President’s Blog – July 2021

Greetings Colleagues,

Summer is finally here, and the Society of Behavioral Sleep Medicine’s 3^rd annual scientific conference takes place in Nashville in just over two months – September 16^th -19^th!  Be sure to register by August 28^th to take advantage of the early bird discount. Much has happened since our very successful virtual conference last year.  This year’s program committee, led by Dr. Eric Zhou, has prepared an incredible line up of invited speaker presentations, symposia, workshops, and poster presentations covering a variety of behavioral sleep medicine topics.  A unique feature of this year’s conference is the inclusion of two virtual conferences – one from Europe & Asia and another from Australia/New Zealand/Oceana.  Registration for the conference in Nashville includes access to both of these virtual conferences.  I encourage you to take part in these conferences as they provide unique opportunities for learning about cutting edge science, clinical practice, and advocacy in behavioral sleep medicine.  Thank you to Dr. Zhou and all of the other members of our hardworking Program Committee! Keep checking the Society of Behavioral Sleep Medicine website, behavioralsleep.org for the latest conference updates! 

This past year has seen the SBSM rapidly respond to the global COVID-19 pandemic through the continued efforts of our COVID-19 task force originally formed during my predecessor, Dr. Don Townsend’s presidential term. As the world has continued to wage war against COVID-19, the pandemic has continued to impact each of us on a more local level, disrupting our lives both personally and professionally.  The SBSM through our COVID-19 task force, led by Dr. Chuck Crew has been at the forefront of promoting the importance of sleep as a foundational health behavior and providing key education regarding the behavioral approaches that can improve sleep and support healthy immune functioning and better coping with anxiety, stress, and depression.  Thank you to Dr. Crew and all of the other members of the task force!

This past year has also seen the Society of Behavioral Sleep Medicine’s continued focus on the public health crisis that sleep health disparities represent and the urgent need for more research in that area as reflected in the establishment of our diversity and inclusivity committee lead by Dr. Fiona Barwick in collaboration with the Science and Research Committee. That group met for a planning and brainstorming session at the end of last year’s scientific conference. That session resulted in multiple short-, mid- and long-term goals intended to address sleep health disparities from multiple angles from training to public education to clinical services to research. One of this committee’s initial activities was a membership survey intended to provide greater understanding of the diversity within our own membership. I am interested to see the additional initiatives this group pursues as they unfold!  Thank you to Dr. Barwick and all of the other members of this new committee!

At the beginning of my presidency, I established several work groups to address key issues facing our field and the SBSM, namely digital therapeutics, better understanding of behavioral sleep medicine providers, and societal position papers.  I am happy to report those work groups have made significant progress. One group, led by Dr. Don Townsend, has developed educational materials and societal policy related to digital therapeutics. Another group, led by Dr. Don Townsend has developed a societal survey plan.  Please be on the lookout for this group’s new member survey!  Your responses will help us to learn more about the provision of behavioral sleep medicine (Who is providing such services, what disciplines do they represent, and what settings are they practicing in?). Last but not least, a third group, led by Drs Crew and Grander, have developed of a societal plan for position papers and is in preparing to put out the call for our first position paper on digital therapeutics. Keep an eye out for that call!  Also, please share with us other important topics you would like to see the society address.  Our goal is for the SBSM to produce position papers that reflect current and cutting-edge topics in behavioral sleep science and practice. Thank you to the leaders and other members of these work groups!

These are just a few of the highlights of all of the work that has been going on behind the scenes at the SBSM over the past year.  I am looking forward to sharing more of the SBSM’s accomplishments at our annual scientific meeting this fall!  Likewise, I look forward to recognizing the important contributions of our members through our newly expanded award offerings. We will continue to offer our research focused awards for early and late career contributions and have added a new award to recognize the contributions of our mid-career scientists. We have also added 12 new awards that recognize a greater range of member activities and accomplishments that help to promote the field of behavioral sleep medicine, including clinical practice awards that recognize innovation, altruistic delivery, and contributions toward equity, diversity, and equality in the delivery of behavioral sleep medicine services. New awards also recognize advocacy by early, mid, and late career members and provide additional recognition of student scholarly activities from early, mid, and late-stage trainees.  I look forward to meeting our award winners and presenting these awards at the scientific conference this fall on September 16, 2021.  A luncheon will be served immediately following the awards recognition ceremony and will give conference attendees the opportunity to personally congratulate and interact with our award winners!

