Philips and World Association of Sleep Medicine Join Efforts to Expand People's Awareness of the Impact of Sleep on Health and Well-Being

By Philips, PRNE
Thursday, March 17, 2011

Special Sleep Module Launched as Part of the Philips SimplyHealthy@Schools Program

AMSTERDAM, The Netherlands, March 18, 2011 - Royal Philips Electronics (NYSE: PHG, AEX: PHI) announced today a global
partnership with the World Association of Sleep Medicine (WASM), as official
sponsor of World Sleep Day 2011, being held across the globe on Friday, March
18
. This partnership illustrates Philips' expanding efforts to increase
awareness of how sleep impacts people's health and well-being all around the
world, on a daily basis.

"Philips is honored to be working with the World Association of Sleep
Medicine," commented Dr. David White, Chief Medical Officer for Philips Home
Healthcare Solutions and a Professor of Sleep Medicine at Harvard Medical
School
. "Through the sponsorship of the World Sleep Day we aim to increase
people's understanding of the seriousness of sleep disorders, such as
obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) which, if not properly managed, can have a
significant impact on a person's health and well-being."

Commenting on the sponsorship with Philips, Antonio Culebras, Professor
of Neurology at SUNY, Upstate Medical University in New York, and co-Chair of
World Sleep Day, said, "We're excited to be working with Philips in raising
awareness of the significant and increasing impact lack of sleep is having on
people across the world."

At the same time, Philips, together with leading Australian sleep
researcher Dr. Sarah Blunden (www.sleepeducation.net.au) and the WASM,
announced the launch of a new educational module on sleep for children around
the world, as part of the SimplyHealthy@Schools program. Available online at
www.simplyhealthyatschools.com, the program aims to support teachers
in educating children between the ages of 8 and 12 years, on the importance
of sleep and how it can help to improve their health and well-being.

"More than ever we recognize how important a good night's sleep is to our
health and well-being, and our ability to function properly during the day.
Through the SimplyHealthy@Schools program, we hope to be able to bring this
lesson to the classroom and ensure children around the world can benefit from
a better understanding of the day-to-day impact of sleep," said Dr. Blunden,
Pediatric Sleep Research Fellow at the Centre for Sleep Research, University
of South Australia and director of the Australian Centre for Education in
Sleep (ACES).

The fourth annual World Sleep Day - 'Sleep Well, Grow Healthy' - is
themed to highlight the importance of sleep for people of all ages. Newborn
infants, children, adolescents and adults, both young and old, need quality
sleep to maintain a healthy life.

The scale of the problem is highlighted by the recently published Philips
Index for Health and Well-being report - a massive consumer research study
conducted across 23 countries and involving more than 31,000 people, that
reveals 35 percent of people do not feel they get enough sleep, impacting on
both their physical and mental health*.

Interestingly, with almost half of those responding citing 'poor sleeper
in general' as a reason for sleep deprivation - it suggests that many may
have just resigned themselves to not ever getting a good night's sleep.

In reality, there are a number of potential causes for a disturbed
night's sleep. These include sleep disorders such as OSA, which affects
approximately 4 percent of the adult population. It's a disorder
characterized by airway collapse (behind the tongue) during sleep, which
obstructs breathing. If untreated, it can contribute to the development of
high blood pressure, diabetes, heart attacks, and strokes. Snoring should
also not be ignored in children, as it may be a symptom of OSA.

As a global leader in the management of sleep disorders, Philips
innovates to find meaningful solutions that improve the health and well-being
of people around the world, and has developed a wide range of products and
solutions, from diagnostic tools through to patient-centered sleep therapy
devices, to help enhance the quality of sleep.

To find out more about World Sleep Day 2011 and what's happening in your
local area, visit www.worldsleepday.org.

Philips also calls upon everyone who thinks they suffer from Obstructive
Sleep Apnea (OSA) to take its self-assessment Sleep Quiz which can be found
online at www.philips.com/sleepapnoea.

* This data is taken from a sub-analysis of the Philips Index for Health
and Well-being, involving almost 14,000 people from 10 different countries

Notes to Editors:

About the World Association of Sleep Medicine

The World Association of Sleep Medicine (WASM) is committed to
researching and solving sleep problems in children and adults alike. It
dedicates its efforts in 2011 to educate the world on important sleep topics,
including improving the sleep of both adults and children. World Sleep Day
events will take place primarily online at www.worldsleepday.org,
featuring educational videos, education materials, and public service
announcements.

About Royal Philips Electronics

Royal Philips Electronics of the Netherlands (NYSE: PHG, AEX: PHI) is a
diversified health and well-being company, focused on improving people's
lives through timely innovations. As a world leader in healthcare, lifestyle
and lighting, Philips integrates technologies and design into people-centric
solutions, based on fundamental customer insights and the brand promise of
"sense and simplicity". Headquartered in the Netherlands, Philips employs
119,000 employees in more than 60 countries worldwide. With sales of EUR 25.4
billion
in 2010, the company is a market leader in cardiac care, acute care
and home healthcare, energy efficient lighting solutions and new lighting
applications, as well as lifestyle products for personal well-being and
pleasure with strong leadership positions in flat TV, male shaving and
grooming, portable entertainment and oral healthcare. News from Philips is
located at www.philips.com/newscenter.

For further information, please contact: Steve Klink, Philips Corporate Communications, Tel: +31-20-597-7415, Email: steve.klink at philips.com; Joon Knapen, Philips Healthcare, Tel: +1-978-659-1990, Email: joon.knapen at philips.com; Sarah Campbell, Philips Healthcare Asia Pacific, Tel: +61(2)9947-0472, Email: sarah.campbell at philips.com

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