Association for the Study of Dreams  http://www.asdreams.org/

• International Association For The Study Of Dreams is a non-profit, international, multidisciplinary organization dedicated to the pure and applied investigation of dreams and dreaming. Our purposes are to promote an awareness and appreciation of dreams in both professional and public arenas, to encourage research into the nature, function, and significance of dreaming; to advance the application of the study of dreams; and to provide a forum for the eclectic and interdisciplinary exchange of ideas and information.

Centerwatch http://www.centerwatch.com/

• CenterWatch mission is to be the leading source of clinical trials information for both clinical research professionals and patients. To support our mission, we offer several professional, educational and informative services and resources from news and analysis on the industry to trial listings seeking study volunteers. For more information, click on the links below under the appropriate category.CenterWatch offers several services and resources specifically to patients. With our Clinical Trial Listing Service we are able to provide patients unbiased information on clinical trials, with a clinical trial database that contains thousands of currently enrolling trials. Information on drugs and new medical therapies are available to review. CenterWatch also provides patients with health and educational resources about clinical trials and other health information.

Circadian Sleep Disorders Association  http://www.circadiandisorders.org/

• Circadian Sleep Disorders Network is an independent nonprofit organization dedicated to improving the lives of people with chronic circadian rhythm disorders.We aim to increase awareness within the medical community and among the general public, to provide emotional support and practical ideas for people living with these disorders, to inform patients and health care providers about treatment options, to encourage research into circadian rhythms, and to advocate for accommodations in education and employment for people with circadian rhythm sleep disorders.

Disruptive Women in Healthcare http://www.disruptivewomen.net/

• Disruptive Women in Health Care’s mission is “to serve as a platform for provocative ideas, thoughts, and solutions in the health sphere.” Now in its seventh year, it has not only achieved its stated mission, but exceeded it. Disruptive Women has become an online destination for innovative thinking and has become a thought leader and influencer in its own right, receiving numerous awards and accolades including being named “one of the top health policy blogs” by Health Tech and a “Fierce Female Healthcare Blog To Watch” by Fierce Healthcare.The Disruptive Women community goes beyond the online world, regularly hosting forums, book discussions, and receptions on timely and often controversial health policy topics. Through these events, Disruptive Women brings together prominent players with different opinions and ideologies. These events serve as invaluable networking opportunities and result in robust debates and collaborations.

FoodPyramid.com  http://foodpyramid.com

• • FoodPyramid.com was launched with the aim to be a hub for information on how to keep a healthy lifestyle. We aim to provide information in a way that is easy to read so that you can start and maintain a healthy lifestyle right away.As a community partner with the USDA Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion Nutrition Communicators Network, we work with the USDA to reach individuals and inform of meaningful and healthy dietary changes. We are firm believers that by implementing healthy habits a person will improve his health.We do understand that every person is unique, so not every health topic or recommendation we cover might apply for each individual. However, our intention is to empower the individual to make positive changes to their life. Therefore, we strive to deliver a wide range of information and tools relating to nutrition and health gathered from sources found throughout different media channels.

Harvard Sleep Health on Sleep Apnea http://healthysleep.med.harvard.edu/sleep-apnea

• This site was originally launched on April 1, 2011, and is maintained by the Harvard Medical School Division of Sleep Medicine.The site includes videos, essays, and interactive activities, as well as additional references, resources, and links. All of the material on this site has been written by professional science writers at WGBH Educational Foundation, under the direction of the editor-in-chief of the DSM’s Sleep and Health Education Program, Dr. Stuart Quan. The site’s content has been reviewed by members of the DSM faculty, as well as by an external editorial board.

Healthy Sleep http://healthysleep.med.harvard.edu/

• Healthy Sleep: Understanding the third of our lives we so often take for granted is a Web site that aims to help the general public understand sleep and to get the sleep they need. It is based on the belief that sleep is of equal importance to two other key aspects of health: proper nutrition and regular exercise. Together, these three—nutrition, exercise, and sleep—form the three pillars of health.However, while nutrition and exercise are widely understood and discussed—few individuals would dispute their important role in health—sleep is often misunderstood and neglected, at a terrible cost on both the individual and societal levels.This situation is changing. The momentum for a new understanding and appreciation of sleep is growing. In large part, this is a result of the burgeoning scientific field of sleep medicine and the related field of circadian biology. In particular, the last quarter-century of research in this field has revolutionized our understanding of sleep and the body’s internal clock, and even greater insights seem certain to come.Based on this research, and created in collaboration with experts in the field of sleep medicine, this site aims to illuminate the relevance of sleep, explain the underlying science of sleep, and, most importantly, provide practical information for getting the sleep you need.

