The science of sleep, and how to get people to do it better, is getting attention from policymakers to researchers who are trying to understand how sleep impacts performance and health, reports VUMC Reporter.

Questions abound about how sleep can be used in personalized treatment, how it links to Alzheimer’s, and how to use techniques like cognitive behavioral therapy to help people sleep better, said Beth Malow, MD, MS, Burry Professor of Cognitive Childhood Development, professor of Neurology and Pediatrics and director, Vanderbilt Sleep Disorders Division at Vanderbilt University Medical Center.

“Sleep is involved in so many aspects of health and quality of life these days. It’s a very exciting time because it’s spanning health care, research and public policy. For example, policy makers are becoming interested in areas linked to sleep such as school start times because that can play a major role in teen health and education — even driving safety,” said Malow, who was named Tennessee’s Best Sleep Doctor by Reader’s Digest.