DARIEN, IL – The Associated Professional Sleep Societies is accepting research abstracts and session proposal submissions for SLEEP 2026, the 40th annual meeting of the APSS, which will be held June 14 to 17 at the Baltimore Convention Center.

Research abstracts will be accepted for oral and poster presentations in two tracks: basic and translational sleep and circadian science and clinical sleep science and practice. Accepted abstracts will be published online in a supplement of the journal Sleep.

The APSS Program Committee is also accepting proposals for postgraduate courses and other sessions including bench-to-bedside sessions, clinical workshops, discussion groups, and symposia. These sessions will explore basic and translational sleep and circadian science, as well as developments in the diagnosis and treatment of sleep disorders such as obstructive sleep apnea and chronic insomnia.

Abstracts and session proposals for SLEEP 2026 must be submitted by Monday, Dec. 8, 2025.

The SLEEP annual meeting is the premier clinical and scientific conference for sleep medicine, sleep and circadian science, and sleep health. The SLEEP meeting also features an expansive exhibit hall with booths displaying the latest products and services from equipment manufacturers and suppliers, pharmaceutical companies, software companies, and medical and scientific publishers. The SLEEP 2025 meeting in Seattle had a record-breaking attendance of more than 6,000 people.

View complete abstract and session proposal submission details.

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For more information about SLEEP 2026, please contact the APSS at info@sleepmeeting.org or 630-737-9700.

About the Associated Professional Sleep Societies, LLC
The APSS is a joint venture of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine and the Sleep Research Society. The APSS organizes the SLEEP annual meeting each June.

DARIEN, IL – A new study to be presented at the SLEEP 2025 annual meeting found that teens with earlier, more efficient, and less variable sleep patterns at age 15 had better cardiovascular health at age 22.

Results show that several healthy sleep habits at age 15 predicted a higher (better) cardiovascular health score at age 22: falling asleep and waking up earlier, spending a lower percentage of time in bed awake, and having lower variability in total sleep time and sleep onset. In contrast, average total sleep time did not predict future cardiovascular health. Results were adjusted for potential confounders including sociodemographic characteristics and self-reported body mass index, diet, and physical activity during adolescence.

“Given the importance of sleep health for physical health and well-being in the short-term, we were not surprised to see a lasting association between adolescent sleep timing, sleep maintenance efficiency, and sleep variability with cardiovascular health in young adulthood,” said lead data analyst and study author Gina Marie Mathew, who has a doctorate in biobehavioral health and is a senior post-doctoral associate in public health in the department of family, population, and preventive medicine at Stony Brook Renaissance School of Medicine in New York. “It was unexpected, however, that with and without adjustment for potentially confounding factors, total sleep time during adolescence was not a significant predictor of cardiovascular health during young adulthood. This single null finding, of course, does not indicate that total sleep time is unimportant. Rather, when paired with other studies, these findings underscore the complexity of sleep health and the need to consider multiple sleep dimensions as potential targets for promoting and maintaining cardiovascular health.”

The American Academy of Sleep Medicine recommends that teenagers 13 to 18 years of age should sleep 8 to 10 hours on a regular basis to promote optimal health. In addition to adequate duration, healthy sleep requires appropriate timing, good quality, regularity, and the absence of sleep disturbances or disorders.

The researchers analyzed longitudinal data from sub-studies of the Future of Families and Child Wellbeing Study. The diverse sample comprised 307 adolescents; 57% were female. Sleep variables were estimated at age 15 using one week of wrist actigraphy. At age 22, cardiovascular health was assessed using the seven non-sleep factors (self-reported diet, physical activity, and nicotine exposure, and objectively measured body mass index, blood lipids, blood glucose, and blood pressure) from the American Heart Association’s Life’s Essential 8, producing an average composite score.

Mathew noted that the results highlight the need for a more comprehensive approach to address the relationship between adolescent sleep health and cardiovascular health.

“Future research and recommendations should emphasize the importance of multiple dimensions of sleep health, including earlier sleep timing, higher sleep maintenance efficiency, and lower sleep variability as protective factors for long-term heart health,” she said.

