ESRS Calls for Applications for the First Paediatric Sleep School

The ESRS and the Paediatric Subcommittee are pleased to open applications for the first Paediatric Sleep School to be held at Bertinoro Castle in Italy from 11 – 13 April 2024.

Over the span of two and a half days, the distinguished faculty of international paediatric sleep experts will cover many important aspects of paediatric sleep health, addressing neurophysiology, the ontogeny of sleep in infants, children, and adolescents, as well as best practices for evaluating and treating paediatric sleep disorders. The program will include hands-on sessions with a practical approach to polysomnography, polygraphy, and actigraphy procedures for infants, children, and adolescents. The event is Co-Chaired by Barbara Stražišar, Chair of the Sleep Medicine Committee and Project Manager of the Paediatric Subcommittee together with Lino Nobili and Karen Spruyt. 

The Paediatric Sleep School programme will be highly interactive and aimed at clinicians, researchers and trainees in paediatric sleep, including physicians, nurses and sleep technologists.

Learning Objectives:

• Summarise relevant information in paediatric sleep encompassing physiology, ontogeny, and impact of disturbed sleep on child development.
• Identify and diagnose sleep disorders in infants, children, and adolescents.
• Apply evidence-based treatments for sleep disorders in infants, children, and adolescents.
• Identify challenges and potential avenues for future research in paediatric sleep medicine.

Importantly, faculty members will be present during the entire programme, participate in the group activities, and be available for theoretical and practical discussions, and of course, there will be plenty of time for networking. This level of interaction is invaluable.

The confirmed faculty members and topics that will be discussed are:

• Oliviero Bruni (Italy)
  • Introduction Pediatric Sleep medicine: a key sub-specialty for the pediatrician.
  • Insomnia in children: phenotypes and pharmacological treatment.
• Christine Blume (Switzerland) – Development of circadian and homeostatic sleep regulatory mechanisms.
• Reto Huber (Switzerland) – Sleep, plasticity and neurodevelopment.
• Barbara Stražišar (Slovenia)
  • Ontogeny of Sleep and sleep features from newborn to adolescence.
  • Sleep disorders and general health problems (obesity etc….).
• Karen Spruyt (France)
  • How to evaluate sleep in children – diaries, sleep logs and questionnaires.
  • Paediatric behavioural sleep medicine.
  • Research in paediatric sleep medicine.
• Erna Sif Arnardottir (Iceland)
  • Objective sleep measurements in children (PSG, HSAT and actigraphy).
  • Sleep disordered breathing in children.
• Raffaele Ferri (Italy)
  • How to score sleep in children?
  • Restless sleep in children.
• Lino Nobili (Italy)
  • Parasomnias in children.
  • Sleep deprivation, insomnia and mental health.
• Giuseppe Plazzi (Italy) – Narcolepsy and central hypersomnias in children.
• Fabio Pizza (Italy) – Assessing daytime sleepiness in children.
• Plamen Bokov (France) – OSA treatment in children.
• Silvia Miano (Switzerland) – Sleep and neurodevelopmental disorders.
• Paul Gringas (United Kingdom)
  • Circadian rhythm sleep and wake disorders in children and adolescents.
  • Pharmacological treatment in pediatric sleep disorders, where are we?

Applications are open and the deadline for submissions is Friday 8 December 2023.

For more information on who can apply, how to apply and funding opportunities, please visit our Paediatric Sleep School (PSS) page in the Apply button below.