Drs who treat sleep disorders

[A MESS]

According to Mayo Clinic the following people treat sleep disorders. However some may not want to. Check around, and depending on the problem you can find the right one.

Departments that treat this condition

Dental Specialties
Neurology
Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery
Otorhinolaryngology (ENT)
Psychiatry and Psychology
Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine

[A Mess]

XXyy---Tell it to Mayo Clinic.

[TASmart]

Most if not all of the Board Certified Sleep Drs come from a background in one of the other medical fields, such as ENT, or Neurology. For example, mine is Board Certified in Neurology, Psychology and Sleep medicine.

[A MESS]

You may be a Neurologist, a dentist or a whomever. But you must ( should be ) board certified in sleep disorders in order to treat this sub- speciality. There are a lot of quacks out there. Beware. All drs are not created equal.

[chunkyfrog]

---and, sadly, many quacks do possess the "proper" certification.
Remember, the person who graduates at the very BOTTOM of the class in med school---
still gets to be called "DOCTOR".

[TASmart]

Here are the requirements for Board Certification in Sleep medicine:

Current State of the Sleep Medicine Specialty Examination for Physicians and PhDs

Commencing in 2007, several of the member boards of the American Board of Medical Specialties began administration of a subspecialty certification examination for sleep medicine.

Please note that the American Board of Sleep Medicine continues to maintain and verify the records of the Diplomates of the American Board of Sleep Medicine, as it is a lifetime credential. Primary verification can be obtained in the Verification of Diplomates of the ABSM section of this website or by submitting a request by email, fax (630-737-9790) or mail (2510 North Frontage Road, Darien, IL 60561) or by calling the ABSM at 630-737-9701.

Select one of these links for more information about sleep medicine specialty certification:

Certified International Sleep Specialists
Verification of Diplomates
For further information regarding future sleep medicine examinations, please refer to the website of the ABMS member board through which you have received your specialty certification. The contact information for each ABMS member board administering a sleep medicine examination is below.

American Board of Anesthesiology
4208 Six Forks Road, Suite 900
Raleigh, NC 27609-5735
Website: http://www.theaba.org/home
American Board of Family Medicine
2228 Young Drive
Lexington, KY 40505-4294
Phone: 859-269-5626 or 888-995-5700
Fax: 859-335-7501 or 859-335-7509
Website: https://www.theabfm.org

American Board of Internal Medicine
510 Walnut Street
Suite 1700
Philadelphia, PA 19106-3699
Phone: 215-446-3500 or 1-800-441-2246
Fax: 215-446-3633
Website: http://www.abim.org/certification/polic ... sleep.aspx

American Board of Pediatrics
111 Silver Cedar Court
Chapel Hill, NC 27514
Phone: 919-929-0461
Fax: 919-929-9255
Website: http://www.abp.org

American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology
2150 East Lake Cook Road, Suite 900
Buffalo Grove, IL 60089
Phone: 847-229-6510
Fax: 847-229-6600
Website: http://www.abpn.com/cert_subspecialties.htm

American Board of Otolaryngology
5615 Kirby Drive
Suite 600
Houston, Texas 77005
Phone: 713-850-0399
Fax: 713-850-1104
Website: http://www.aboto.org

And from the Board of Internal MEdicine;