Insomiacs UK http://www.insomniacs.co.uk/

• Insomniacs was formed to offer a unique reference point on how to overcome insomnia, sleeping problems and sleep disorders.Suffering from a sleep disorder on a short or long term basis is extremely stressful and can also affect your loved ones or those you work with. Insomniacs.co.uk is intended to help you tackle this challenging and often debilitating condition. Many of our contributors have themselves suffered from sleep disorders, so we have a keen insight into what does – and does not – work. We understand the problems faced by those with sleep disorders, and how those difficulties can be carried over into daily life.This site isn’t aimed solely at insomniac sufferers, but also at those who care about them. If someone close to you has a sleep disorder, we want to help you to help them too.Our mission is to provide a dynamic, top-quality website that will help you, and those closest to you, get a good night’s sleep.Our concern was that there was no single UK resource for interesting features and practical advice on this subject.Our features and articles are written by experts – who have experience, or a particular interest in this area.

Narcolepsy Network http://www.narcolepsynetwork.org/

• Narcolepsy Network is a national patient support organization founded in 1986.  We are a nonprofit organization that relies on member dues and donations to fund our basic programs.  Our primary focus is to:
  • Educate and inform individuals with narcolepsy about this life-long neurological sleep disorder, available treatments and symptom management so they may be empowered to achieve the highest quality of life possible;
  • Provide emotional support and resources to patients, family members, and friends;
  • Encourage and assist in the formation of local support groups and other support systems;
  • Serve as a resource center for patients, medical providers, educators, employers, and members of the public;
  • Advocate for the interests of all persons with narcolepsy;
  • Promote early diagnosis, optimal treatment and scientific research;
  • Increase public awareness of narcolepsy

  The work of the Network goes beyond each of us who has narcolepsy. It extends to the media, governmental agencies, researchers, physicians and other health care professionals as well as to family and friends.

National Forum for Heart Disease and Stroke Prevention* http://www.nationalforum.org

• The National Forum for Heart Disease & Stroke Prevention brings together the most dynamic and diverse organizations in cardiovascular health, providing a forum and outlet for organizations to amplify their voices. Our members currently represent more than 80 national and international organizations from the public and private healthcare organizations, as well as faith, advocacy, academic, and policy settings. The National Forum is a tax exempt, independent non-profit, 501(c)(3), voluntary health organization.

National Library of Medicine – Medline Plus http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/sleepapnea.html

• MedlinePlus is the National Institutes of Health’s Web site for patients and their families and friends. Produced by the National Library of Medicine, the world’s largest medical library, it brings you information about diseases, conditions, and wellness issues in language you can understand. MedlinePlus offers reliable, up-to-date health information, anytime, anywhere, for free.You can use MedlinePlus to learn about the latest treatments, look up information on a drug or supplement, find out the meanings of words, or view medical videos or illustrations. You can also get links to the latest medical research on your topic or find out about clinical trials on a disease or condition.

National Library of Medicine – Research http://tinyurl.com/3pmcmlh

• Understanding nature’s mute but elegant language of living cells is the quest of modern molecular biology. From an alphabet of only four letters representing the chemical subunits of DNA emerges a syntax of life processes whose most complex expression is man. The unraveling and use of this “alphabet” to form new “words and phrases” is a central focus of the field of molecular biology. The staggering volume of molecular data and its cryptic and subtle patterns have led to an absolute requirement for computerized databases and analysis tools. The challenge is in finding new approaches to deal with the volume and complexity of data and in providing researchers with better access to analysis and computing tools to advance understanding of our genetic legacy and its role in health and disease.

National Patients Safety Foundation http://www.npsf.org/askme3/

• The National Patient Safety Foundation’s vision is to create a world where patients and those who care for them are free from harm. A central voice for patient safety since 1997, NPSF partners with patients and families, the health care community, and key stakeholders to advance patient safety and health care workforce safety and disseminate strategies to prevent harm. NPSF is an independent, not-for-profit 501(c)(3) organization.Creating a world where patients and those who care for them are free from harm.NPSF partners with patients and families, the health care community, and key stakeholders to advance patient safety and health care workforce safety and disseminate strategies to prevent harm.

National Quality Forum* http://www.qualityforum.org/Home.aspx

• The National Quality Forum’s (NQF) mission is to lead national collaboration to improve health and healthcare quality through measurement.We strive to achieve this mission by:
  • Convening key public- and private-sector leaders to establish national priorities and goals to achieve healthcare that is safe, effective, patient-centered, timely, efficient, and equitable
  • Working to ensure that NQF-endorsed standards will be the primary standards used to measure and report on the quality and efficiency of healthcare in the United States
  • Serving as a major driving force for and facilitator of continuous quality improvement of American healthcare quality

