What is NSART?

The National Sleep Awareness Roundtable (NSART) is a national coalition of governmental, professional, voluntary, and other organizations whose mission is: 1) to raise awareness about; 2) to increase the understanding of; and 3) to reduce the public health and safety impact of sleep deprivation and sleep disorders by improving communication and collaboration among local, state and federal agencies; professional organizations; and the public.

Through its collective efforts, NSART will work:
1. To increase public awareness about sleep, sleep disorders, and the consequences of sleep deprivation;
2. To promote science-based public policies;
3. To advance basic, clinical, applied, and population-based research; and
4. To promote recognition of and access to care for all individuals with sleep disorders.

NSART is a program of the National Sleep Foundation (NSF), an independent, non-profit 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization.

The History of NSART

Beginning in 2004, the National Sleep Foundation (NSF) began to explore partnership models with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and several institutes at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in order to bring together diverse agencies and organizations around the common goal of addressing public and professional awareness and education about sleep and sleep disorders.

After initial meetings held between NSF, CDC, and NIH, other partners were invited to attend subsequent meetings in Washington, DC and Atlanta, GA.  A diverse working group was formed to discuss the necessary elements for an effective coalition, including how to achieve a sustainable partnership, how to maximize success, how to achieve cost-effectiveness, and ultimately how to evaluate success.

As result of these successful organizational meetings involving more than twenty federal agencies, organizations and medical societies, and in the spirit of congressional language in fiscal years 2005, 2006 and 2007 supporting the effort, the National Sleep Awareness Roundtable (NSART) officially launched in March of 2007.

NSART is currently working through four task forces – public awareness, research, patient access to care, and public policy – to develop a National Action Plan.  This document will address what is required to organize a successful collaboration to implement effective public and professional awareness and education initiatives to improve sleep literacy and healthy sleep behaviors.

NSART is seeking to expand its membership by reaching out to new organizations and state and federal agencies that are interested in raising awareness of sleep issues and implementing NSART’s National Action Plan.

For more information about NSART and membership, please contact:

Darrel Drobnich    
Chief Program Officer for  Policy, Education & Research  
National Sleep Foundation  1522
K Street, NW, Suite 500  
Washington, DC  20005   
ddrobnich@sleepfoundation.org  
Phone: 202-347-3471 x202