The National Sleep Foundation (NSF) will kick off [removed]National Sleep Awareness Week[/removed] (March 1-8, 2009) by hosting a scientific conference and leadership summit.

The conference, titled Pain and Sleep: A Clinical and Scientific Conference, and the Sleep Care Leadership Summit will take place March 1-2, 2009, at the Gaylord National Resort and Convention Center in National Harbor, Md.

Pain and Sleep: A Clinical and Scientific Conference is a CME course that will explore the interaction between pain and sleep, methods used in pain and sleep assessment, management of pain and sleep, and future avenues in pain and sleep research to improve care.

“This year, the NSF Education Committee worked with Drs Gilles Lavigne and Timothy Roehrs, two of the foremost authorities on the bidirectional relationship between pain and sleep, and put together the most complete conference, scientific and clinical, ever offered on this fascinating subject,” says David Cloud, chief executive officer of the NSF.

This conference has been awarded 9.75 CME credits and is accepted by the Board of Registered Polysomnographic Technologists.

The new Sleep Care Leadership Summit is a gathering of sleep center CEOs and senior executives to look at the state of the industry and will take place on March 1. Attendees will hear directly from sleep care industry leaders about their perspectives on current market conditions, key business challenges, opportunities, and future needs.

The NSF will also host an awards dinner in the evening on March 1 to recognize outstanding contributions to the field of sleep. This year, Philip Westbrook, MD, and Colin Sullivan, MD, will be recognized.

“We’re excited to kick off National Sleep Awareness Week by honoring two sleep pioneers,” says Cloud. “National Sleep Foundation’s annual awards dinner will bring together sleep leaders to meet, mingle, and celebrate the achievements of professor Colin Sullivan and Dr Philip Westbrook as well as the public’s growing awareness of the importance of sleep.”

Sleep Review is the official media partner for this event-filled weekend.