This study was supported by grants from the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development within the National Institutes of Health. The research abstract was published recently in an online supplement of the journal Sleep and will be presented as an oral presentation Sunday, June 8, during SLEEP 2025 in Seattle. SLEEP is the annual meeting of the Associated Professional Sleep Societies, a joint venture of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine and the Sleep Research Society.

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Abstract Title: Poorer Actigraphic Sleep Health in Adolescence Predicts Lower Cardiovascular Health Score in Young Adulthood
Abstract ID: 0292
Oral Presentation Date: Sunday, June 8, 1–1:15 p.m. PDT
Presenter: Gina Mathew, Ph.D., senior post-doctoral associate in the public health department of family, population, and preventative medicine at Stony Brook Renaissance School of Medicine

For a copy of the abstract or to arrange an interview with the study author or a sleep expert, please send an email to aasm@lcwa.com.

About the Associated Professional Sleep Societies, LLC
The APSS is a joint venture of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine and the Sleep Research Society. The APSS organizes the SLEEP annual meeting each June (sleepmeeting.org).

About the American Academy of Sleep Medicine
Established in 1975, the AASM is a medical association that advances sleep care and enhances sleep health to improve lives. The AASM membership includes more than 9,500 physicians, scientists, and other health care professionals who help people who have sleep disorders. The AASM also accredits 2,300 sleep centers that are providing the highest quality of sleep care across the country (aasm.org).

About the Sleep Research Society
The SRS is a professional membership society that advances sleep and circadian science. The SRS serves its members and the field of sleep and circadian research through training and education, and by providing forums for the collaboration and exchange of ideas. The SRS facilitates its goals through scientific meetings and trainee specific programming, and by advocating for federal sleep and circadian research funding. The SRS also publishes the peer-reviewed, scientific journals Sleep and Sleep Advances (sleepresearchsociety.org).

DARIEN, IL – A new study to be presented at the SLEEP 2025 annual meeting found that teens who get moderate — but not excessive — catch-up sleep on weekends have fewer symptoms of anxiety symptoms.

Results show that teens who got up to two more hours of sleep on weekends than on weekdays exhibited fewer anxiety symptoms compared with those who did not sleep longer on weekends. However, longer durations of catch-up sleep on weekends were associated with slightly more internalizing symptoms.

“The results show that both sleeping less on weekends than weekdays and sleeping substantially more on weekends were associated with higher anxiety symptoms,” said lead author Sojeong Kim, a doctoral candidate in the department of clinical psychology and psychology graduate advisor at the University of Oregon in Eugene. “In contrast, moderate catch-up sleep — defined as less than two hours — was associated with lower anxiety symptoms, suggesting that some weekend recovery sleep may be beneficial.”

The American Academy of Sleep Medicine recommends that teenagers 13 to 18 years of age should sleep 8 to 10 hours on a regular basis to promote optimal health. However, CDC data show that only 23% of high school students get sufficient sleep on an average school night.

“Many teens try to make up for lost sleep by sleeping in on weekends,” Kim said.

Consistently getting sufficient sleep is associated with better health outcomes including improved attention, behavior, learning, memory, emotional regulation, quality of life, and mental and physical health. In contrast, insufficient sleep in teenagers is associated with increased risks of problems such as depression and suicidal thoughts.

The study involved 1,877 adolescents with a mean age of 13.5 years. Sleep duration was estimated using Fitbit devices, while internalizing symptoms were assessed using the Child Behavior Checklist survey. Weekend catch-up sleep was calculated as the difference between weekend and weekday sleep duration.

Kim noted that it is important to identify the right amount of catch-up sleep that is beneficial to teens who restrict their sleep during the week.

“Too little or too much sleep variability from weekday to weekend may contribute to the symptoms someone is trying to combat, like physical or mental fatigue and feelings of anxiety,” she said.

The research abstract was published recently in an online supplement of the journal Sleep and will be presented Wednesday, June 11, during SLEEP 2025 in Seattle. SLEEP is the annual meeting of the Associated Professional Sleep Societies, a joint venture of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine and the Sleep Research Society. 

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Abstract Title: The Sweet Spot of Weekend Catch-Up Sleep: A Protective Factor Against Depressive Symptoms?
Abstract ID: 0263
Poster Presentation Date: Wednesday, June 11, 10–10:45 a.m. PDT, Board #027
Presenter: Sojeong Kim, doctoral candidate in the department of clinical psychology at the University of Oregon

For a copy of the abstract or to arrange an interview with the study author or a sleep expert, please send an email to aasm@lcwa.com.

About the Associated Professional Sleep Societies, LLC
The APSS is a joint venture of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine and the Sleep Research Society. The APSS organizes the SLEEP annual meeting each June (sleepmeeting.org).

About the American Academy of Sleep Medicine
Established in 1975, the AASM is a medical association that advances sleep care and enhances sleep health to improve lives. The AASM membership includes more than 9,500 physicians, scientists, and other health care professionals who help people who have sleep disorders. The AASM also accredits 2,300 sleep centers that are providing the highest quality of sleep care across the country (aasm.org).

About the Sleep Research Society
The SRS is a professional membership society that advances sleep and circadian science. The SRS serves its members and the field of sleep and circadian research through training and education, and by providing forums for the collaboration and exchange of ideas. The SRS facilitates its goals through scientific meetings and trainee-specific programming, and by advocating for federal sleep and circadian research funding. The SRS also publishes the peer-reviewed, scientific journals Sleep and Sleep Advances (sleepresearchsociety.org).

DARIEN, IL – A new study to be presented at the SLEEP 2025 annual meeting found that poor sleep quality is related to relationship insecurity, which moderates the effect of sleep quality on daily feelings of jealousy.

Results show that anxious attachment, which involves difficulties with trust and low self-esteem in relationships, was related to poorer sleep quality. The study also found that poor sleep quality was associated with more daily feelings of jealousy, but this effect was only significant for those with high levels of attachment anxiety.

“Interestingly, poor sleep wasn’t uniformly related to all negative socioemotional outcomes,” said Giovanni Alvarado, lead author and doctoral candidate at Montana State University in Bozeman, Montana. “This suggests that attachment style might shape which emotions are most affected by sleep quality.”

According to the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, sleep is essential to health. The AASM recommends that adults should sleep 7 or more hours per night on a regular basis to promote optimal health. In addition to adequate duration, healthy sleep requires good quality, appropriate timing and regularity, and the absence of sleep disturbances or disorders.

The study involved 68 young adults who completed questionnaires about sleep and relationships. They also completed daily self-reports capturing experiences of social emotions and behaviors over a two-week period.

According to Alvarado, the study underscores the complex link between sleep and relationships.

“People with anxious attachment, or those who struggle with insecurity in relationships, may be especially vulnerable to feelings of envy and jealousy when they’re sleep deprived,” said Alvarado. “This helps us understand why some individuals may have more difficulty navigating social situations when they’re tired and could inform more targeted interventions that consider an individual’s relationship style when addressing sleep issues.”

The research abstract was published recently in an online supplement of the journal Sleep and will be presented Tuesday, June 10, during SLEEP 2025 in Seattle. SLEEP is the annual meeting of the Associated Professional Sleep Societies, a joint venture of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine and the Sleep Research Society.

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Abstract Title: Sleep Quality and Social Interaction: The Moderating Role of Attachment Style
Abstract ID: 0163
Poster Presentation Date: Tuesday, June 10, 10–10:45 a.m. PDT, Board #051
Presenter: Giovanni Alvarado, lead author, doctoral candidate, Montana State University

For a copy of the abstracts or to arrange an interview with the study authors or a sleep expert, please send an email to aasm@lcwa.com.

About the Associated Professional Sleep Societies, LLC
The APSS is a joint venture of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine and the Sleep Research Society. The APSS organizes the SLEEP annual meeting each June (sleepmeeting.org).

