“Sleep health is in the news at least twice a year when we adjust our clocks for daylight saving time, but in actuality it’s a year-round health concern,” says Grace Denault, instructor for the University of Delaware’s Essentials of Clinical Sleep Health and Education online course and sleep educator at the Academy of Sleep and Wellness.

An estimated 50-70 million Americans suffer from sleep disorders such as insomnia or sleep apnea. Costs related to diagnosis and treatment of sleep disorders are estimated in the billions of dollars, with additional impacts stemming from accidents, lost work, and related medical conditions like cardiovascular disease, diabetes, COPD and mental illness.

Recently, the field garnered even more attention when the 2017 Nobel prize in physiology or medicine was awarded to researchers for their work on circadian rhythms, which affect sleep patterns.

UD’s Essentials of Clinical Sleep Health and Education online course focuses on the field of treating sleep disorders by introducing healthcare professionals to the specialty of sleep medicine and preparing them to serve as clinical sleep educators. The seven-week, totally-online course begins April 9.

The role of clinical sleep educator is important in the treatment of sleep problems. These educators help patients understand how their sleep conditions develop and progress, how the controllable risk factors affect their health, the signs and symptoms of disease progression, and the role of prescribed therapy and medications.

“Employment opportunities for clinical sleep educators exist beyond the traditional sleep center and may include occupational health, mental health, pulmonary, neurology, primary care, pediatrics, geriatrics, home medical equipment companies, OB/GYN and school nursing,” says Denault.

While Essentials of Clinical Sleep Health and Education is primarily intended for healthcare professionals like nurses, doctors, physician assistants, mental health professionals, respiratory therapists and dentists, it is beneficial to anyone wishing to learn more about sleep medicine. Professionals in any of these areas are likely to have patients with comorbid sleep disorders and would benefit from education in sleep medicine, adds Denault.

Course participants learn about aspects of normal and abnormal sleep, clinical evaluation, and testing and treatment of sleep disorders. Patient and family communication and education are important components of the curriculum. Participants complete the course at their own pace within seven weeks. Online learning components include discussion boards, case presentations, quizzes, and a final quiz.

The course is also designed to help participants prepare for the Board of Registered Polysomnographic Technologists (BRPT) Certificate in Clinical Sleep Health (CCSH) exam.

Continuing education credits are awarded for program completion and may be applicable to professionals in a variety of fields. They include Continuing Medical Education (CME) credits for physicians, nursing contact hours, Continuing Respiratory Care Education (CRCE) credits, and Continuing Education Credits (CECs) through the American Association of Sleep Technologists.

Essentials of Clinical Sleep Health and Education is offered through a partnership between the University of Delaware’s Division of Professional and Continuing Studies and the Academy of Sleep and Wellness, affiliated with Delaware Sleep Disorder Centers.

For more information, visit http://www.pcs.udel.edu/clinical-sleep-health, call 302-831-7600 or write to continuing-ed@udel.edu.