What Doctor Do I Need To See For Sleep Problems?

It's one thing to have one or two nights of poor sleep. But when your sleep is chronically disruptive and nonrestorative, your entire life can be negatively impacted. However, it can be tough to know who you need to see to address your sleep issues. 

Here at ApneaMed, we have partnered with many different medical professionals to help them provide you with the sleep diagnostic tools needed to help you with your sleep issues.  

Types Of Doctors That Address Sleep Issues

Below are some of the most common types of doctors who may be able to help with your sleep problems.

Primary care physicians - For those who have a primary care physician, visiting them for your sleep issues is a good start. In some cases, they may be able to provide a starting diagnosis and see where the first stages of treatment take you. Also, if you end up needing a specialist, your primary care physician is often who will refer you to them.

Ear, nose, and throat (ENT) doctors - If your sleep problems are linked with breathing issues—i.e., tonsils block your airway, inflamed sinuses, etc.—an ENT doctor specializes in diagnosing and treating the ears, nose, and throat as a connected system. 

Dentists - It may sound odd, but your dentist may be able to provide you with help for your sleeping problems and not just your teeth. These dentists often partner with a sleep physician and can fit you for oral appliances that can help you breathe more easily in your sleep. Dentists can also check to see if you struggle with issues like grinding or clenching your teeth in your sleep, leading to headaches and worn teeth that are more sensitive. 

Chiropractors - When your body is out of alignment, issues with sleeping well can arise, either due to pain or constricted breathing. Chiropractors can provide alignment help, assess lifestyle for recommendations to improve daily wellness, and also provide referrals to other specialists to help with your breathing issues. 

There are other specialists who work on sleep issues, such as board-certified sleep physicians and surgeons who provide surgical interventions for some cases of sleep apnea. However, these specialists will not be the first doctors you speak to about your sleep problems, as they are generally referral-only after you have received a diagnosis. 

Receive At-Home Sleep Apnea Test From Health Care Professionals  

Sleep apnea is one of the most common sleep problems that is diagnosed, but many people believe that they have to undergo a sleep study in a sleep lab to receive a diagnosis of sleep apnea. Yet, if you work with a medical specialist who is part of the ApneaMed Partnership Program, your specialist can hand you one of our at-home test kits to use at home to test for obstructive sleep apnea.

Also, if you think you may have obstructive sleep apnea, you don't have to wait until a medical professional gives you a home sleep apnea test. You can obtain an ApneaMed home sleep apnea test kit, which collects information overnight on your sleep. The information is analyzed by board-certified sleep physicians, and you are given a diagnosis quickly.