WSCN attends AAN Convention 2026!

This year the American Academy of Neurology annual convention was hosted in Chicago, IL. WSCN attended as an exhibitor and was able to connect with the neurology community, which included neurologists, sleep clinics, residents and researchers. People came from all around the globe to attend the event.

Why did we attend?

WSCN attended the convention in order to connect with the neurology community, practitioners, thought leaders and other stakeholders. Our intention was to open up conversations that bring sleep and circadian health to the forefront of neurology. As brain-based processes, sleep and circadian biology serve as overall indicators of the presence or progression of neurologic disease, as well as measures of overall health and wellbeing.

Alongside this we shared information about our CPAP Assistance Program and the AWAKE Peer Mentor Program, which assist people with sleep apnea to gain access to equipment and support to help them succeed. Our aim is to ensure everyone can access the care they need to be healthy.

Alongside sharing our work and programs, we were able to collect meaningful insights and information from attendees about the challenges they are facing in their work.

Important Insights

• The sleep–neurology link strongly resonated; attendees agreed the mission is urgent and needed
• Residents emphasized that discounted devices + a free Peer Mentor program are critical to patient success, particularly where barriers to healthcare access exist
• Many clinicians indicated a need to include caregivers/loved ones in our Peer Mentorship Programs so that they feel connected and supported on their journey
• Multiple clinicians mentioned their spouse or partner struggles with a sleep disorder—and still finds information lacking. They are seeking better information and resources to reduce stigma and connect with the right support

Key Takeaways

Clinicians are looking for more information to share with their patients on sleep and circadian health. There was excitement around the patient support programs and educational materials that WSCN has available, and the conversations emphasized the need for WSCN as a global knowledge hub, to share resources relevant for clinicians, patients, and caregivers.

We were encouraged by the many residents who stopped by our booth, to share their interest in specializing in sleep medicine, and express the need for more focused clinical education in this area for all medical students. They were so excited to find resources and sleep swag. Our ‘I love Sleep’ stickers were especially popular with the residents at AAN.

We loved meeting people from across the sleep and circadian health ecosystem, from industry leaders developing orexin therapies soon to enter the market, to a student creating an online game to help understand sleep disorders, to a researcher studying breathing disorders and use of CPAP machines in space. It is an exciting and rapidly evolving field, with new advancements every day. WSCN is uniquely positioned to translate these innovations into practical knowledge and share them with a global audience.