A four day conference on sleep, that must surely sound like a dream come true to the chronically sleep deprived. But the first congress of the World Association of Sleep Medicine (WASM) held in Berlin, was far from being a sleepy, quiet affair. Boasting an international panel of speakers with big names in the field of sleep medicine, the four-day event was well attended with from all corners of the world.

Sleep is a complex and permanent feature of our lives, it is crucial for regeneration and fundamental to productivity and emotional well-being. Yet it is only recently that sleep disorders are gaining recognition. It is a large and rapidly expending field of study with multidisciplinary involvement and the congress was well attended by psychiatrists, neurologists, respiratory physicians, otolaryngologists, paediatricians, dental and facial maxillary surgeons as well as sleep technologists physiotherapists and psychologists. The sheer number of scientific sessions attests to the fact that as a rapidly growing field of study, much research has been devoted to it.

From early morning breakfast courses, which seem to run counter to the congress's aim of promoting healthy sleep, to evening scientific sessions, the congress was packed with plenary lectures, courses, symposiums and discussions on aspects of sleep as varied as genetics, animal studies, epidemiology, occupational health, diagnostic methods, novel treatment modalities as well as current concepts and trends. Eminent keynote speakers included Christian Guilleminault (widely acknowledged as the father of modern sleep medicine), Allen Pack, James Welsh, Virend Somers, Sona Nevsimalova and Massaya Segaya. There was even a short session by a former Russian cosmonaut on sleep and drowsiness in space.

As usual, the event was also well attended by companies show casing their latest medical devices and it was a unique opportunity to test out the latest in diagnostic and treatment modalities and see equipment that have yet to make it to Singapore.

Thanks to the relatively longer days, there was still a little time after the conference to take in the sights of Berlin. As the capital city of Germany, Berlin is filled with architectural wonders, from historical buildings and monuments to modern contemporary creations. It is a city seeped in history with numerous museums and art galleries. However, the vestiges of its divided and tumultuous past have not been completely removed and glimpses of the east west divide can still be seen, adding to the mystique of this historic city.

All too soon, the four days were over and as I took down my poster, I bid farewell to some of the delegates I had gotten to know, fellow suffers in the brief but stressful presentation session. Contemplating the long flight back and the accompanying upset of day night cycles, I was glad that the next sleep congress (2007) would be held much closer to home in Thailand. 

I would like to thank Singhealth for their generous sponsorship for my attendance at this congress.