Sleep Medicine

What is sleep medicine?

Sleep medicine is a subspecialty of medicine that focuses on the diagnosis, treatment, and management of both acute and chronic disorders of sleep. It is a subspecialty defined both by the focus on sleep itself but also by its focus on the impact that disrupted sleep has on your health in general, from your mental health to your risk for many other diseases, including cardiovascular diseases and diabetes.

In August 2023, we are thrilled to be able to start offering sleep medicine evaluations at the Choulet Performance Psychiatry® office by Dr. Michael Bowen, a board-certified psychiatrist who will be finishing his sleep medicine fellowship in July. It is increasingly recognized that sleep and circadian disruption impact a wide range of health conditions, including psychiatric disorders or even mental health distress not arising to a diagnosable disorder. Only a minority of psychiatrists have obtained fellowship training in sleep medicine, and Dr. Bowen is thrilled to be able to start bringing this dual expertise to those struggling with sleep, mental health, or both.

Who may benefit from a sleep medicine evaluation?

Simply put, anyone who is struggling with their sleep, health (mental or physical), or wanting to maximize their performance in almost any arena (work, athletics, school, etc.).

The first step to improvement is comprehensive clinical evaluation – understanding what is going on and what may need to change. There are numerous sleep disorders that can impact your mental health (insomnia, sleep apnea, restless legs, narcolepsy – just to name a few), and many of them have a particular stereotype but the reality is that many of these disorders are seen in people of all shapes, sizes, and backgrounds. Many treatments exist to improve sleep quality but can be hard to access, especially if the correct diagnoses are not made.

There are a couple of other important points to make about sleep and mental health. While some may not have had an evaluation for sleep complaints, others will have had a diagnosis made but struggled to find treatment that works for them. This is regularly seen with obstructive sleep apnea. If you have been diagnosed with sleep apnea and tried to get CPAP to work without success (or had another sleep diagnosis but treatment was not effective), please consider making an appointment to reassess your sleep and to discuss other possible treatment options!

Another point to highlight is that sometimes sleep issues do not improve even after adequately treating other symptoms of a condition such as depression. If you feel you have had only a partial response to your previous mental health treatment, please consider making an appointment to consider how different approaches, including treatments that target sleep specifically, may be able to help get you to your overall treatment goals.

What are sleep medicine services?

At Choulet Performance Psychiatry®, you can expect to begin your sleep medicine experience with a comprehensive assessment of your sleep and daytime functioning. This may be recommended to be paired with a comprehensive psychiatric assessment, depending on your report of symptoms. After the assessment is complete, a discussion of your diagnoses and the evidence-based treatment options will allow you an opportunity to ask questions and consider how you want to proceed. Depending on the symptoms you present with, additional testing such as a home sleep apnea test or a laboratory work-up might be necessary. If your diagnosis matches with treatment services provided by Choulet Performance Psychiatry®, we can get you set-up right away with follow-up to get started with treatment. If your diagnosis needs a treatment not offered at Choulet Performance Psychiatry®, we will refer you to colleagues that offer additional sleep medicine services.

What can I expect from a sleep medicine appointment?

At Choulet Performance Psychiatry®, you can expect compassionate and comprehensive care that is focused on you, not just your symptoms. The concierge model of the practice allows for a smaller caseload and more flexibility with scheduling and appointment times. If you have any questions about your care at Choulet Performance Psychiatry®, you will be able to contact your doctor directly and have a discussion, should anything arise between appointments.

Sleep is a cornerstone of your overall health, and the quality of sleep can impact your well-being and performance, both short and long term. For sleep medicine care that focuses on your overall health and well-being, call Choulet Performance Psychiatry® or schedule an appointment online today.