National Womens Health Resource Center http://www.healthywomen.org/

• HealthyWomen (HW) is the nation’s leading independent health information source for women. Our core mission is to educate, inform and empower women to make smart health choices for themselves and their families. For more than 20 years, millions of women have been coming to HW for answers to their most pressing and personal health care questions. Through our wide array of online and print publications, HW provides health information that is original, objective, reviewed by medical experts and reflective of the advances in evidence-based health research.HealthyWomen, a nonprofit organization, has a long history of providing unbiased and accurate health information and has earned the trust of consumers and health care providers, as well as nonprofit and corporate partners and the media. HW is widely referenced in print, broadcast and online venues, and its website, www.HealthyWomen.org®, was named one of the “Top 100 Websites for Women” by ForbesWoman. In addition, Dr. Mehmet Oz recommended the site as his choice “for one-stop women’s health advice” in O, The Oprah Magazine.HealthyWomen also has a strong network of women’s centers, clinics, health care systems and other health-delivery partners across the country through which it distributes its print materials.

Obesity Action Coaltion http://www.obesityaction.org/home/index.php

• The Obesity Action Coalition (OAC) is a more than 52,000 member-strong 501(c)(3) National non-profit organization dedicated to giving a voice to the individual affected by the disease of obesity and helping individuals along their journey toward better health through education, advocacy and support. Our core focuses are to raise awareness and improve access to the prevention and treatment of obesity, provide evidence-based education on obesity and its treatments, fight to eliminate weight bias and discrimination, elevate the conversation of weight and its impact on health and offer a community of support for the individual affected.Today, more than 93 million Americans are affected by the disease of obesity. If you are affected by obesity or care for individuals affected, we ask that you join the OAC today and help us strengthen our voice. Together we DO make a difference.

Partnership to Fight Chronic Disease*http://www.fightchronicdisease.org/

• The Partnership to Fight Chronic Disease (PFCD) is an internationally-recognized organization of patients, providers, community organizations, business and labor groups, and health policy experts committed to raising awareness of the number one cause of death, disability, and rising health care costs: chronic disease. The Problem: Preventable and Mismanaged Chronic Disease
  Chronic diseases, such as diabetes, COPD, cancer, depression, obesity and heart disease, are the leading causes of death and disability in the United States and account for the vast majority of health care spending. More than one in two American adults lives with at least one chronic condition and nearly one in three live with two or more chronic conditions. Chronic diseases are also the primary driver of health care costs—accounting for 86 cents of every dollar we spend on health care in this country. In 2011, this amounted to $2.3 trillion of the $2.7 trillion spent on health care. Despite these widespread problems, the issue of chronic disease does not register with large segments of the public and policymakers as an issue of primary concern.The Solution: A National Partnership Aimed at Fighting Disease
  As the CDC has said, “The United States cannot effectively address escalating health care costs without addressing the problem of chronic diseases.” Added to that, the World Health Organization estimates that as much as 80 percent of premature heart disease, stroke, and type 2 diabetes, and 40 percent of cancers could be avoided entirely if Americans avoided tobacco, developed healthier eating habits, and were more physically active.That’s why a broad group of patient, provider, community, business and labor groups, and health policy experts, joined together to form the Partnership to Fight Chronic Disease (PFCD)—a coalition committed to raising awareness of the rising rates of preventable and treatable chronic diseases.

Research!America*http://www.researchamerica.org/

• Research!America is the nation’s largest not-for-profit public education and advocacy alliance working to make research to improve health a higher national priority. We urge Congress and the administration to increase funding for the National Institutes of Health (NIH), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and National Science Foundation (NSF) at levels that keep pace with scientific opportunity. We also advocate for federal funding for global health research and a legislative and regulatory climate that stimulates growth in industry research and development.Launching an Advocacy Movement for Research for HealthIn the late 1980s, Research!America’s founders came together to address the widening gap between the potential of biomedical research and the support it was then garnering from the American public and its elected representatives. Leaders from university and independent research institutions, industry, patient organizations, and scientific societies, advised by elected and appointed officials and visionary advocates, formed the Research!America alliance. The wisdom of the founders has stood the test of time, as illustrated by 1989 statements that continue to ring true today:

Respiratory Therapist License http://www.respiratorytherapistlicense.com/

• Respiratory issues do not discriminate based on age. Those in need of respiratory care are often children with asthma, and just as often they are elderly people with COPD or other ailments that affect lung function and respiration. It takes a unique combination of therapeutic know-how and interpersonal skills to work with this diverse patient population; providing life-saving therapeutics while at the same time maintaining the kind of bedside manner that would put patents at ease even as they struggle to breathe.RespiratoryTherapistLicense.com was created for those compelled to provide these vital therapeutic services to improve the lives of vulnerable patients with respiratory problems. RespiratoryTherapistLicense.com provides comprehensive guides detailing the specific licensing requirements enforced by each state’s Board of Respiratory Care. From education standards and exam study guides, to national certification options and license maintenance requirements, RespiratoryTherapistLicense.com serves as a comprehensive resource that will make it easier to choose the right school, qualify for licensure and maintain credentials through continuing education.Whether you are just out of high school and exploring career options in the allied health professions, or considering a career change to the high-growth field of respiratory therapy, RespiratoryTherapistLicense.com will provide you with everything you need to become a highly qualified respiratory therapist.

