[Sleep medicine in USA and European countries--now and then]

In looking to the future in a field such as sleep medicine, there seems to be two general areas: (1) the scientific accomplishments that are likely to transpire in the years ahead and (2) how sleep medicine will be practiced in our evolving medical system. As the care of apnea patients becomes more standardized and effective, sleep medicine must be expanded scientifically and clinically, thereby becoming a complete and mature field. Advancing basic science and technology is likely to improve the well-being of patients with sleep disorders.