A look toward the future
There will be many changes in the sleep field in the next 5 to 10 years. These will include increments in our knowledge of basic neurobiologic mechanisms driving sleep and the impact of sleep loss on general health. The technology used in the sleep laboratory will likely change as well, leading to a larger range of available tests and new ways to conduct standard ones. Finally, as the knowledge base in sleep increases, the expertise required to practice sleep medicine will rise, leading to a better trained, more focused practitioner.
White
DP
Associate Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School; and Director, Sleep Program, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts.