The German Sleep Society (DGSM) represents sleep research and sleep Medicine in Germany as a member of the Association of Scientific Medical Societies (AWMF). The currently more than 2000 members of the DGSM come from almost all medical specialties, especially from internal medicine, psychiatry and neurology, pediatrics, otolaryngology and general medicine. There is close cooperation with dentistry, orthodontics and oral and maxillofacial surgery.
The DGSM pursues exclusively and directly non-profit purposes. The statutory purpose of the DGSM is to promote research into sleep and its related fields, to improve the care of patients with sleep disorders and to arrange for the dissemination of new information on sleep research. The purpose of the statutes is realized in particular through scientific and practical activities of the members in the field of clinical and experimental sleep research, the care of patients with sleep disorders and through the further education of all professional groups involved in this field. The purpose of the statutes is also realized by the organization of congresses, other scientific events, workshops and lectures in the field of sleep research and sleep medicine and by the financing of further education and training.
The organs of the Society are the Board of Directors, the Scientific Committee and the General Assembly. The General Assembly sets up working groups in which different sleep medicine topics are dealt with. Different working groups work together in networks on specific topics. The Board of Directors sets up commissions to implement defined tasks of the Society, such as quality management or continuing education. The Scientific Committee is responsible for scientific congress preparation and the promotion of young scientists and advises the Board on scientific topics. The DGSM also offers qualification measures and advanced training for medical-technical personnel.
The scientific journal of the DGSM is the journal Somnology. The journal Somnology is also the scientific organ of the Austrian Society for Sleep Medicine & Sleep Research (ÖGSM) and the Swiss Society for Sleep Research, Sleep Medicine and Chronobiology (SGSSC).
The DGSM is in close cooperation with the European Sleep Research Society (ESRS) and the World Sleep Society (WSS).
The DGSM also works closely with sleep medicine support groups. It provides patient information on sleep medical conditions and information on the quality-assured sleep laboratories certified by the DGSM.