About the American Academy of Sleep Medicine
Established in 1975, the AASM is a medical association that advances sleep care and enhances sleep health to improve lives. The AASM membership includes more than 9,500 physicians, scientists, and other health care professionals who help people who have sleep disorders. The AASM also accredits 2,300 sleep centers that are providing the highest quality of sleep care across the country (aasm.org).

About the Sleep Research Society
The SRS is a professional membership society that advances sleep and circadian science. The SRS serves its members and the field of sleep and circadian research through training and education, and by providing forums for the collaboration and exchange of ideas. The SRS facilitates its goals through scientific meetings and trainee-specific programming, and by advocating for federal sleep and circadian research funding. The SRS also publishes the peer-reviewed, scientific journals Sleep and Sleep Advances (sleepresearchsociety.org).

DARIEN, IL – A new study to be presented at the SLEEP 2025 annual meeting found that bedtime procrastination among college students is socially influenced by the need to belong.

Results show that sleep duration was more than an hour shorter on school nights when college students delayed their bedtime for in-person social leisure activities. On these nights, their bedtime was strongly correlated with the timing of their last objectively measured social interaction with friends. Students within the bedtime procrastination social network scored higher on the need to belong compared with students outside the network. The need to belong also predicted tie formation within the bedtime procrastination social network.

“As far as we know, this is the first study to identify ‘need to belong’ as a potential driver of social bedtime procrastination and short sleep,” said principal investigator Joshua Gooley, who has a doctorate in neurobiology and is an associate professor with the Neuroscience and Behavioural Disorders Programme at Duke-NUS Medical School in Singapore.

According to the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, sleep is essential to health. The AASM recommends that adults should sleep 7 or more hours per night on a regular basis to promote optimal health. Bedtime procrastination — choosing to go to bed later despite being aware of its potential negative consequences — reduces the opportunity to get sufficient sleep.

The study involved a sample of 104 university students in a residential college, including 59 women. They wore an actigraph and a proximity beacon watch for two weeks during the school semester to estimate their nocturnal sleep and track when they were near one another. Participants also completed daily diaries. The Need to Belong Scale assessed individual differences in the desire for acceptance and belonging.

Gooley noted that the strength of their findings was surprising.

“We often think of sleep loss as being caused by screen time or work, but social needs, especially in group-living environments, can be just as powerful at influencing sleep,” he said.

The study was supported by funding from the Singapore Ministry of Education and the National Research Foundation in Singapore. The research abstract was published recently in an online supplement of the journal Sleep and will be presented Wednesday, June 11, during SLEEP 2025 in Seattle. SLEEP is the annual meeting of the Associated Professional Sleep Societies, a joint venture of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine and the Sleep Research Society.

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Abstract Title: Social Bedtime Procrastination Associates with Greater Need to Belong

Abstract ID: 0261
Poster Presentation Date: Wednesday, June 11, 10-10:45 a.m. PDT, Board #025
Presenter: Venetia Kok Jing Tong, doctoral candidate with the Neuroscience and Behavioural Disorders Programme at Duke-NUS Medical School

For a copy of the abstract or to arrange an interview with the study author or a sleep expert, please send an email to aasm@lcwa.com.

About the Associated Professional Sleep Societies, LLC

The APSS is a joint venture of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine and the Sleep Research Society. The APSS organizes the SLEEP annual meeting each June.

About the American Academy of Sleep Medicine
Established in 1975, the AASM is a medical association that advances sleep care and enhances sleep health to improve lives. The AASM membership includes more than 9,500 physicians, scientists, and other health care professionals who help people who have sleep disorders. The AASM also accredits 2,300 sleep centers that are providing the highest quality of sleep care across the country (aasm.org).

About the Sleep Research Society 

The SRS is a professional membership society that advances sleep and circadian science. The SRS serves its members and the field of sleep and circadian research through training and education, and by providing forums for the collaboration and exchange of ideas. The SRS facilitates its goals through scientific meetings and trainee specific programming, and by advocating for federal sleep and circadian research funding. The SRS also publishes the peer-reviewed, scientific journals Sleep and Sleep Advances (sleepresearchsociety.org).

