Globally over this course we aim to review the main principles of sleep medicine, provide up-to-date information on sleep disorders in all ages and on diagnostic and therapeutic approach of these disorders. At the end the final goal will be to contribute to education and career development opportunities in sleep in Portugal and Europe.

At the end of this Advanced Training Course the students should be capable of evaluate the importance of sleep to general health, understand the basic principles of sleep physiology, be capable to approach sleep disorders, obtain knowledge about diagnostic procedures and apply acquired competencies in professional activity. Also, to acquire preparation for Examination of European Sleep Research Society for Sleep Expert - Somnologist and Somnologist-Tecnologist.

Specific Goals:

  • Specify physiological basis of sleep and its functions;
  • Describe main sleep disorders in adults and pediatric ages in terms of definition, pathological mechanisms, clinical picture, diagnostic and therapeutic approach (in concrete: insomnia, sleep-related breathing disorders, hypersomnias, circadian rhythm disorders, sleep-related movement disorders, parasomnias);
  • Describe the action of several pharmaceuticals on sleep;
  • Specify forms of clinical evaluation of sleep disorders;
  • Specify diagnostic procedures in Sleep Medicine and how to use them;
  • Specify guidelines concerning staging and events scoring (arousals, cardiac, respiratory and movement events);
  • Analyze and interpreted results from sleep studies, multiple sleep latency tests, maintenance of wakefulness tests, actigraphy, sleep diaries and organic fluids.