Treating sleep disorders in neurology practice

Abstract

Neurologists treat many people with unrecognized sleep disorders. This review recommends that new and established patients routinely complete standard sleep questionnaires as an aid to clinical history. Because there is high prevalence of treatable primary sleep disorders among neurologic patients, routine diagnostic sleep testing is indicated for patients with stroke, neuromuscular disease, dementia, REM behavioral disorder, atypical or treatment-refractory insomnia, and chronic and unexplained fatigue or sleepiness. As local and national regulatory momentum favors increasing care coordination and integration, neurologists should develop a clinical pathway to diagnose and treat sleep disorders within the practice or through a collegial expert network.