Medical Seminars

The importance of sleep has been often overlooked in the medical community in the past. But it's becoming increasingly apparent that good sleep is critical for our physical and mental health. Educational seminars can be delivered to healthcare and allied professionals at their place of work in groups of any size. Duration and exact content of an educational event can be agreed individually depending on the professional interest and could be tailored for the specific event.

Sleep as a crucial foundation of health

Sleep is not the simple suspension of activity. Instead, sleep...

Identifying sleep disorders in primary care

Sleep disorders are highly prevalent in general populations...

Prescribing for sleep problems

There are many different types of pharmacological aids for....

Sleep in ADHD

CNS centers and neurotransmitter pathways which involved...

Dealing with Insomnia

Insomnia is the most common sleep disorder. Chronic insomnia...

Sleep and Depression

Medicine of sleep disorders and psychiatry are related...

Sleep as a crucial foundation of health.

Information:
Sleep is not the simple suspension of activity. Instead, sleep is an active complex physiological state with highly organized pattern of brain activities. During sleep our bodies are engaged in a multitude of important housekeeping functions to repair the damage and to reestablish optimal waking performance.

Objectives:
Why do we need to sleep?
How much sleep is enough?
Core functions of sleep.
Consequences of an accumulated sleep debt.
Sleep cycles.
Homeostatic and circadian mechanisms of sleep control.

1 hour

Identifying sleep disorders in primary care.

Information:
Sleep disorders are highly prevalent in general populations. Patients with sleep disorders are rarely present with overt sleep complaints. They more commonly complains of fatigue, excessive sleepiness, and impaired waking function. Untreated sleep disorders are commonly associated with poor mental, cognitive and motor functions and can negatively impact a patient's quality of life. Therefore, clinicians must be able to ask relevant sleep-related questions in order to evaluate their patients for common sleep disorders.

Objectives:
Basic sleep science.
Leading theories of sleep functions.
How is sleep regulated through the interaction of homeostatic and circadian processes?
Different types of sleep disorders.
Common sleep disorders: insomnia, sleep apnoea, restless legs syndrome.
How to recognise sleep disorders in primary care.
Help available for people with sleep disorders.

Various seminars are available between 1 hour (brief introduction) and 4 hour training course (with use of assessment scales).

Sleep and Depression.

Information:
Medicine of sleep disorders and psychiatry are related in numerous ways. Sleep problems affect outcomes for patients with depression. Depressed patients who continue to experience insomnia are less likely to respond to treatment than those without sleep problems. Insomnia can affect more than 90% of the patients with clinical depression. Treatment of sleep disorders can improve treatment outcomes for major depressive episodes.

Objectives:
Relationship between sleep and psychiatric states.
Subjective sleep disturbances in depression
Objective sleep disturbances in depression.
What are common sleep disorders are seeing in depression.
Insomnia and depression.
Sleep apnoea in clinical depression.
Restless legs syndrome in depression.

1 hour

Sleep in ADHD.

Information:
CNS centers and neurotransmitter pathways which involved in regulation of attention and arousal are also implicated in mechanisms of sleep regulation. Sleep disturbances are very common in children and adults with. ADHD and sleep problems are bidirectional and mutually exacerbating conditions both of which warrant independent clinical attention.

Objectives:
Primary sleep disorders causing ADHD-type behaviours.
Prevalence of mild to severe sleep problems in ADHD.
Subjective sleep problems reported by children and adults with ADHD.
Assessment of sleep difficulties in ADHD.
Management of sleep disorders in ADHD.
Effect of methylphenidate based medication on sleep.
Role of melatonin in ADHD.

1 hour

Dealing with Insomnia.

Information:
Insomnia is the most common sleep disorder. Chronic insomnia is reported to affect up to 10% of the general populations. Insomnia causes much distress to sufferers and is associated with low quality of life, a high level of absenteeism from work and physical and mental illness. In the treatment of long–term insomnia, the most important factor to be addresses is anxiety and fear about the experience and maladaptive behavioural routines leading to a vicious insomnia cycle.

Objectives:
Psychoeducation for insomnia.
Cycles of insomnia.
Behavioural interventions for insomnia.
Cognitive interventions for insomnia.
Pharmacological treatment of insomnia.
Therapy adaptation for patients with comorbid medical and psychiatric conditions.

Various seminars are available between 1 hour (brief introduction) and a full day training (with application of CBT principles in clinical practice).

Prescribing for sleep problems.

Information:
There are many different types of pharmacological aids for sleep difficulties, including over-the-counter (non-prescription) and prescription medications. Determining whether medication is indicated and which medication may be right for the patient in not always an easy decision. This seminar is recommended for clinicians who prescribe sleeping aids for their patients.

Objectives:
Types of medications for sleep problems.
Effect of psychotropic medication on sleep.
When to prescribe?
When not to prescribe?
How to choose a medication for sleep problems?
How to stop hypnotics?
What are the indications for Melatonin.
Cannabis and sleep.