From sleep medicine to medicine during sleep–a clinical perspective

Objective. In this perspective paper, we aim to highlight the potential of sleep as an auspicious time for diagnosis, management and therapy of non-sleep-specific pathologies. Approach. Sleep has a profound influence on the physiology of body systems and biological processes. Molecular studies have shown circadian-regulated shifts in protein expression patterns across human tissues, further emphasizing the unique functional, behavioral and pharmacokinetic landscape of sleep. Thus, many pathological processes are also expected to exhibit sleep-specific manifestations. Modern advances in biosensor technologies have enabled remote, non-invasive recording of a growing number of physiologic parameters and biomarkers promoting the detection and study of such processes. Main results. Here, we introduce key clinical studies in selected medical fields, which leveraged novel technologies and the advantageous period of sleep to diagnose, monitor and treat pathologies. Studies demonstrate that sleep is an ideal time frame for the collection of long and clean physiological time series data which can then be analyzed using data-driven algorithms such as deep learning. Significance.This new paradigm proposes opportunities to further harness modern technologies to explore human health and disease during sleep and to advance the development of novel clinical applications – from sleep medicine to medicine during sleep.