DARIEN, IL – A new study to be presented at the SLEEP 2025 annual meeting found that adolescents who prefer to sleep and wake up later (“night owls”) reported greater impulsivity than those who prefer to sleep and wake up earlier (“morning larks”).

Results show that adolescents with self-reported evening preference, or “night owl” tendencies, reported greater negative urgency and lack of perseverance, which are two aspects of impulsivity. This means that they were more likely to act impulsively when experiencing negative emotions and quit difficult tasks. In contrast, there was no association between objectively measured circadian phase and impulsivity.

“Surprisingly, we did not find a significant link between dim light melatonin onset and impulsivity in our sample,” said lead author Riya Mirchandaney, who is a doctoral candidate in clinical-health psychology at the University of Pittsburgh. “This suggests that there may be unmeasured psychological or behavioral factors influencing both impulsivity and the self-assessment of circadian preference, regardless of the timing of an individual’s internal circadian clock.”

According to the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, circadian rhythms are internal biological rhythms that exist in all living organisms. This timekeeping system, or “body clock,” is synchronized to the 24-hour, light–dark cycle. Circadian preference reflects an individual’s desired timing of sleep and wake, and circadian timing can be objectively measured by analyzing saliva or blood plasma to detect dim light melatonin onset.

The study involved 210 adolescents across two studies. They had a mean age of 17 years, and 60.5 percent were female. Participants completed self-reported measures of impulsivity and circadian preference. Laboratory samples of saliva were taken to assess circadian phase by determining dim light melatonin onset. During a week-long protocol, participants also wore a wrist actigraph to estimate sleep midpoint and duration, and at bedtime they completed an assessment of impulsivity.

Mirchandaney emphasized that the results could influence future research to help teens avoid the negative effects of impulsivity, which is a well-established contributor to alcohol and substance use.

“Adolescence may be a prime opportunity for preventing adverse outcomes associated with impulsivity using chronotherapeutic interventions to advance sleep and circadian timing,” she said.

This study was supported by grants from the National Institute on Drug Abuse and the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism within the National Institutes of Health. The research abstract was published recently in an online supplement of the journal Sleep and will be presented June 9 during SLEEP 2025 in Seattle. SLEEP is the annual meeting of the Associated Professional Sleep Societies, a joint venture of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine and the Sleep Research Society.

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Abstract Title: Circadian Preference, but Not Circadian Phase, Associates with State and Trait Levels of Impulsivity in Adolescents
Abstract ID: 0022
Poster Presentation Date: Monday, June 9, 10–10:45 a.m. PDT, Board #123
Presenter: Riya Mirchandaney, doctoral candidate in clinical health-psychology at the University of Pittsburgh

For a copy of the abstract or to arrange an interview with the study author or a sleep expert, please send an email to aasm@lcwa.com.

About the Associated Professional Sleep Societies, LLC
The APSS is a joint venture of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine and the Sleep Research Society. The APSS organizes the SLEEP annual meeting each June (sleepmeeting.org).

About the American Academy of Sleep Medicine
Established in 1975, the AASM is a medical association that advances sleep care and enhances sleep health to improve lives. The AASM membership includes more than 9,500 physicians, scientists, and other health care professionals who help people who have sleep disorders. The AASM also accredits 2,300 sleep centers that are providing the highest quality of sleep care across the country (aasm.org).

About the Sleep Research Society
The SRS is a professional membership society that advances sleep and circadian science. The SRS serves its members and the field of sleep and circadian research through training and education, and by providing forums for the collaboration and exchange of ideas. The SRS facilitates its goals through scientific meetings and trainee-specific programming, and by advocating for federal sleep and circadian research funding. The SRS also publishes the peer-reviewed scientific journals Sleep and Sleep Advances (sleepresearchsociety.org).

DARIEN, IL – A new study to be presented at the SLEEP 2025 annual meeting found that excessive daytime sleepiness is associated with higher odds of all-cause mortality in middle-aged women but not in younger or older women.

