Public Policy, Sleep Science, and Sleep Medicine

This article reviews several examples of sleep-related societal issues and problems which governments have a legitimate interest in addressing as a matter of public policy, and the interventions that public- and private-sector entities have proposed or implemented in furtherance of this interest. Various challenges in developing, adopting, implementing, evaluating, and improving such interventions are also reviewed. After providing a brief analysis of how sleep science and sleep medicine can inform and influence the public policy process, the article concludes with some examples of emerging policy areas in which sleep science and sleep medicine can have a significant impact in the future.