Sleep Disorders

With one of only four Board Certified Behavioral Sleep Medicine doctors in the Bay Area on our staff, The Clinic provides efficient and effective relief for numerous sleep disorders. These include:

 

• Insomnia, a difficulty in falling or staying asleep that negatively impacts daytime functioning, affects 10%-20% of adults. At The Clinic, we have successfully treated insomnia in many adults and adolescents, including those who’ve previously exhausted other treatments.
• Difficulties acclimating to a CPAP/biPAP for obstructive sleep apnea. Approximately 22 million Americans suffer from obstructive sleep apnea, many of whom require the use of a CPAP machine, which can be difficult to get used to and, initially, can disturb the sleep. We have proven strategies that can help you adjust to PAP therapy and get the healthy sleep your body needs.
• Nightmares, defined as frightening, sometimes recalled dreams followed by agitated wakefulness, can become an ongoing disorder that negatively impacts your ability to function during the day.
• Circadian rhythm sleep-wake disorder, especially common among adolescents and young adults, is characterized by immense difficulty in being able to fall asleep until extremely late at night, followed by difficulty waking up and functioning in the morning.
• Jet-lag and the sleep challenges of shift work can benefit from tools and techniques used to stabilize or reset one’s biological clock and help falling asleep and staying asleep more likely.

Sleep medications can be beneficial when used short-term, such as during periods of acute stress. But medication is not a long-term solution. Sleep medications may increase risk for dependence and tolerance, and can have long-term mental and physical consequences. Fortunately, through the burgeoning field of behavioral sleep medicine, effective non-pharmacological treatment options have been developed and validated. At The Clinic, we have successfully used these to help patients, including many who’ve relied on medications for years, enjoy a good night’s sleep without medication.

Treatment for all sleep disorders start with a comprehensive evaluation. Following this assessment, most disorders are treated in 4 to 6 appointment that are 50-minutes in duration conducted at one of our offices or via video.