Delegate: Sleep HAIbeat
Delegate Short Bio: Sleep HAIbeat is a clinical physiology–led initiative based on Flores Island, in the Azores, Portugal—one of the most remote and underserved regions in Europe in terms of access to sleep health.
Operating within a context of pronounced geographic isolation and insularity, the local population faces significant barriers to care, including limited specialist availability, absence of structured sleep services, and minimal access to education or early screening. In practice, this results in near non-existent access to sleep health education, diagnostic pathways, and ongoing care, placing the community at increased risk of undiagnosed and untreated sleep-related conditions.
Sleep HAIbeat was established to directly address this gap. Through a decentralised and community-integrated approach, the initiative delivers accessible education, low-threshold screening, and telehealth-supported clinical pathways, bringing sleep health services closer to populations that would otherwise remain excluded.
By combining portable diagnostic technologies, evidence-based physiology, and locally delivered engagement, Sleep HAIbeat reduces reliance on distant healthcare centres and enables earlier identification and intervention. Its work is grounded in the principle that sleep health should be accessible regardless of geography, particularly in regions where insularity has historically limited access to care.
As a delegate, Sleep HAIbeat represents a real-world model of how sleep health equity can be advanced in remote island settings—demonstrating that meaningful impact is possible through innovation, community integration, and a strong commitment to underserved populations.
Scope of Activity: Individual activity
Activity: “Sleep Like a Baby” is a community-based sleep health education initiative developed and delivered by Sleep HAIbeat on Flores Island (Azores, Portugal), a remote and underserved population with historically limited access to sleep health education, screening, and specialised care.
The activity was designed to address a critical gap in early-life sleep health by supporting parents, caregivers, and families with practical, evidence-based guidance on infant and child sleep. In this insular context—where access to paediatric sleep expertise is virtually non-existent—families often rely on fragmented information or informal advice, leading to uncertainty, sleep disruption, and increased stress.
Core Objectives
Improve sleep health literacy among parents and caregivers by translating clinical physiology into simple, actionable strategies
Promote early prevention and healthy sleep habits in infants and young children, recognising sleep as a foundation for long-term physical and neurodevelopmental health
Empower families with practical tools to manage common sleep challenges (e.g., night awakenings, routines, sleep environment, self-soothing)
Reduce anxiety and misinformation by creating a trusted, local, and evidence-based source of guidance
Bridge the access gap by delivering education directly within the community, removing the need for travel or specialist referral
Approach and Delivery
The session was delivered in a local, accessible community setting, fostering a safe and familiar environment that encouraged participation and open discussion. Content was carefully adapted to the local reality—culturally relevant, easy to understand, and immediately applicable in daily routines.
Rather than a purely didactic format, the activity promoted interactive engagement, allowing participants to ask questions, share experiences, and receive tailored guidance. This approach helped build trust and strengthened the connection between clinical knowledge and real-life application.
Relevance to the Community
In a setting like Flores Island—where healthcare resources are limited and specialist services are not readily available—initiatives such as “Sleep Like a Baby” play a vital role in democratising access to sleep health knowledge. By focusing on early-life sleep, the activity also contributes to long-term health equity, supporting both child development and family wellbeing from the earliest stages.
Impact Vision
“Sleep Like a Baby” represents more than a single session—it is part of a broader effort by Sleep HAIbeat to build sustainable, community-embedded pathways for sleep health education and prevention, ensuring that even the most remote populations have access to the knowledge and tools needed to support healthy sleep.
Location: Santa Cruz das Flores from Flores Island in Azores – Autonomous Region of Portugal
Date of Activity: 13-03-2026
