Sleep Medicine Doctor - Birmingham, AL

What is Sleep Medicine?

Sleep medicine is the medical field that deals with the diagnosis and treatment of conditions related to sleep and rest. This can include difficulty sleeping well at night or problems with daytime sleepiness. Sleep medicine specialists treat patients of all ages who need better rest.

When people think of sleep disorders, they often think of insomnia. That's one kind of sleep disorder, but there are several others. In addition to insomnia, a sleep medicine specialist may treat conditions such as:

Sleep apnea
Shift work disorder
Circadian rhythm disorder
Severe or recurrent jet lag
Narcolepsy

Treatments may include medication, light therapy, cognitive behavioral therapy, or CPAP therapy. CPAP, which stands for continuous positive airway pressure, is one of the most commonly prescribed treatments. These tiny machines have a tube and mask and blow a stream of air over the face at night, helping patients with snoring or sleep apnea to breathe easily and sleep more soundly.

One important tool often used in sleep medicine is the sleep study or polysomnogram, where patients sleep either in a lab or at home with a monitoring device. The sleep study allows doctors to measure the quality of sleep over an entire night, check for various sleep problems, and identify breathing disorders such as sleep apnea. If performed in a lab, you will arrive and spend the night sleeping in a bed similar to one in a hotel room. You may have electrodes attached to your head and chest to monitor your breathing, oxygen levels, brain waves, and heart rate. Technicians collect the information, which your physician can use to identify and diagnose disorders that have been interrupting your sleep.

Not getting enough rest at night makes you feel terrible, can make it difficult to do the things you need to do, and can even put you at higher risk for physical and mental health problems. Feeling tired all the time can be a huge quality of life issue. If a sleep disorder is preventing you from getting enough rest, a sleep medicine specialist can help you manage the problem so that you have the energy to enjoy your life.