Finally, I wanted to comment on how impressed I have been with our committee and task force members.  I am not able to recognize everyone here, instead have focused on some illustrative examples.  All of our committee and task force members have been unwavering in their dedication and commitment to promoting our societal mission and pursuing multiple new and exciting initiatives this past year.  Kudos to each and every one of you for your service!  Despite the many challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, you continued to attend meetings (many, many….oh so many Zoom meetings!) and to produce new behavioral medicine education content, accredit training programs, promote behavioral sleep medicine science and clinical practice, etc.  Your work on behalf of the society is greatly appreciated!  Also, I wanted to give a special thank you to Kathryn Hansen, our Executive Director, for coordinating all of those Zoom meetings and helping to ensure the business of the society continued to run smoothly despite the ‘pandemic’ chaos of the past year.

Hope to see you in Nashville this fall!

Christina

PS - If you are not currently a member of a committee, I hope you will consider joining one in the future.  It is a great way to serve the society and field of behavioral sleep medicine.  It is also fun and provides opportunities to work closely with your fellow behavioral sleep medicine colleagues.

President's Blog - JULY 2020

Greetings Colleagues,

I feel extremely fortunate to be able to address my colleagues in the SBSM during this tumultuous moment in time that overshadows our standard daily duties. This year, 2020, will be historic, but individually and as a society we have the capacity to alter the tone as it is viewed in the future. The nature of the SBSM and our members has never been to yield to pressure, rather than face challenges with innovative solutions.

This past month has been punctuated by events that have brought to the surface an underlying racial disparity based on centuries of oppression. The SBSM is a community that values diversity in every aspect of our society. As such we stand with our African American members and the broader minority community to condemn racism and intolerance in every form. I encourage each member to find their unique way to support those individuals who are out protesting for justice for all.

The SBSM transformed during this challenging year. We have risen to the challenge of COVID-19 with adaptation and novel solutions. This continues as the Scientific Program Committee finalizes plans to host an entirely inventive and unique conference this fall. Rather than discouragement, the committee looked at the constraints that many of us face and put forth a concept for a unique conference that will pave the way for future innovations as well. Each committee has responded to new challenges with enthusiasm and creativity.

The SBSM has been involved with several projects currently underway and at various levels of completion. The Clinical Practice Committee has recommended that the SBSM endorse several position papers developed by other organizations including the AASM. We have endorsed the AASM recommendation to end Daylight Savings Time. The Board of Directors has responded to the request for comments with commentary on the new position paper on psychological and behavioral treatments for insomnia. A presidential task force is also nearing completion of a response to a recent FDA endorsement of a new digital CBT-I platform. These projects and more are detailed on our website.

We have choices to make during the remainder of the year. We might be fearful regarding recent events and wonder where our country will be by the end of the year. But we also decide how to reframe this year to move forward in creative ways, forever changing the status quo.

Sincerely,

Don Townsend, PhD, DBSM
President, SBSM

President's Blog - APRIL 2020

Greetings Colleagues,

As we enter 2020, I personally can’t remember a time of such optimism within the society.  Coming on the heels of a record setting 2019, it’s easy to feel that there are no boundaries for the organization.  This optimism is clearly shared by our committee chairs who have laid out exciting and ambitious goals for 2020.  Here is a brief overview of committee goals for the coming year:

Membership Committee has completed redesigning a new look for the SBSM newsletter.  A strong focus of the year is on retaining current members while continuing record setting pace of new member recruitment

Outreach and Public Education Committee (OPEC)  has posted their first blog ‘Mind, Body, Sleep’ on the home page of the SBSM website which has launched a focus on sharing of information about BSM with the intent to increase knowledge and influence for the BSM community and the public using social media connections.

Clinical Practice Committee has created a calendar of webinars embracing cutting edge issues relevant to our society as well as to a broader audience. They are also collaborating with the Education Committee to develop tools and valuable resources for clinicians.