Sleep Medicine
Certification Examination Blueprint
Purpose of the exam
The exam is designed to evaluate the knowledge, diagnostic reasoning, and clinical judgment
skills expected of the certified sleep medicine specialist in the broad domain of the discipline.
The ability to make appropriate diagnostic and management decisions that have important
consequences for patients will be assessed. The exam may require recognition of common as
well as rare clinical problems for which patients may consult a certified sleep medicine
specialist. The exam is developed jointly by the ABIM, the American Board of Anesthesiology,
the American Board of Family Medicine, the American Board of Otolaryngology, the American
Board of Pediatrics, and the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology.
Exam content
Exam content is determined by a pre-established blueprint, or table of specifications, which is
reviewed annually and updated as needed for currency. Trainees, training program directors,
and certified practitioners in the discipline are surveyed periodically to provide feedback and
inform the blueprinting process.
The primary medical content categories of the blueprint are shown below, with the percentage
assigned to each for a typical exam:
Medical Content Category % of Exam
Normal Sleep and Variants 16%
Circadian Rhythm Sleep-Wake Disorders 10%
Insomnia 17%
Central Disorders of Hypersomnia 12%
Parasomnias 7%
Sleep-Related Movements 8%
Sleep-Related Breathing Disorders 20%
Sleep in Other Disorders 5%
Instrumentation and Testing 5%
100%
2
Exam format
The exam is composed of multiple-choice questions with a single best answer, predominantly
describing patient scenarios. Questions ask about the work done (that is, tasks performed) by
physicians in the course of practice:
• Making a diagnosis
• Ordering and interpreting results of tests
• Recommending treatment or other patient care
• Assessing risk, determining prognosis, and applying principles from epidemiologic
studies
• Understanding the underlying pathophysiology of disease and basic science knowledge
applicable to patient care
Clinical information presented may include patient photographs, actigrams, and
polysomnograms to illustrate relevant patient findings. Some questions may include video.
A tutorial including examples of ABIM exam question format can be found at
http://www.abim.org/certification/exam- ... fault.aspx.
The blueprint can be expanded for additional detail as shown below. Each of the medical
content categories is listed there, and below each major category are the content subsections
and specific topics that may appear in the exam. Please note: actual exam content may vary.
Normal Sleep and Variants 16% of Exam
Sleep-wake mechanisms, neurophysiology 4%
Circadian timing
Homeostatic sleep regulation
Non-rapid eye movement (NREM) sleep mechanism
REM sleep regulation
Wake neurophysiology
Other physiology <2%
Gastrointestinal
Pulmonary
Endocrine
Cardiovascular
Normal sleep 2%
Infancy
Childhood
Adolescence
3
Adulthood
Elder years
Pregnancy
Menopause
Effects of sleep deprivation <2%
Neurocognitive function
Mood disturbances
Metabolic disturbances
Scoring and staging 7%
Staging and arousals
Respiratory events
Movement
Cardiac
Electroencephalogram (EEG) variant
Circadian Rhythm Sleep-Wake Disorders 10% of Exam
Circadian sleep disorders 6.5%
Delayed sleep-wake phase disorder
Advanced sleep-wake phase disorder
Non-24-hour sleep-wake rhythm disorder
(free-running circadian sleep disorder)
Irregular sleep-wake disorder
Shift work disorder <2%
Jet lag disorder <2%
Circadian sleep-wake disorder not otherwise specified, including
disruption related to behavior, medical conditions,
or drugs or substances <2%
Insomnia 17% of Exam
Short-term insomnia <2%
Chronic insomnias 14%
Chronic insomnia, psychophysiologic subtype
Chronic insomnia, paradoxical subtype
Chronic insomnia coexisting with mental disorders
Chronic insomnia, idiopathic subtype
Chronic insomnia due to inadequate sleep hygiene
Chronic insomnia of childhood
4
Insomnia related to behavior, medical conditions, or drugs
or substances, and isolated symptoms and normal variants
associated with reports of insomnia 2%
Insomnia related to behavior, medical conditions,
or drugs or substances
Excessive time in bed
Short sleep
Central Disorders of Hypersomnia 12% of Exam
Narcolepsy 5%
Type 1 (with cataplexy)
Type 2 (without cataplexy)
Idiopathic hypersomnia <2%
Kleine-Levin syndrome (periodic hypersomnia) <2%
Insufficient sleep syndrome 2.5%
Hypersomnia due to medical disorders <2%
Hypersomnia due to medications <2%
