Advocating for Sleep Research

The Sleep Research Society (SRS) regularly coordinates outreach to policymakers to educate them about the value and importance of circadian, sleep, and sleep disorders research. These members of Congress and administration officials are then better positioned to help advance research, promote public activities, and collaborate with the community to address important legislative, policy, and regulatory issues. This approach has led to a meaningful federal investment in relevant programs over recent years and expansion or inclusion of sleep research activities across federal programs, including;

The SRS facilitates government relations activities through our Advocacy Taskforce, but it is the important volunteer advocacy of our members that facilitates the most progress on an annual basis. Advocates use their personal story and scientific or healthcare interest to connect with their members of Congress and explain the need to enhance support for federal circadian, sleep, and sleep disorders programs. The new Congress has many Representatives and Senators that are unfamiliar with research and public health efforts in this area. Please reach out to your legislators, enlist their support, and begin building a relationship with their congressional office. As a constituent they will want to hear from you and benefit from your expertise.

You do not need to be an expert on civics and government or make an open-ended commitment to be a community advocate. SRS will provide you with background information on the issues and your legislators, advocacy training and orientation sessions, and any support you need to be effective in your outreach.

You’re a sleep expert. That gives you the authority and credibility to educate members of your community, local media, and state and national legislators about sleep health. This time of year, right before and after most of the nation returns to standard time, offers the perfect time to speak out.

A summary of an SRS/AASM online workshop on the benefits of permanent standard time held on September 11, 2024 can help you get started. As participants learned, advocacy can be both meaningful and fun. At the workshop, California State Senator Roger Niello discussed his bill calling on California to adopt permanent standard time. In breakout groups, participants crafted personal stories to share with the media or others in their community. They also learned how to work effectively with legislators and become standard time champions.

View the video presentations here. Download slides, a Permanent Standard Time one pager, Permanent Standard Time Talking Points, Standard Time Advocate Road Map, and a guide to books, websites, videos, and other aids to help you craft your message.

Participants left the workshop energized and with a clear message to use in their letters to the editor, op-eds, media appearances, emails to legislators, and legislative testimony.

You can use the same tactics to advocate for permanent standard time in the spring before the nation switches to daylight saving time, and year-round to support other sleep and circadian issues, including healthy school start times for teens and initiatives to prevent drowsy driving.

Thank you for raising your voice for sleep health and sleep disorders! By meeting with your Members of Congress at their local offices, you are playing a key role in educating Congress and advancing critical research and awareness.

In our Advocacy Webinar, held on July 18th, 2019, we went over tips for telling your story, talking points, and how Congress can help! To get started, please watch the Webinar Video.

Checklist for Taking Action:

1. Find your legislators’ local office info at www.house.gov and www.senate.gov
2. Call/email to schedule the local meeting on behalf of sleep community
3. Print leave-behind materials to bring to meeting (House and/or DoD)
4. Arrive early for meeting
5. Share your story and use the leave-behind materials to ask for your legislator’s support
6. Get their business card and send “thank you” email afterward
7. Important: Report back on how it went! Email your Washington Advocate, Dane Christensen at: christiansen@hmcw.org.

Questions? Please feel free to reach out to Dane at christiansen@hmcw.org. We’re here to help!

Below are useful links to help you get started on advocating for sleep research

Advocacy Task Force

Mandate

The Sleep Research Advocacy Task Force will guide and organize SRS volunteers in their advocacy efforts with congressional action and through communicating the value of sleep research to NIH officials in order to build meaningful relationships over time and thereby enhance the funding for sleep research.

Task Force Members

For questions, comments or concerns regarding advocacy efforts, please contact SRS Coordinator at coordinator@srsnet.org.