Education Committee is working hard to determine what type of resources they can assemble that can be of the most help to both new and veteran BSM practitioners, and making these available to members.

Science and Research Committee is writing an article on diversity in BSM, as well as planning webinars geared toward the BSM researchers.

Accreditation Committee continues to review applications for the SBSM accreditation of their training program to insure a high level of rigor for BSM training programs both nationwide and throughout the world.

The highlight of the year, without a doubt, will be the 2^nd SBSM Scientific Conference on November 4-8, 2020.  Many are enthusiastic about a trip to the Opryland in Nashville for the conference.  Dr. Eric Zhou, program chair, and the Scientific Program Committee are in the process of assembling another thought provoking and star-studded speaker panel that will generate a buzz of discussion and culminate in November.  This is the perfect segue into our Call for Abstracts.  We encourage you to submit your abstracts for review.  Information about the required content and process for submission is located at www.behavioralsleep.org.

I encourage each of you who shares my enthusiasm for the coming year to determine if there is a way that you too can get involved with a project that lines up with your interests.  Please feel to reach out to Kathryn Hansen at kathryn@behavioralsleep.org or a committee member to learn more about getting involved.

Sincerely,

Dr. Don Townsend
SBSM President

President's Blog - DECEMBER 2019

Dear Colleagues,

As the year closes, I want to wish you all the best wishes for a Happy Holiday season.  As we end the year, it’s a great opportunity for me to reflect upon the successes of the past year.

Under the amazing dedication of Past President Donna Arand, committees were restructured and expanded to meet the growing needs of the society.

The Board of Behavioral Sleep Medicine was formed to oversee  the new BSM exam, and offered two testing periods while also accepting applicarion from CBSM Holders for  a new credential, Diplomate in Behavioral Sleep Medicine.

The SBSM held the first Scientific Conference and boasted the largest attendance at an event sponsored by the SBSM. 

The SBSM membership continues to grow as we have reached a record high in 2019. Thanks to all of our members who continue to support our mission and programs. The number of webinars sponsored by the Education, Clinical Practice and Science and Research Committees continue to increase offerings scheduled for 2020.

The year ends with a bang with the submission of the APA Council of Specialties application to renewal our specialty status.

I want to thank all of you for your continued hard work and time commitment that have put the SBSM on a trajectory of success. Enjoy the holidays to rest, relax, and spend time with family and friends. In January 2020, the SBSM will continue to focus on projects designed to bring value to our members, and education to our colleagues and the public.

Dr. Don Townsend
SBSM President

President's Blog - NOVEMBER 2019

My October President’s blog was infused with the contagious enthusiasm lingering from the SBSM’s 1^st Scientific Conference.  You’ll be pleased to know that the Scientific Program Committee wasted no time setting in motion the apparatus for the 2^nd SBSM Scientific Conference, which will be held from November 4-8, 2020 at the Opryland Hotel in Nashville, Tennessee!  The overall theme will be innovative and edgy focusing on the role of big data in research and practice, and the speaker panel promises to be equally impressive as the one provided during our first conference. 

Many of us were still ‘riding high’ from the first SBSM Scientific Conference.  That same enthusiasm has shifted into action this month as several new volunteers have stepped forward to translate their excitement for behavioral sleep medicine into committee involvement.  So, if you are still contemplating how to make an impact in the field and for our society, please consider putting your enthusiasm into action by serving on one of the SBSM’s seven committees. 

Each of the seven SBSM committees has been diligently working on SBSM business since leaving Birmingham.  Several things that you can look forward to in the next couple months include a calendar of webinars sponsored by the Clinical Practice Committee, and Science and Advisory Committee, plus the Virtual Journal Club hosted by the Education Committee.  Join us for our next webinar on November 15^th featuring our presenter Luis Buenaver, PhD, DBSM, and discussant, Michael Smith, PhD, DBSM, who will be discussing Use of Actigraphy for the Evaluation of Sleep Disorders and Circadian Rhythm Sleep-Wake Disorders:  An American Academy of Sleep Medicine Clinical Practice Guideline.  An educational blog is part of a new venture into social media by the Outreach and Public Education Committee, and our Scientific Program Committee is identifying a list of potential speakers for the 2020 scientific conference.  Again in 2020, the Education Committee will sponsor a DBSM Board Review Course with an updated focus on key topics that correlate to the learning domains of the credentialing exam.

