Getting sufficient sleep every night is vital for daily functioning and overall health. However, approximately 50 to 70 million Americans suffer from chronic sleep issues.
Here are seven reasons why you may want to see a sleep specialist.
1. You Have Trouble Falling Asleep or Staying Asleep at Night
While there are over-the-counter medications for sleeplessness, such as melatonin, Dr. Peters cautions against using them long-term. “Over-the-counter sleep aids may mask the problem without addressing the underlying cause,” he says.
2. You Snore
3. You Wake Up Too Early and Don’t Get Enough Sleep
You might wake up too early for these reasons:
4. You’re Always Tired During the Day
“Evaluation is warranted when fatigue is long-lasting, unexplained, or associated with other symptoms, such as muscle weakness or paralysis triggered by strong emotions (cataplexy), OSA, or unusual nighttime behaviors like sleep walking, talking, eating, and acting out dreams,” says Cai.
5. You Fall Asleep While Eating, Talking, or Driving, or at Other Inappropriate Times
6. You Move in Your Sleep
Certain involuntary movements — including jerks, twitches, spasms, and acting out dreams — can be symptoms of these sleep conditions:
7. You Have a Chronic Health Condition and Have Sleep Issues
What to Expect at Your First Appointment With a Sleep Doctor
During your first appointment with a sleep doctor, they will ask about your medical history, perform a physical exam (focusing on your throat, airway, and breathing), and ask about your sleep habits. They may recommend further testing, such as a sleep study, and suggest behavioral therapies, lifestyle changes, medications, mechanical devices, or surgery to address your symptoms and improve your sleep quality.
Peters recommends keeping a sleep log for two to four weeks and sharing the info with your sleep doctor. In the log, track the time you went to bed, the time you woke up, how long it took to fall asleep, and how many times you woke up during the night. “A careful history helps us determine whether this is a lifelong genetic tendency or if specific factors are exacerbating the disruption,” says Peters.
The Takeaway
- A somnologist is a sleep doctor who can thoroughly evaluate sleep disorders and provide treatment recommendations — such as medications, behavioral therapies, mechanical devices, or surgery — to address your sleep issues and enhance your overall quality of life.
- Consider seeing a somnologist if you struggle to fall asleep or stay asleep, have excessive fatigue, snore, move in your sleep, can’t relax at night without moving, or have difficulty concentrating.
- Insufficient sleep leads to mental and physical issues, and can increase your risk for heart disease, diabetes, obesity, and mood disorders, and can worsen chronic pain.