The fundamental mission of the WASM is to advance sleep health worldwide. WASM will fulfill this mission by promoting and encouraging education, research and patient care throughout the World, particularly in those parts of the world where the practice of sleep medicine is less developed. WASM will act as a bridge between different sleep societies and cultures, supporting and encouraging worldwide exchange of clinical information and scientific studies related to sleep medicine. WASM will seek to encourage development and exchange of information for world-wide and regional standards of practice for sleep medicine.

Because sleep health will be advanced by information, WASM will strive to advance knowledge about sleep and its disorders amongst both healthcare workers and the general public. This will include both education about the means to “healthy sleep” as well as awareness of the adverse consequences of sleep dysfunction on the quality of life and the health of an individual. To address the concerns of specific areas of the world, WASM will provide a forum for discussion and consideration of issues of relevance to particular regions and cultures.

To achieve these goals, WASM will act in several directions including but not limited to:
• WASM will share information both through its scientific congresses and by organization of intercontinental and regional educational courses, symposia and workshops.
• WASM will encourage international and regional collaborative research, keeping in mind that the customs, cultures and priorities for sleep medicine may vary among different continents of the World.
• WASM will help develop national and regional sleep organizations where none exist.
• WASM will participate in preparation of reviews, guidelines, and standards emphasizing preventive measures for the practicing sleep specialists and taking into consideration regional customs, cultures and habits.
• WASM will collaborate with lay and professional sleep organizations in order to disseminate information about sleep health to the public and the profession.
• WASM will encourage collaboration between sleep clinicians and basic scientists to bring sleep medicine from the bench to the bedside, promoting sleep medicine around the globe.In particular WASM will encourage development of clinical methods appropriate for regional conditions and cultures.
• WASM will be open to establishing closer relationships with individuals and regional associations by offering memberships at a modest cost, taking into consideration local economic issues.
• WASM will maintain an official journal available at a modest fee to its members that will focus on the full range of sleep medicine around the world.