ABSTRACT
Sleep disorders are both common and consequential, but too often remain undiagnosed.
The insidious, chronic course of most sleep disorders and lack of patient awareness
of signs and symptoms during sleep can complicate the clinical evaluation. Typical
chief complaints include snoring, excessive daytime sleepiness, insomnia, and behaviors
during sleep. Sleep disorders can be primary or secondary to medical, neurologic,
or psychiatric conditions, so a multidisciplinary approach is often desirable. Family
members can be a critical source of information as they may have observed nocturnal
or daytime symptoms unrecognized by the patient. Objective testing plays an important
role in assessment for obstructive sleep apnea, parasomnias, and other specific sleep
disorders, and can be used most effectively in combination with a thorough clinical
evaluation. Nonsleep specialists should consider obtaining assistance from sleep clinicians
for more challenging presentations or management of sleep disorders unfamiliar to
them.
KEYWORDS
Sleep disorders - clinical evaluation - symptoms
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Alp Sinan BaranM.D.
Director, Sleep Disorders Center, University of Mississippi Medical Center
2500 North State Street, Jackson, MS 39216
Email: abaran@psychiatry.umsmed.edu
