What to do if you think you have a sleep disorder
Talk to your doctor, and if necessary get a referral to a sleep specialist. A list of sleep specialists can be found at:
http://www.sleepaus.on.net/servicessleepphysician.php
It may be useful to keep a sleep diary before seeing your doctor. You should record the following information for a number of days including workdays and weekends:
- What time did you go to bed?
- How long did it take you to go to sleep?
- How often did you wake up during the night?
- What time did you wake up in the morning?
- How long did you sleep overall?
- How did you feel when you woke up (e.g. refreshed. fatigued etc)?
- Time and amount of caffeine drinks/foods?
- Time and amount of alcohol consumed?
- Weekend or workday?
- Do you snore (all night every night, sometimes etc)?
Where do I find further information about sleep disorders?
There are a number of websites that offer further information on sleep and sleep disorders:
Australasian Sleep Association
http://www.sleep.org.au/
Sleep Disorders Australia
http://www.sleepoz.org.au/
National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute
http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/public/sleep/index.htm#sleep/
National Sleep Foundation
http://www.sleepfoundation.org/
American Academy of Sleep Medicine
http://www.aasmnet.org/
American Sleep Apnea Association
www.sleepapnea.org
Narcolepsy and Overwhelming Daytime Sleep Society of Australia
http://www.nodss.org.au
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
http://www.cdc.gov/sleep/index.htm