Results show that the adjusted odds of all-cause mortality were 16% higher in women between the ages of 50 and 65 years who had high scores on the Epworth Sleepiness Scale, compared with women who had normal levels of sleepiness. The results were adjusted for age, race, ethnicity, body mass index, and comorbidities. No significant associations were observed in younger women or older women.

“Identifying middle age as a critical period suggests clinicians should prioritize an Epworth Sleepiness Scale assessment and excessive daytime sleepiness management in women approaching their 50s and early 60s,” said lead author Arash Maghsoudi, who has a doctorate in biomedical engineering and is an instructor at the Baylor College of Medicine in Houston.

Sleepiness is a critical patient-reported outcome that is associated with increased risk for adverse health effects and diminished quality of life, according to an American Academy of Sleep Medicine position statement. Excessive sleepiness is defined as the inability to stay awake and alert during the major waking episodes of the day.

The study involved a retrospective analysis of the medical records of 40,250 female veterans from 1999 to 2022, focusing on individuals who had a sleep disorder or had received sleep-related care. The study sample had a mean age of 48 years. Clinical notes were analyzed to extract scores on the Epworth Sleepiness Scale, a validated natural language processing tool that assesses the likelihood of dozing off or falling asleep during routine daily activities.

According to Maghsoudi, it is noteworthy that there was no association between excessive daytime sleepiness and mortality in older women who tend to have more comorbidities.

“It implies hormonal, metabolic, or resilience factors that warrant mechanistic follow-up for women in middle age,” he said.

The study was supported by funding from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute within the National Institutes of Health; the Center for Innovations in Quality, Effectiveness, and Safety, which is a combined Baylor College of Medicine Section in the Department of Medicine and a VA Health Systems Research Center of Innovation funded by a center grant from the Department of Veterans Affairs; and the Michael E. DeBakey VA Medical Center in Houston.

The research abstract was published recently in an online supplement of the journal Sleep and will be presented Monday, June 9, during SLEEP 2025 in Seattle. SLEEP is the annual meeting of the Associated Professional Sleep Societies, a joint venture of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine and the Sleep Research Society.

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Abstract Title: Excessive Daytime Sleepiness and All-Cause Mortality in Female Veterans: A Retrospective Cohort Analysis
Abstract ID: 0929
Poster Presentation Date: Monday, June 9, 11-11:45 a.m. PDT, Board #308
Presenter: Arash Maghsoudi, Ph.D., instructor at the Baylor College of Medicine

For a copy of the abstract or to arrange an interview with the study author or a sleep expert, please send an email to aasm@lcwa.com.

About the Associated Professional Sleep Societies, LLC
The APSS is a joint venture of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine and the Sleep Research Society. The APSS organizes the SLEEP annual meeting each June (sleepmeeting.org).

About the American Academy of Sleep Medicine
Established in 1975, the AASM is a medical association that advances sleep care and enhances sleep health to improve lives. The AASM membership includes more than 9,500 physicians, scientists, and other health care professionals who help people who have sleep disorders. The AASM also accredits 2,300 sleep centers that are providing the highest quality of sleep care across the country (aasm.org).

About the Sleep Research Society
The SRS is a professional membership society that advances sleep and circadian science. The SRS serves its members and the field of sleep and circadian research through training and education, and by providing forums for the collaboration and exchange of ideas. The SRS facilitates its goals through scientific meetings and trainee specific programming, and by advocating for federal sleep and circadian research funding. The SRS also publishes the peer-reviewed, scientific journals Sleep and Sleep Advances (sleepresearchsociety.org).

DARIEN, IL – A new study to be presented at the SLEEP 2025 annual meeting found that sleep medicine professionals favor continuous positive airway pressure therapy as treatment for comorbid obesity and obstructive sleep apnea, while patients lean toward treatment with tirzepatide.

