Home

Biographical Sketch

Winni Hofman obtained a Master degree and her PhD degree from the University of Amsterdam. After working for a while at the sleep clinic of Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, Texas, and the epilepsy center 'Meer en Bosch' she worked on various sleep research projects in the University of Amsterdam. From 1987 onwards Winni Hofman was involved in (inter)national projects on the influence of transport noise on sleep. Between 1987 and 1991 she worked as senior reseacher in an advisory project of the Dutch Health Council. After 1998 she became more involved in physiological modelling in sleep. Winni Hofman is involved in the European research projects 'Sensation' (aimed at the detection and prediction of human physiological state in relation to wakefulness, fatigue and stress) and 'EU-clock' (a European research project on biological rhythm).  In 1987 Winni Hofman co-founded Medcare, an international company on sleep diagnostics and sleep research. In2000 she co-founded Personal Health Institute int., a company providing services and products for health care with a focus on scientific research and psychophysiological models. Winni Hofman is member of the scientific board of the Dutch Sleep/Wake Society. She is a registered Health Care specialist ('BIG' register) and a registered clinical sleep specialist.

Research Interests

Research focuses on sleep, sleep quality and daily functioning. The 3 main aspects of sleep quality are the recovery function of sleep, the rhythmical aspects and the 'pleasure' aspect. Sources of disturbance of the sleep quality can have an external as well as an internal origine. In earlier research projects the focus was on the effects of noise as an external disturbance on the sleep structure, cardiac activity and daytime performance. Later the interest shifted more towards internal disturbance of sleep like insomnia and sleep apnea, with a main focus on autonomic arousals during sleep causing fragmentation. A model is being developed for the instability of respiratory mechanical movements during sleep. On this model she got a patent. Other projects concerned the influence of aging on sleep. Recent projects concern the characteristics of adolecent sleep and the behavioral treatment of insomnia over internet.

Some recent publications

• Kramer, C. J., Kerkhof, G. A., & Hofman, W. F. (1998). Transitions from wakefulness to sleep at different times of day: old vs. young subjects. Biological Rhythm Research, 29, 105-118
• Son, B. v., Hofman, W. F., & Uffelen, R. v. (2000a). The relationshipbetweenmarkers of sleep fragmentation in patientswith OSAS and their functioning during the day. In A.L. v. Bemmel, Beersma, D.G.M., Folgering, H., Hofman, W.F.,Ruigt, G. (Ed.), Sleep/Wake Research in the Netherlands (Vol. 11). Maastricht: Dutch Society for Sleep-Wake Research, pp. 109-113
• Hofman, W. F. (2001). Slaapstoornissen bij ouderen. In A. L. v. Bemmel, D. G. M. Beersma, J. H. M. d. Groen, & W. F. Hofman (Eds.), Handboek slaap en slaapstoornissen. Maarssen: Elsevier Gezondheidszorg, pp. 167-174
• Waterman, D., & Hofman, W. F. (2001). Niet-medicamenteuze therapie. In A. L. v. Bemmel, D. G. M. Beersma, J. H. M. d. Groen, & W. F. Hofman (Eds.), Handboek slaap en slaapstoornissen . Maarssen: Elsevier Gezondheidszorg, pp. 193-205
• Hofman, W. F., & Kumar, A. (2003). Thoracoabdominal instability as an objective indication of sleep apnea. In A. l. Bemmel, D. Beersma, W. F. Hofman, G. S. F. Ruigt, & P. J. E. Vos (Eds.), Sleep-Wake research in the Netherlands (Vol. 14). Maastricht: Dutch Society for Sleep-Wake Research, pp. 44-47
• Hofman, W.F. (2004). Slaapverstoring. In A.P.P.J. Stevens, P.H. de Vos, T.C. Welkers, Y. Wijnia & F. Woudenberg (Eds.), Handboek Lawaaibeheersing (Vol. 18). Alphen aan den Rijn, Kluwer, pp. 1-21