Delegate: Center of Investigation and Research on Sleep (CIRS)
Affiliations: Lausanne University Hospital (CHUV), Lausanne, Switzerland
Short Bio:
The Center for Investigation and Research on Sleep (CIRS) is located at the Lausanne University Hospital (CHUV) and was set up in 2006 by Prof. Raphael Heinzer and Prof. Mehdi Tafti in a collaboration with the University of Lausanne (UNIL), with the aim of developing sleep medicine and cutting-edge research in this field.
From a team of four people initially, the CIRS has grown rapidly and now employs about twenty people. Among the unit’s senior doctors, there are currently two neurologists, Dr. José Haba-Rubio and Dr. Francesca Siclari, as well as a pulmonologist, Prof. Raphael Heinzer and somnologist, Dr. Virginie Bayon. Dr. Tifenn Raffray, psychiatrist, and Françoise Cornette, psychologist, are particularly concerned with the treatment of insomnia. The multidisciplinary aspect of CIRS allows optimal management of different sleep pathologies. In research, the CIRS also aims to study various forms of sleep disorders and has a team with multidisciplinary scientists including Master, PhD, and postdoctoral researchers. Among its main research axes is the evaluation of sleep and its disorders in the general population: the sleep of more than 2,000 Swiss people from Lausanne was thus studied in the context of the HypnoLaus study.
Annually, the CIRS performs up to 2000 sleep examinations for clinical purposes and more than 6000 consultations, being the largest sleep center in Switzerland.
Activity:
Our event occurred in March 15 (Friday) from 14h to 19h and consisted in several activities of sleep awareness for general population in the Lausanne University Hospital (CHUV) at the main hall near the César Roux amphitheater. The event was previously disclosed in the media by radio (https://www.lfm.ch/podcasts/morax-les-invites-11032019-0837/), flyers, and CHUV’s site. There were several educational posters in interactive stands addressing the following topics by sleep specialists from CIRS:
1. How many hours do you sleep?
A poster and handouts showed the recommended sleep durations across lifespan, focusing in the theme “healthy sleep, healthy aging”. The participants were invited to indicate the number of hours that they usually sleep. We explained to the participants the differences between the individual sleep need and the amount of habitual sleep time. In addition, we also discussed, in a lay language, the scientific evidences about the consequences of insufficient sleep.
2. Do you suffer from sleepiness?
A poster illustrated the main causes of sleepiness and its consequences to quality of life. The individuals could test their alertness using the Psychomotor Vigilance Test (PVT) and evaluate their drowsiness using the Epworth Sleepiness Score. The results were explained by the sleep specialists and a feedback was given to the participants.
3. Are you an evening or morning person?
A poster showed the concepts of circadian rhythm and the existence of different circadian preferences, which may change across lifespan. The individuals could evaluate their chronotype by answering the “Horne and Ostberg” morningness-eveningness questionnaire. Demonstration of light therapy lamps and actigraphy were also performed by the sleep specialists, which explained their role in the circadian rhythm sleep disorders.
4. Do you suffer from insomnia?
A poster demonstrated the types of insomnia and its treatments. The participants could evaluate their quality of sleep by filling the Insomnia Severity Index questionnaire and discover non-drug therapies for insomnia such as the Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. Handouts with recommendations on sleep hygiene were also distributed.
5. Do you suffer from sleep apnea?
The participants were invited to assess their risk of sleep apnea using the “Lausanne NoSAS score”, developed and validated by the CIRS team (Lancet Respiratory Medicine 2016; 4: 742-748). In this stand, they could also test different night recording devices, which were explained by sleep technicians from our center.
6. How are sleep apneas treated?
In this stand, the individuals could try different types of treatments for sleep apnea such as the positive pressure masks, orthoses mandibular and positional treatments.
7. Test your knowledge on sleep
The individuals were invited to test what they have learned about the importance of sleep using a quiz (true-false) on a big screen, which was presented by one of our sleep specialists.
At 17h, all participants were invited to the lecture “In search of lost sleep: who to treat for what benefit?” given by Prof. Raphael Heinzer, director of CIRS. In this lecture, around 600 individuals crowded the César Roux amphitheater to learn and consolidate their knowledge on sleep as well as to further understand the past and current sleep research of our center.
The lecture lasted about 1 hour and was followed by drinks and appetizers for final celebration in the main hall.
Location: Lausanne University Hospital (CHUV), Bugnon 46, 8th floor, hall
Date of Activity: March 15, 2019
Submitted By: Camila Hirotsu