One big task looming in front of the society is the re-application for specialty status from the American Psychological Association.  Dr. Arand has been leading the efforts on this project with her writing and organizational abilities.  We want to thank those committee members who have volunteered to assist in numerous ways.  The deadline for submission of the completed application is December 31^st and you’ll be hearing more about this in the next month.  The APA is hosting a conference on Saturday November 2, for various specialties, and I am fortunate enough to be attending, and I will look forward to reporting any news to the society in our next newsletter.

The SBSM is busy promoting BSM to our colleagues and the public as we pursue our mission and strategic focus on education and advancement of Health Psychology.

Dr. Don Townsend
SBSM President

President's Blog - OCTOBER 2019

Greetings Colleagues,

As I’m writing the Presidential Blog one week after returning from the first SBSM Scientific Conference, I’m still on a cloud from the contagious enthusiasm that permeated the meeting.  The conference was the first in a couple areas.  It likely set the record for the most persons with an interest in BSM assembled in one venue, with 184 registrants.  It also highlighted the growth to record levels of the SBSM during the past few years.  The Planning Sub-Committee (Co-Chairs Dr. Justin Thomas and Dr. Luis Buenaver) assembled the best BSM program I personally have ever seen, with a world class speaker panel from top to bottom, including Dr. Dan Buysse, Dr. Colin Espie, Dr. Ken Lichstein, Dr. Phyllis Zee, and Dr Lynn Marie Trotti.  And I would be remiss if I didn’t mention the myriad of comments about the food of course.  None of this would have been possible without the guidance and oversight of our executive director Kathryn Hansen either. 

Numerous comments were overheard by me and others regarding the conference; statements such as “This is the best sleep conference I’ve ever been to.” And “The list of speakers is phenomenal.” And “I enjoyed every session that I attended.”  But also, “The hotel was very fancy compared to normal conference hotels.”; and “This was the best food I’ve had at a conference.”

The job before me during my role as President for 2019-2020, is to continue the work of my predecessors in growing the SBSM.  But growth will not just be reflected in numbers, although we anticipate the membership to continue its expansion.  We expect growth in influence that the SBSM has on the entire field of sleep medicine and psychology.  This will occur through our ongoing representation in the APA Counsel of Specialties, but also as we expand our membership through licensed clinical social works, therapists, nurse practitioners and physician assistants, who have a heavy influence on patient care in nearly every sleep center across the country. 

The SBSM will continue to cultivate a strong scientific base and grow relationships with the Sleep Research Society as well as granting agencies.  There is also a desire to be in the forefront on timely BSM issues and exert influence through leveraging the boundless expertise present in our organization. 

It is invigorating to know that as I assume the role of president, the SBSM is at a peak with aspirations for reaching even higher.  I look towards the coming year of my presidency with the goal of keeping this momentum going.  I encourage each of you that came away from the conference with similar enthusiasm to act on this energy and express your interests through committee involvement, society recruitment or through using the conference as a primary outlet for your research.  Please reach out to Kathryn at kathryn@behavioralsleep.org if you would like information about how to get involved during this coming year.  We will be eagerly anticipating another record-breaking conference in Nashville next year!

Dr. Don Townsend
SBSM President

President's Blog - SEPTEMBER 2019

Dear SBSM Members,

This month marks a milestone for the SBSM with the occurrence of The First Annual BSM Scientific Conference. This is a major accomplishment for our society!  The conference recognizes the importance of scientific research to guide our field in identifying underlying mechanisms of sleep problems and developing effective behavioral treatments.  Being evidence-based has already led to the recognition of CBT-I as the recommended treatment by physician and healthcare organizations worldwide.  This is a major step in our goal of improving sleep and impacting the health of individuals worldwide.

