Sleep Doctor Questions and Answers

A sleep doctor can be a sleep psychologist or sleep physician, depending on the aspects of sleep health that they work with and treat. To become a sleep specialist, a doctor will receive additional training following their residency that is focused on sleep, sleep health and sleep disorders. Sleep physicians can have a background in pulmonary medicine, internal medicine, psychiatry, pediatrics or otorhinolaryngology and deal with a wide range of sleep disorders. This list of sleep disorders can include insomnia, sleep apnea, narcolepsy, restless leg syndrome, periodic leg movement disorder, circadian rhythm disorders and other disorders that affect a person’s sleep patterns, primarily related to physical conditions. A sleep psychologist also receives additional training related to sleep disorders and sleep health upon completion of medical school. They focus more on behavior issues and insomnia, or any other psychological issues that are preventing patients from getting a good night’s sleep. One form of treatment used by sleep psychologists to treat some sleep disorders is cognitive behavioral therapy. This form of therapy first identifies and then changes the behaviors and thought patterns that are affecting the patient’s ability to fall asleep or to get good quality sleep.

Your first step if you are experiencing difficulty sleeping or falling asleep should be a visit to your primary care provider. They will ask you a series of questions about your current sleep routine and patterns to gain an understanding of any triggers that could be preventing you from having a good night’s sleep. Your primary care doctor can gain a lot of insights into what could be affecting your sleep based on your lifestyle, diet, exercise, stress levels and other factors that could simply be disrupting your sleep patterns and can easily be changed. For example, if you are eating close to bedtime or drinking coffee later in the day, this can keep you awake longer or prevent your body from fully relaxing into sleep. Stress and a lack of exercise, or exercise too late in the day can also impact your sleep patterns. Before referring you to a sleep specialist for treatment, your doctor will want to try to determine the cause of your sleep problems and treat them, where possible, by making some minor changes to your habits and routines. In the case that your doctor does refer to you a sleep specialist, they will want to make sure you are getting referred to the right sleep specialist based on the source of your sleep issues. Your doctor can refer you to a sleep doctor or even to a sleep center to undergo an evaluation and complete a sleep study to pinpoint the cause of your sleep problem.

Koala® Center For Sleep & TMJ Disorders in Lafayette, IN offers a wide range of services for patients suffering from sleep disorders. Our highly trained doctors are experienced in treating patients of all ages with TMJ, snoring, sleep apnea, headaches and fatigue that can be caused by a sleep disorder. We work with our patients on determining the primary source of their condition and work with them to provide a treatment plan that will enable them to easily fall asleep and stay asleep so they can wake up rested and ready to take on the day. Our sleep specialists understand the importance of a good night’s sleep and what negative effects poor quality sleep can have on all other aspects of our lives. Where needed, we are also able to perform sleep studies on our patients to really understand how their bodies function while they are sleeping to provide the best treatment plan possible.

If you are having trouble sleeping and think you might have a sleeping disorder, give us a call or book an appointment online to find out how our team of professionals can help you get your best sleep. Koala® Center For Sleep & TMJ Disorders is home to a leading team of sleep specialists who care about your health and well-being. We serve patients from Lafayette IN, Shadeland IN, Battle Ground IN, Ash Grove IN, Dayton IN and Buck Creek IN.