Sleep medicine
Sleep Medicine
Sleep medicine (pronunciation: /sliːp ˈmɛdɪsɪn/) is a medical specialty or subspecialty devoted to the diagnosis and therapy of sleep disturbances and disorders.
Etymology
The term "sleep medicine" is derived from the English words "sleep", which originates from the Old English word "slæp", and "medicine", which comes from the Latin word "medicina", meaning "the healing art".
Overview
From the middle of the 20th century, research has provided increasing knowledge and answered many questions about sleep-wake functioning. The rapidly evolving field has become a recognized medical subspecialty in some countries. Dental sleep medicine also qualifies for board certification in some countries. Properly organized, minimum 12-month, postgraduate training programs are still being defined in the United States. In some countries, the sleep researchers and the physicians who treat patients may be the same people.
Disorders and disturbances
The sleep disorders and disturbances of sleep medicine are organized into six main categories: insomnia, sleep apnea, restless legs syndrome, circadian rhythm sleep disorders, narcolepsy, and parasomnias.
Diagnosis
Diagnosis of sleep disorders generally involves careful history taking, clinical examination, a sleep diary, and the polysomnography test.
Treatment
Treatment of sleep disturbances and disorders primarily treats the underlying cause of the disorder, which may include lifestyle changes, medication, continuous positive airway pressure therapy, and/or surgery.
Related terms
- Sleep hygiene
- Sleep study
- Sleep deprivation
- Sleep disorder
- Insomnia
- Sleep apnea
- Restless legs syndrome
- Circadian rhythm sleep disorders
- Narcolepsy
- Parasomnia
- Polysomnography
- Continuous positive airway pressure
External links
- Medical encyclopedia article on Sleep medicine
- Wikipedia's article - Sleep medicine
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