Other important accomplishments this past year include the expansion of educational opportunities for members, accreditation of BSM training programs at both the masters and PhD level and expansion of committees and their roles.  New policies and procedures have also been developed to meet the current and future needs of our society. Additionally, investments in technology and website upgrades have allowed us to do more for our members, provide more services and communicate faster and more efficiently while reducing the office burden.  Overall, it has been a very productive and great year for the society.

As my term as president comes to an end, I want to thank the board members for their support and the committee chairs and members for their dedication and hard work.  Finally, I want to thank our executive director for her selfless work on behalf of the society.   I am grateful for the opportunity to lead this wonderful society and I have great expectations for its future.

Donna Arand, PhD
SBSM President

President's Blog - AUGUST 2019

Dear SBSM Members,

An ongoing focus of the SBSM is our First Annual Scientific Conference on September 12-15 in Birmingham.   This is an important milestone in the growth of the SBSM and the program delivers outstanding content with renowned speakers and a variety of activities every day.   To help support our trainees who have posters at the conference, four Travel Awards have also been made available.    The recipients of those awards are:  Alicia Roth PhD, Allyson Gilles PhD, Alicia Chung PhD and Marissa Bowman MS.  We want to congratulate all the recipients and look forward to following their careers in behavioral sleep medicine.

Work has also continued on strengthening our infrastructure.  A procedure manual has been developed that outlines the SBSM structure and describes the roles and responsibilities of board and committee members. It has been provided to new committee members as part of an orientation package.  Also, we have begun taking a proactive approach to the annual transition of committee members with new committee members being invited to join the monthly committee meetings prior to becoming active committee members in September.   This will make for a smoother transition and help maintain the momentum of the many ongoing projects of our society.

Finally, we want to encourage all of our members to attend our First Scientific Conference and to spread the word to other colleagues.   The Early Bird rates will end on August 12^h for room reservations and August 28^th for meeting registration. 

Click here to view the meeting program and registration information.

Donna Arand, PhD
SBSM President

President's Blog - JUNE 2019

Dear SBSM Members,

June is associated with the annual sleep meeting and the opportunity for ongoing education.  The SBSM has also made education a major focus consistent with it being a major component in the BSM concept map.   Our committees have developed numerous educational opportunities for members with offerings throughout the year.   Upcoming activities include a data blitz covering new and varied topics at the Bootzin Awards and Recognition Reception on June 9^th in San Antonio.   Then on June 17th, the SBSM's Virtual Journal Club will present its bimonthly webinar at noon EST.  The June webinar will be presented by Dr. Carmela Alacantara focusing on an article about the reproducibility of actigraphy scoring in a Hispanic/Latino population.   On July 17, there will be a Practice and Consultation webinar at noon EST presented by Dr. Ulmer.  Plans are in place to schedule another Journal Club webinar in August that focuses on actigraphy practice guidelines.   The webinars continue throughout the year.  Future webinars are listed in our newsletter, plus previous webinars are recorded and archived on our website for later access. 

Our major educational event, the First Annual SBSM Scientific Meeting will be held September 12-15, at the beautiful Renaissance Resort in Birmingham. This 3.5-day meeting will include presentations by national and international experts, symposia, workshops, special lectures and poster sessions.  In addition, there will be a BSM Board Review Course offered on September 12^th prior to the start of the meeting.

Our educational initiatives also extend beyond our members.  The SBSM’s new Outreach and Public Education Committee was created as a result of our growth and it recognizes the importance of educating others about BSM.   With that objective, a letter has been sent to the APA specialty team working on guidelines for the treatment of PTSD offering the services of our members with expertise in the behavioral treatment of sleep problems associated with PTSD and trauma.  We have also sent a letter to CAQH requesting that they allow inclusion of the DBSM certification as a credential option in the profile of psychologists.

The SBSM will continue to identify and develop educational opportunities for members and the public.  The current educational programs represent a multi-focused approach to providing incredible learning opportunities for new and practicing BSM clinicians and we encourage all members to take advantage of these educational offerings.  They are included as a benefit of membership with the exception of the scientific conference that is discounted for members.   In addition, the SBSM is committed to educating the community and other organizations about BSM as well as promoting and recognizing our members’ expertise in the area.

We invite our BSM colleagues to participate in the many educational sessions sponsored by the SBSM.

