Symposia

Submit Symposia for World Sleep 2027 in Montreal

Symposia at the World Sleep Congress are 75-minute sessions with three or four speakers and one or two chairpersons. They feature data-driven presentations from diverse speakers on a common topic in sleep medicine and research.

You can find below a complete list of the symposium topic categories and a description of each.

The symposium program will take place over September 13 – 15, 2027 in person in Montreal. Connect with your colleagues, submit your symposium, and join the world’s premier program in sleep medicine and science!


Submit Symposium

Submission deadline: January 20, 2027

Submission Checklist

Each symposium is 75 minutes with three or four speakers and one or two chairpersons.

Below is the comprehensive checklist of items you will need to complete your submission:

  • Category: Select one of 17 categories in the program. Find the category options and descriptions listed below.
  • Symposium title: max 50 words
  • Detailed summary: max 500 words, a description of the symposium with a brief description of each presenter’s contribution. This summary is for the reviewers.
  • High-level summary: max 200 words, this description would be used for the public schedule if the symposium is accepted.
  • Target audience: max 500 words, open-ended question. Who is the target audience for the symposium?
  • Chairperson information: first name, last name, country, and email address for each chairperson. One chairperson is required. A symposium can have up to two chairpersons.
  • Speaker information: for each of the speakers – including a chairperson if a chairperson is presenting – include the following information:
    • Presentation title (max 150 characters)
    • Presentation learning objective: Complete the sentence “Upon completion of this CME activity, participants should be able to…”
    • First name
    • Last name
    • Country
    • Email address
    • University or Institution name
    • City
    • Country
    • New investigator qualification: is the speaker <36 years of age OR completed MD, PhD, or equivalent within the last 5 years?
  • Consent from each speaker: the submitter must acknowledge that each participant has consented to speak in the symposium if accepted

Questions about the content of your submission? Please feel welcome to contact Angie at granum@worldsleepsociety.org.

Review Criteria, Process, and Notifications

Each symposium proposal is scored by multiple reviewers from the International Scientific Committee. The criteria are:

  • Quality of data
  • Innovation
  • Diversity (countries, institutions, genders, career level)
  • Potential interest to attendees

Diversity and representation from multiple countries are highly encouraged for a strong proposal. Find some more tips in our post on creating a strong symposium proposal for World Sleep.

The review process culminates in an in-person meeting of the Program Committee to review all submissions and make decisions on scheduling. Notifications to submitters are expected in April and May 2027.

Symposium Policies and Important Information

  • Each participant in an accepted symposium must register for World Sleep 2027 and participate in person in Montreal.
  • An individual may speak in up to two symposia in the symposium schedule. This limit does not apply to the chair role in symposia, to abstract presentations, or any other session type. There is no limit to the number of symposium submissions one individual may be part of.
  • There is a separate application process for companies with interest in presenting a symposium. Please contact Tyler at ringstad@worldsleepsociety.org for questions and next steps.

Questions? Please contact Angie at granum@worldsleepsociety.org.

Symposium Categories

Symposium CategoryDescription
Basic Sleep ScienceAnimal and human basic research, mechanisms, neurobiology, physiology, biomarkers.
Circadian Rhythms and ChronobiologyCircadian sleep-wake disorders, shift work, jet lag, chronotherapy.
Insomnia and Behavioral Sleep MedicineInsomnia, CBT-I, behavioral interventions, behavioral sleep medicine, digital therapeutics.
Hypersomnolence DisordersExcessive daytime sleepiness, narcolepsy, idiopathic hypersomnia, other central hypersomnias.
Sleep-Disordered BreathingBasic mechanisms, diagnosis, clinical phenotypes, treatment, outcomes.
RLS, PLMS and Sleep-Related Movement DisordersRestless legs syndrome, periodic limb movements, bruxism, rhythmic movement disorder, other sleep-related movements.
Parasomnias and REM Sleep Behavior DisorderNREM parasomnias, RBD, nightmares, forensic aspects.
Sleep and Neurological DisordersEpilepsy, neurodegeneration, stroke, headache, traumatic brain injury, neurological comorbidities.
Sleep and Mental HealthDepression, anxiety, PTSD, bipolar disorder, psychosis.
Sleep, Cognition, Dreaming and ConsciousnessMemory, learning, attention, emotional regulation, dreaming, consciousness, lucid dreaming.
Pediatric and Adolescent SleepSleep development, Children and adolescent sleep disorders, school and family issues, neurodevelopmental conditions, pediatric sleep health and interventions.
Sleep, Life Cycles, and AgingAdult sleep disorders and phenotypes, pregnancy, menopause and sex-specific issues, marital and family issues, sleep in older adults, frailty, cognitive aging, and lifespan changes from adulthood onward.
Sleep Health, Public Health, Equity, and EnvironmentPopulation sleep health, social determinants, global sleep health, access to care, policy, sleep healthcare economics, environment and sleep, and the environmental impacts on the planet.
Technology, AI and Digital Sleep MedicineWearables, nearables, AI, automated scoring, home testing, telemedicine, digital phenotyping.
Pharmacology, Therapeutics and Clinical TrialsMedications, devices, treatment trials, safety, comparative effectiveness, implementation sciences.
Occupational Sleep, Performance and SafetyShift work, fatigue risk, transportation, workplace safety, military performance.
Sleep Surgery and DentalSleep surgery. Dental sleep medicine