The field of sleep medicine has gone through tremendous evolution since the discovery of
REM sleep in 1953 and remarkable research in recent years has led to multiple advances in
sleep medicine. Among the most important improvements are the approval of the new
medication for treating excessive daytime sleepiness in patients with obstructive sleep apnea
and narcolepsy, treatment of central sleep apnea with phrenic nerve stimulation, treatment of
obstructive sleep apnea with hypoglossal nerve stimulation, and emerging evidence on
possible medication treatment of obstructive sleep apnea. These are exciting times in the field
of sleep medicine, which is now a specialty in its own right. Technological advances are
helping us break down diagnoses (e.g., further differentiating Narcolepsy into Type 1 and
Type) and lead to novel ways of home sleep apnea testing (like peripheral arterial tonometry)
and computerized interpretation of home sleep studies. We have potential tools in some areas
of sleep medicine, such as obstructive sleep apnea, that can be used as part of a strategy for
deep phenotyping of patients in precision medicine. Not only that, areas such as chronic
insomnia and restless legs syndrome show promise for precision medicine application,
especially after the identification of genetic markers and application of our understanding of
the pharmacogenetics of commonly used medications in sleep medicine. Undoubtedly, much
greater progress will be made in the coming years. We believe that the contributions of this
book authored by international and respected experts will be useful to the respiratory and
sleep medicine clinicians, whose efforts are still needed in treating and improving the quality
and length of life in patients with complex sleep disorders.
