focused on the distribution of sleep disorders within the population, highlighting key risk factors and epidemiological trends. Participants also discussed the limitations of the current data and emphasised the need for future research to gain a clearer understanding of the prevalence of these disorders.

In the second workshop, "Impact of Sleep Disorders: Disability, Morbidity and Mortality", coordinated by Winfried Randerath, Alexander Datta and Livia De Picker, the impact of sleep disorders on quality of life, including disability, morbidity and mortality, was discussed. The long-term effects of sleep disorders on physical and mental health were examined, with a focus on patient-reported outcomes, to better understand their influence on daily life and overall health results.

The third workshop, titled "Sleep Health and Sleep Capital" and coordinated by Albrecht Vorster, Joke Jaarsma and Patricio Peirano, addressed the topic of sleep health in the physical, mental and social domains. The experts examined how sleep affects overall well-being, including brain functioning, occupational productivity and social relationships. The discussion covered the concept of "sleep capital", i.e. the value of sleep as an essential resource for health and social functioning and strategies to promote healthy sleep within society.

The fourth and final workshop, "Costs of Sleep Disorders and their Management", coordinated by Richard Dodel, Diego Andrés Golombek and Poul Jennum, focused on the economic and social costs of sleep disorders and how to manage them. This session highlighted the financial impact of sleep disorders on healthcare systems and national economies, as well as individual costs for patients. Participants discussed possible interventions to improve the management and treatment of these disorders, thereby reducing the financial burden on society.

As a result of the 7th Think Tank, the 36 participants from all over the world developed guidelines for future research and health policy-making. The general recommendations, which cover different aspects, include promoting awareness of sleep health as a fundamental part of public well-being; improving the collection and analysis of epidemiological data to better understand the incidence of sleep disorders and planning targeted interventions; and reducing costs and improving access to treatment for sleep disorders through integrated approaches between the fields of mental health, occupational medicine and public policy.