Donna Arand, PhD
President, SBSM

President's Blog - JULY 2019

Dear SBSM Members,

The Bootzin Awards and Recognition Reception in San Antonio was a very successful and fun filled event.   The beautiful Marriott ballroom was filled with members who had an opportunity to socialize while enjoying delicious food.    The record number of attendees were treated to a data blitz and participated in a game of jeopardy with sleep topics.   Numerous members were also recognized for their accomplishments or service and the new board members were announced.

The prestigious Peter Hauri Career Distinguished Achievement Awards was presented to Dan Buysse, MD and the Art Spielman Early Career Distingquished Achievement Award went to Sara Nowakowski, PhD.  Certificates were also presented to 19 recent graduates of accredited BSM training programs.   Members whose terms of service are being completed in September were also presented certificates and included board members: Jason Ong, (past-president), Michael Grandner, Sara Nowakowski, Celso Teixeira and Katrina Speed (student member).  Committee members recognized for their service included: Sheila Garland, Kristi Prukisma, Justin Thomas, Haley Byers, Yelena Chernyak, Eric Zhou, Leisha Cuddihy, Melissa Milanak, Allison Wilkerson, Miriam Rubin, Jaclyn Lewis-Croswell, Don Townsend, Kelly Byars, Janice Biddle, Valerie Crabtree, Christina McCrae and Kenny Lichstein.

Results of the 2019 board elections were also announced.  Christina McCrae is the new president-elect.  New directors at large include Justin Thomas, Suzie Bertisch, Michael Nadorff and Jade Wu (student representative).  Their terms will begin in September at our Scientific Meeting.

The reception is just a token of appreciation for our members.  On behalf of the board, I want to thank all of our members for their support and especially those who have offered their talents and service to the SBSM.  As a new and growing organization, we could not have accomplished so much in such a short time without the help of so many talented individuals and we encourage everyone to continue to support this amazing organization. 

Donna Arand, PhD
SBSM President

President's Blog - MAY 2019

Dear SBSM Members,

Graduation season is here and this is a time to celebrate with those who have completed a milestone in their education. As in the past, the SBSM will also recognize and celebrate those who have completed training programs in BSM this year at our annual Bootzin Awards reception held during the SLEEP meeting. The SBSM will celebrate their achievement and recognize them as well as their program directors at the reception. These new SBSM practitioners represent the future of the field and our society. We are excited to celebrate with them and welcome them to the field. Additionally, winners of the Art Spielman Early Career Distinguished Achievement Award and the Peter Hauri Career Distinguished Achievement Award will be announced and their awards presented at the reception. Please join us in celebrating the accomplishments of these individuals.

We will also celebrate a milestone for the SBSM this year with the First Annual BSM Scientific Program in Birmingham, AL at the Renaissance Marriott Resort and Spa. The program will include renown national and international speakers, dynamic workshops and symposia, including state of the art presentations on a range of topics. We encourage everyone to attend the conference and be part of this historic event for our society.

Donna Arand, PhD
President, SBSM

President's Blog - APRIL 2019

Dear SBSM Members,

Spring is the time for rebirth and renewal and the SBSM has been busy with our own regeneration plans. Major effort has been invested by the board and committee chairs to realign our committee infrastructure with the needs of our rapidly expanding society.   This includes proposals for new committees, updated and expanded committee mandates, increased chair responsibilities and streamlined reporting.   The goal is to strengthen our infrastructure, increase member participation and align individual talents with the increasing tasks of the society.  

Various committees are working on a number of important projects that will be completed in the next few months.  The Membership Committee is finalizing plans for the SBSM reception and awards program to be held on June 9 in San Antonio.  All award recipients will soon be notified.  The Nominating Committee is currently vetting candidates for open board positions and ballots will soon be sent to all members.  All members are urged to participate in this very important process.  Finally, the Scientific Conference planning sub-committee has posted the preliminary program for our First Annual BSM Scientific Meeting.   They are currently reviewing and selecting abstracts and proposals for the final program.  The number and quality of poster submissions, symposia and workshop proposals have exceeded our expectations and highlight the incredible scientific work being done by the BSM community nationally and internationally!

