World Sleep Society (WSS)

Mission Statement:
The fundamental mission of World Sleep Society is to advance sleep health worldwide. World Sleep Society will fulfill this mission by promoting and encouraging education, research and patient care throughout the world, particularly in those parts of the world where the practice of sleep medicine is less developed. World Sleep Society will act as a bridge between different sleep societies and cultures, supporting and encouraging the worldwide exchange of clinical information and scientific studies related to sleep medicine. World Sleep Society will seek to encourage the development and exchange of information for worldwide and regional standards of practice for sleep medicine.

Goal and Purpose:
The goal and purpose of the World Sleep Society are to advance knowledge about sleep, circadian rhythms, sleep health, and sleep disorders worldwide, especially in those parts of the world where this knowledge has not advanced sufficiently. This endeavor will promote clinical and scientific information for scientists, health care personnel, and the general public. World Sleep Society will foster international exchanges among scientists, physicians, psychologists, nurses, physician assistants, technologists, and other medical and research personnel interested in the sleep field. In this manner, it is expected that sleep science and medicine can advance for all populations to improve the quality of life of individuals throughout the world. World Sleep Society will promote worldwide sleep health by advancing public education, supporting public policies related to sleep health, and supporting sleep research. World Sleep Society currently represents individual members, and societies, and organizes the World Sleep Congress every other year.

History:
In 2016, World Sleep Federation (WSF) and World Association of Sleep Medicine (WASM) collaborated to found one international organization: World Sleep Society.

World Sleep Federation (WSF) is an international organization founded in 1988. At the time of the collaboration, it comprised of seven charter members including the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, Asian Sleep Research Society, Australasian Sleep Association, Canadian Sleep Society, European Sleep Research Society, Federation of Latin American Sleep Societies, and Sleep Research Society. The charter members represented 53 sleep societies and organizations, and over 12,000 individuals. WSF held educational congresses throughout the world every four years with the last meeting in Istanbul, Turkey in 2015.