Results show that more than 75% of patients and clinicians considered CPAP and tirzepatide to be acceptable treatment options. However, patients preferred tirzepatide over CPAP should evidence demonstrate equal effectiveness (48% vs. 35%), while sleep medicine professionals tended to favor CPAP over tirzepatide (53% vs. 26%). While both groups supported a treatment plan that combines CPAP with tirzepatide, patients were less enthusiastic than sleep medicine professionals about combination therapy (61% vs 88%).

“The results highlight a need for real-world comparative effectiveness data of CPAP vs tirzepatide, and a potential mismatch between patient and provider preferences when managing comorbid obesity and obstructive sleep apnea,” said lead author Ahmed Khalaf, a sleep technician in the pulmonary, critical care and sleep medicine division at University of California, San Diego. “Understanding these differences is critical for shared decision-making throughout the care plan, which may ultimately impact adherence and treatment success.”

Nearly 30 million adults in the U.S. have obstructive sleep apnea, a chronic disease that involves repeated collapse of the upper airway during sleep. Obstructive sleep apnea is commonly treated with CPAP therapy, which uses mild levels of air pressure, provided through a mask, to keep the airway open during sleep.

According to a recent statement from the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, the FDA approval of Zepbound (tirzepatide) for moderate to severe sleep apnea in adults with obesity is a positive development for patients and clinicians, who now have another treatment option for this common and under-diagnosed sleep disorder. While Zepbound can reduce the severity of sleep apnea, it may not cure the disease. Therefore, for some patients who have sleep apnea, combining another treatment with Zepbound may be ideal to promote long-term results.

For this preliminary analysis, the researchers used data from an ongoing, national online survey including responses from 17 UCSD sleep medicine professionals and 365 patients; 42% of participants were women. Nearly 53% of patients had comorbid obesity and obstructive sleep apnea, 73% reported three or more prior attempts at weight loss, 23% reported being current or past users of tirzepatide and/or semaglutide, and 78% reported being current or past users of CPAP.

Dr. Chris Schmickl, principal investigator and assistant professor of medicine at University of California, San Diego, was surprised by the divergence in treatment preferences between patients and providers.

“Recognizing differing attitudes toward treatment is crucial for developing a realistic and achievable action plan,” said Schmickl. “Additional research to understand the underlying reasons behind these preferences will offer valuable insights for providers to guide treatment decisions.”

This study was supported by grants from the National Institutes of Health and the AASM Foundation. The research abstract was published recently in an online supplement of the journal Sleep and will be presented Wednesday, June 11, during SLEEP 2025 in Seattle. SLEEP is the annual meeting of the Associated Professional Sleep Societies, a joint venture of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine and the Sleep Research Society.

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Abstract Title: The Treatment Preferences for Comorbid Obesity and Obstructive Sleep Apnea (PRO-CON OSA) Survey
Abstract ID: 0787
Poster Presentation Date: Wednesday, June 11, 11-11:45 a.m. PDT, Board #370
Presenter: Ahmed Khalaf, sleep technician, University of California, San Diego

For a copy of the abstract or to arrange an interview with the study author or a sleep expert, please send an email to aasm@lcwa.com.

About the Associated Professional Sleep Societies, LLC
The APSS is a joint venture of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine and the Sleep Research Society. The APSS organizes the SLEEP annual meeting each June (sleepmeeting.org).

About the American Academy of Sleep Medicine
Established in 1975, the AASM is a medical association that advances sleep care and enhances sleep health to improve lives. The AASM membership includes more than 9,500 physicians, scientists, and other health care professionals who help people who have sleep disorders. The AASM also accredits 2,300 sleep centers that are providing the highest quality of sleep care across the country (aasm.org).

About the Sleep Research Society
The SRS is a professional membership society that advances sleep and circadian science. The SRS serves its members and the field of sleep and circadian research through training and education, and by providing forums for the collaboration and exchange of ideas. The SRS facilitates its goals through scientific meetings and trainee specific programming, and by advocating for federal sleep and circadian research funding. The SRS also publishes the peer-reviewed, scientific journals SLEEP and SLEEP Advances (sleepresearchsociety.org).