What Your Sleep Doctor Wishes You Knew

Published 6/25/07 by Sleep Doc As a sleep physician, I have noticed that patients vary widely in what they expect and what they get out of their visit(s) with me. Here are 10 things that I wish every patient did:

1. Have your own agenda. It’s good to write down the questions and problems that you want to discuss. The health care team really does want to meet your expectations, if they can, and it helps if you make clear what those expectations are. Fore example, if you have had a sleep study, you can and should expect the clinician to go over it with you. Ask for that, if it doesn’t happen.
2. Take control of your medical records. ASK for copies of your sleep study or any other relevant records from the Sleep Clinic, and bring copies of any relevant medical records you have from other doctors. Doctors are not always very good at communicating with each other and you can help facilitate communication by sharing your important records with every doctor you see.
3. Make a list (or bring the bottles) of every medication you take, what it is for, what the dose is and how often you take it. This includes over-the-counter agents. Almost ever drug has some effect on sleep, and knowing your medications can sometimes help your sleep physician solve mysteries.
4. Remember that your time with the physician will be limited, whether it’s explicitly stated or not. For a follow up visit, you may only have 5 or 10 minutes, so it’s important to prioritize your issues and to try to address your most important concerns first. If what you really want help with is understanding your difficulty sleeping at night, it’s best to start with that, rather than waiting until the doctor thinks the visit is over and is headed toward the door.
5. Bring any equipment (specifically, your CPAP machine or oral appliance) with you, ever time. That way, staff can check that it’s working correctly, specifically address questions or problems that you may be having, and get information on your pattern of use, which may be required by your insurance company, in some cases.
6. Bring your bed partner, if you can. Many sleep problems happen when you are asleep (duh), and someone who sees you sleeping can provide invaluable information about behaviors or problems (such as kicking, struggling to breath, sleep walking, and so forth).
7. Make sure it is possible for the doctor to focus on you. Please don’t bring children unless you absolutely have to. Similarly, please don’t talk on your cell phone while your doctor is trying to talk with you. Try to avoid talking about other friends and family member’s health problems or issues, unless they directly impact your sleep or you think they may be genetic.
8. Accept some of the responsibility for getting better. Your doctor is simply doing his job when her tells you that losing weight, stopping smoking, regularizing your schedule or reducing caffeine will improve your sleep. Doctors find it much more rewarding to work with patients as partners; defensiveness and denial do not help you get better and don’t build a partnership with your doctor.
9. Try not to create emergencies. Please don’t call the doctor’s office the day your Commercial Driver’s License expires, asking for same-day clearance. Similarly don’t wait until you are out of your narcolepsy medicine and planning a long drive to request a refill. Doctors take vacations, get sick and get buys, too, and may not be immediately available to serve these very important functions. You can avoid crisis by thinking and planning ahead.
10. Learn all you can about your problem. Read any materials your doctor gives you (and request written information if it’s not provided). Visit credible websites.

Best wishes as you work on getter better sleep!