One third of human life spent in sleep. According to the recently published International Classification of Sleep Disorders-3, there are more than 90 kinds of sleep disorders, which has increasingly become medical and public health problems and has gotten more and more attention from medical communities as well as the public. After more than 30 years of development, a new interdisciplinary medical specialty - sleep medicine emerges. In the Europe and the United States, sleep medicine have become an independent specialty as Cardiology, Respirology, et al. In the ongoing standardized medical training program for specialist, sleep medicine has also been established as an independent specialty.  Peking University has long history in sleep research and sleep medicine. The research work in Peking University Sleep Research Center is very well recognized nationally and internationally. Currently, Professor Fang Han serves as the President of Chinese Sleep Research Society, and the vice President of Asian Society of Sleep Medicine. Peking University also leads "973" project in sleep research. The set up of the Center will help Peking University play a leading role in promoting sleep research and sleep medicine in China.

 Peking University Sleep Research Center was established in 2016. The research teams include both clinicians and basic researchers, from different medical disciplines, such as internal medicine, dental medicine, neurology, psychiatry, ENT, traditional Chinese medicine, biology, pharmacology, bioengineering and communication. They are from the Peking University Medical Sciences Center and different affiliated hospitals, School of Life Sciences, College of Engineering, School of Electronics Engineering and Computer Science, School of Psychological and Cognitive Sciences, Institute of Computer Science & Technology, Big Data Science Research Center.  The Center has also developed close international cooperation with the Division of Sleep Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, and set up the joint sleep center, the PKU-UPenn Center of Sleep Medicine in PKU International Hospital, which is one of the few independent Division of Sleep Medicine in China.  

Peking University Sleep Research Center will dedicate to integrate all resources of the university to carry out sleep medicine education and training program, scientific research and medical services. Peking University Sleep Research Center will take  advantage of interdisciplinary to build up a platform for talent training, and also focus on clinical sleep medicine, scientific research and technical personnel training. Meanwhile, using the resources from different institutions in Peking University, as well as that from international groups, especially the Division of Sleep Medicine, University of Pennsylvania.

Currently, the research topics that have been covered by the Center include:   (1) the construction of a remote telemedicine system for sleep disorders; (2) genetic studies on sleep disorders, such as narcolepsy, building up the animal models related sleep including Drosophila and mice; (3) clinical and basic researches on sleep problems associated with insomnia, anxiety and depression; (4) analysis and utilization of sleep biological signals; (5) sleep, cognitive and psychological changes in the function and related brain imaging studies; (6) the central control mechanisms of sleep and breathing disorders; (7) sleep and drug development; (8) sleep apnea and comobidities. Peking University Sleep Center will set up an independent translational reseach center for sleep medicine and establish industrial transformation platform as well. Through multidisciplinary and international cooperation, center will introduce new technologies, advanced knowledge and new system to provide power for innovation and transformation.