The real Sleep Experts "QUI NON INTELLIGIT, AUT TACEAT, AUT DISCAT." ("He who does not understand should either be silent or learn.") Dr. John Dee "Monas Hieroglyphica" 1564 With the increase in articles about sleep there has also been an increase in the number of ‘sleep experts’ being quoted in the media. However the sad fact is that anyone can call themselves a ‘sleep expert’. Now some have every right to be regarded as such but for others it is difficult to find much evidence of their relevant experience, training or expertise in sleep. All too late in life I realised the importance of ‘learning wisdom from the wise’ and it is something you should bear in mind when listening to anyone giving you advice. In my opinion for someone to be a ‘sleep expert’ then they should have most, if not all, of the following • Numerous peer-review publications on the subject • Numerous presentations at national and international scientific meetings • Membership of the national and international professional sleep societies • A higher qualification in sleep research/medicine • Experience of working in a sleep laboratory • National or international reputation in the field of sleep research/medicine. Based on my wholly arbitrary criteria, not all of the people regularly quoted in the media as ‘sleep experts’ can, I believe, really be regarded as such. For reasons of clarity it might be helpful for me to name names. Some of people in the UK, who are regularly quoted in the media, which I would personally consider, based on my criteria, to be sleep experts would include: • Dr Chris Alford • Dr Simon Archer • Prof. Derk-Jan Dijk • Dr Irshaad Ebrahim • Prof. Jason Ellis • Prof. Colin Espie • Prof Russell Foster • Prof. Paul Gringras • Prof. Jim Horne • Dr. Chris Idzikowski • Prof. Kevin Morgan • Prof. Mary Morrell • Dr. Paul Reading • Dr Malcolm Von Schantz • Dr John Shneerson • Prof Adrian Williams • and of course Dr Neil Stanley. NB This is not an exhaustive list nor does it mean that I believe all these people are right all the time or that they are expert in all aspects of sleep research and sleep medicine. Also I am aware that we have all been quoted, or perhaps more correctly misquoted, saying things which we don’t believe or indeed never said. You should also note that sometimes there may be a conflict of interest in what is being said, however on balance you can, again in my opinion, rely on these people when they talk about sleep