Sleep disorders are prevalent, with approximately 10 - 20% of the European and US population reporting frequent sleep disruption. Nevertheless, effective strategies to alleviate sleep complaints and treat sleep disorders are often not available. This may be because many of the biological mechanisms, psychological aspects and sociological determinants underlying sleep and its disorders have either not been determined or are not integrated in a multidisciplinary approach.

The University of Surrey has recognised the need for a multidisciplinary approach to sleep research, training and education and, in February 2003, it established the Surrey Sleep Research Centre (SSRC). The SSRC is dedicated to multidisciplinary approaches to sleep research and education. It combines the scientific expertise in sleep research within the Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences. This enables multidisciplinary approaches to sleep research including various levels of organisation and analysis, ranging from the gene to society. The SSRC offices are located in the Clinical Research Centre, which boasts state of the art sleep facilities that include a twelve bed ward and 12 individual sleep laboratories.

The SSRC undertakes a wide range of multidisciplinary and translational studies, in the real world and in the laboratory, with partners in research institutes, the medical community, industry and commerce.