Restless Leg Foundation http://www.rls.org

• The Restless Legs Syndrome Foundation began in 1989 when eight people with restless legs syndrome or RLS, began sharing letters and discussing their “rare” condition. In 1992, the Foundation was incorporated as a nonprofit organization to address the growing need for research and information about this unknown condition. In the beginning, the Board of Directors would gather around the kitchen table of Executive Director Pickett Guthrie (now a former member of the Board of Directors) to discuss their experiences with the disease and what courses of action would provide the most relief for persons with RLS. Their goals were simple and yet groundbreaking: increase awareness, improve treatments, and, through research, find a cure.Since its inception, the Foundation has been working tirelessly to increase awareness of this disease by raising its profile and educating the public and medical communities alike. The RLS Foundation is spreading the word about RLS — a serious, yet treatable condition with a very significant impact on quality of life. By educating healthcare providers about RLS symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment, the RLS Foundation helps patients receive the quality care they both need and deserve.The Foundation continually strives to be the most reputable source of information on RLS. Our renowned Scientific and Medical Advisory Board, composed of leading RLS experts from all over the world, has written several publications on the diagnosis and treatment of RLS. These include our comprehensive RLS Medical Bulletin, our patient brochure, and our brochures on special topics including concerns for surgery, depression, pregnancy, and children.

Sleep in Infants, Children, Adolescents, and Pregnant Women Knowledge Path http://www.ncemch.org/families/sleep.php

• The National Center for Education in Maternal and Child Health provides national leadership to the maternal and child health community in three key areas–systems-wide program development, education, and state-of-the-art knowledge–to improve the health and well-being of the nation’s children and families. NCEMCH has been recognized by MCHB leadership as “a shining example of applying the academic orientation of the university to the needs of community and state-based health care programs” and as “an absolutely essential component of the nation’s MCH program.

Sleep Medicine Home Page http://www.users.cloud9.net/~thorpy/

The Sleep Well http://www.stanford.edu/~dement/

• Welcome to the Sleep Well, the personal site of Dr. William C. Dement, M.D., Ph.D., the world’s leading authority on sleep, sleep disorders, and the dangers of sleep deprivation. He is the director and founder of the Stanford University Sleep Disorders Clinic and Research Center, the world’s first sleep disorders center.This site contains a large number of Dr. Dement’s writings from the late 1990s, but is no longer regularly updated.Instead, the students of Dr. Dement’s renowned Stanford Sleep and Dreams course have launched a new site aimed at improving sleep health through an entertaining and interactive sleep education. To visit that site and begin or continue your education, please use the link at the top of this page. Or browse the archived Sleep Well site below, or check out some of Dr. Dement’s books using the Amazon links to the right.

University of Maryland Medical Center Sleep Disorders http://www.umm.edu/pulmonary/sleep_disorders.htm

• The University of Maryland Sleep Disorders Center treatment team features specialists from a broad range of medical disciplines, which includes the areas of:
  • pulmonary diseases
  • otolaryngology
  • psychiatry
  • dentistry
  • pediatric and adult neurology

  The center offers comprehensive evaluation and management of a wide variety of sleep disorders including sleep disordered breathing, narcolepsy, insomnia, restless legs syndrome and many other problems. Dr. Scharf is the center director and is boarded in sleep disorders.

  There is a busy outpatient practice, a 6-bedded sleep lab and numerous referral connections for the center. Extensive collaboration exists between pulmonary, cardiology, ENT, dentistry and neurology and problems are often handled in a multidisciplinary fashion.

  There are monthly academic meetings of the center physicians. A rotation through the center is offered to pulmonary and neurology fellows. The center also serves as a resource for both the medial and general communities.

  Research programs include the effects of CHF on sleep disordered breathing (with Dr. Gottlieb of Cardiology and the sleep center at Johns Hopkins), the effects of pacing on sleep disordered breathing (with Dr. Shorofsky of Cardiology), determinants of outcomes in sleep disordered breathing and economic impact of sleep disorders.

Your Sleep from the AASM http://yoursleep.aasmnet.org

• Established in 1975 as the Association of Sleep Disorders Centers, the American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM) is the only professional society dedicated exclusively to the medical subspecialty of sleep medicine.As the leading voice in the sleep field, the AASM sets standards and promotes excellence in sleep medicine health care, education and research.  The AASM has a combined membership of 11,000 accredited member sleep centers and individual members, including physicians, scientists and other health care professionals