The World Sleep 2023 World Conference took place in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil on October 20-25. At the conference, Laufey Hrólfsdóttir, head of the SAk's Department of Education and Science, Ingibjörg Ösp Magnúsdóttir, a nurse and master's student in public health sciences at the University of Iceland, and Magnús Ingi Birkisson, junior doctor, presented the study "Prevalence of sleep problems among children".

"The presentations were very diverse, and we attended a presentation on sleep-related diseases and their treatment, measurements of sleep and interventions on stage. As a nutritionist, I found it really interesting to learn about new research that is investigating the relationship between nutrition, the microflora in the digestive tract and sleep. The participants in our study answered a questionnaire about food choices, and it will be really interesting to take a closer look at the relationship between sleep apnea and food choices, as this is an under-researched field," says Laufey Hrólfsdóttir, head of the Department of Education and Science of SAk.

At the conference, Magnús received a special award for his abstract on the sleep study. The awards were given to new researchers at a ceremony at the conference.
"When I was contacted about whether I was interested in participating in this study, I had no idea where it could lead me. I joined the team late, when preparations for doctor's visits and follow-up care were beginning. The team had then worked hard to set up the research, apply for permits in various places and started measuring the children. Joining the group was intimidating at first, as the scale of the project seemed so large. But the ball started rolling, the doctor's visits went well, the children were able to measure their sleep and, most importantly, the cooperation in the whole team went well. I have known for a long time that I want to work in pediatrics in the future with genetic medicine as a subspecialty. I believe that the project has strengthened me as a clinical researcher and that the experience will be invaluable to me in research work in the future. Working so closely with experts in their field has also given me an increased knowledge of clinical practice, as I was present at the examinations and got to express myself under guidance in a calm atmosphere. It was the icing on the cake to be able to present the project this October at the world conference on sleep in Rio de Janeiro, where sleep experts from all over the world will gather," Magnús wrote in the final technical report on the study.

Ingibjörg Ösp presented her master's project at the conference. The project is entitled: "Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA): Prevalence among 4-8 Years old Children in the General Population and Connection with Overweight/Obesity". Gróa Björk Jóhannsdóttir, chief physician of pediatrics, and Laufey Hrólfsdóttir are her instructors.

Ingibjörg is very grateful to be able to present the project to such a wide group of experts: "After all the work, it's nice to be able to present the results, especially at such a large conference. It has been a privilege to take part in this project, to be involved from the beginning and to work with the team. There is very good cooperation and motivation in this group, and this work has also increased my interest in research work and given me invaluable experience in that field. It must be mentioned that the children, and the parents, who have participated, have been enthusiastic and conscientious, and that made the project even more fun."

Further information about the conference here.