Hypersomnia associated with psychiatric disorders <2%
Parasomnias 7% of Exam
NREM-related parasomnias 3%
Confusional arousals
Sleep walking
Sleep terrors
Sleep-related eating disorder
REM-related parasomnias 3%
REM sleep behavior disorder
Recurrent isolated sleep paralysis
Nightmare disorder
Other parasomnias <2%
Exploding head syndrome
Sleep-related hallucinations
Enuresis
Parasomnia due to medical disorders, medications, or
substances or unspecified
Isolated symptoms and normal variants <2%
Sleep talking
5
Sleep-Related Movements 8% of Exam
Restless legs syndrome 3.5%
Periodic limb movement during sleep 2%
Rhythmic movement disorder <2%
Sleep-related leg cramps <2%
Bruxism <2%
Sleep myoclonus <2%
Benign sleep myoclonus of infancy
Propriospinal myoclonus at sleep onset
Other-sleep-related movement disorders due to medical
disorders, medications, or substances or unspecified and
movement related to isolated symptoms and normal variants <2%
Other sleep-related movement disorders due to medical
disorders, medications, or substances or unspecified
Excessive fragmentary myoclonus
Hypnagogic foot tremor and alternating leg muscle activation
Sleep starts (hypnic jerks)
Sleep-Related Breathing Disorders 20% of Exam
Obstructive sleep apnea 9%
Adult obstructive sleep apnea
Pediatric obstructive sleep apnea
Central sleep apnea syndromes 7.5%
Central sleep apnea with Cheyne-Stokes breathing
Central sleep apnea due to a medical disorder without
Cheyne-Stokes breathing
Central sleep apnea due to high-altitude periodic breathing
Central sleep apnea due to medications or substances
Primary central sleep apnea
Primary central sleep apnea of infancy
Primary central sleep apnea of prematurity
Treatment-emergent central sleep apnea
Sleep-related hypoventilation disorders 2.5%
Obesity-hypoventilation syndrome
Congenital central alveolar hypoventilation syndrome
Late-onset central hypoventilation with
hypothalamic dysfunction
Idiopathic central alveolar hypoventilation
Sleep-related hypoventilation due to medications or substances
6
Sleep-related hypoventilation due to medical disorders
Sleep-related hypoxemia disorder <2%
Isolated symptoms and normal variants <2%
Snoring
Catathrenia
Sleep in Other Disorders 5% of Exam
Neurologic disorders 2%
Neurodegenerative and neuromuscular disorders
Cerebrovascular disorders
Sleep-related epilepsy and seizure disorders
Congenital disorders
Sleep-related headaches
Neurodevelopmental disorders
Psychiatric disorders 2%
Mood disorders
Psychotic disorders
Anxiety
Substance abuse
Other conditions and general topics
Other medical disorders <2%
Genetic disorders
Endocrine disorders
Cardiac disorders
Pulmonary disorders
Gastrointestinal disorders
Hematologic disorders
Instrumentation and Testing 5% of Exam
Electrical components <2%
Sensors
Filters
Analog-to-digital (A-to-D) convertors
Display
Technical aspects of sleep devices <2%
Actigraphy
Positive airway pressure (PAP) and ventilatory
support devices
7
Electrical safety <2%
Artifacts <2%
Study preparation and testing conditions <2%
Polysomnography (PSG)
Multiple Sleep Latency Test (MSLT) and Maintenance of
Wakefulness Test (MWT)
Out-of-center testing
January, 2016

Looks to me like extensive sleep medicine knowedge is required.

[TASmart]

Maybe xxyzx could apply his superior intellect to pass both the requisite exams ( creampuff) and clinical experience to become a Board Certified Sleep Physician if it's so easy.

[luvsbluberries]

Here are the requirements for Board Certification in Sleep medicine:{snip)

So what does that mean when it comes to asking your PCP to help manage your xPAP?

I would much prefer to be under the care/supervision of someone knowledgeable about sleep apnea. You know, a freaking expert. I'm really disillusioned with how crooked the sleep industry appears to be, from what little I've seen of it so far.

[TASmart]

It only means that there are rigorous and substantial requirements to becoming Board Certified as a Sleep Specialist. It was claimed here that there was no specialized training in sleep medicine required for board certification and I was disputing that claim.

[TASmart]

Most if not all of the Board Certified Sleep Drs come from a background in one of the other medical fields, such as ENT, or Neurology. For example, mine is Board Certified in Neurology, Psychology and Sleep medicine.

that is even better

but many have no special training in sleep problems
and will treat symptoms their specialty may be able to help
while not fixing the real problem nor doing anything well

Looks like this is such a claim