Registration is now open for the First Annual BSM Scientific Meeting on September 12-15 in Birmingham.   Early registration is encouraged and spreading the word to colleagues and trainees will make this an extremely successful event. 

Donna Arand, PhD
President, SBSM

President's Blog - March 2019

Dear SBSM Members,

Part of the SBSM’s mission is to increase awareness about the importance of sleep and help educate the public about healthy sleep habits.   To help accomplish this, the SBSM has partnered with other sleep organizations in various efforts to bring attention to these issues.  The SBSM has signed onto a letter of support with the SRS, to request that the CDC replace the sleep funding that was cut and which would include some funds for sleep surveillance at a national level. Additionally, information from the Pediatric Sleep Council about Baby Sleep Day on March 1^st was sent to members to spread the word about an opportunity for families to ask questions of pediatric sleep experts from around the world on Facebook throughout the day.  Finally, the SBSM is also collaborating with the AASM and the American Alliance for Healthy Sleep to promote "Insomnia Awareness Day" on March 11 (the day after daylight savings time).   While there is still much work to be done, these partnerships bring strength in numbers that reach more people and key groups outside of our organizations to the benefit of all.

Planning for the First Annual Scientific Conference to be held on September 12-15 at the amazing Renaissance Ross Bridge Resort in Birmingham is almost complete.  A brochure of events has been posted and registration for the meeting has just opened.   Reminder:  the deadline for proposals for posters, workshops and symposia has been extended to March 28^th.  We hope to see you there!

Donna Arand, PhD
President, SBSM

President's Blog - FEBRUARY 2019

Dear SBSM Members,

2019 SBSM Awards Reception for achievements in Behavioral Sleep Medicine will be presented at SLEEP 2019 in San Antonio, TX in June, 2019.  They include the Peter Hauri Career Distinguished Achievement Award, the Arthur Spielman Early Career Distinguished Achievement Award and the Student Dissertation and Thesis Award. These awards recognize members at various stages in their careers, who have done outstanding scientific work in BSM.  

Nominations are still being accepted for these awards. Therefore, if you know someone who you feel is deserving of one of these awards, please consider nominating them.  Also, remember that self-nomination is also accepted. We look forward to recognizing the outstanding colleagues nominations

All nominations for president-elect and directors-at-large have been received and are currently being reviewed.  The nominees will be vetted before ballots for the board positions are sent to members for the board positions.  Applications for committee positions have also been received and are being reviewed and selected individuals will be appointed.

Interest and excitement is building for our first Annual Scientific Conference in Birmingham, AL on Sept 12-15, 2019.  This event has attracted international speakers, and represents a milestone for the field of behavioral sleep medicine. Many excellent submissions have already been received.   If you or someone you know has new research they would like to share, submissions will be accepted through March, 2019.

Donna Arand, PhD
President, SBSM

President's Blog - JANUARY 2019

Dear SBSM Members, 

New Year’s resolutions are always challenging and while most fail, the SBSM has already succeeded! All three ballot measures passed overwhelmingly (96-98%) so beginning in 2019 there will be a rolling membership year, a Fellow status and a flexible annual meeting timeframe. Also, remember that the fellow status will not be granted until 2022 but the qualifications are posted so individuals can prepare. Of particular note is the requirement of 5 years of continuous SBSM membership so any late dues payment will restart the 5-year cycle. For more information about the bylaw changes with the membership cycle, click here to read the FAQs .

This year is also notable for our First Annual SBSM Scientific Conference to be held on September 12-15, 2019. This promises to be an extraordinary event with national and international speakers presenting state of the art research in BSM. Also included is a board review session, poster session, and clinical workshops. Submission of abstracts, symposia, workshop and poster proposals are open until January 17. Make plans to attend this exciting meeting in a gorgeous venue. This is the primary meeting for our profession and society and we anticipate great support from our members, trainees and colleagues.

In the coming months, the board will work to strengthen our infrastructure and streamline the work of our committees and office. Nominations for new committee members and board members will soon be solicited, so please take this opportunity to share your talents with our society. It is a mutually rewarding experience with a wonderful chance to interact with colleagues from across the country and world.

Happy New Year,
Donna Arand, PhD