Adhering to CPAP or continuous positive airway pressure for sleep apnea is a challenge for some patients. But perhaps none moreso than commercial truck drivers, who sometimes face impossible scenarios in which using the device means that the truck won’t start in the morning—due to the truck batteries being dead after running the CPAP all night. Luc…

Clinicians typically ask patients for a prescription drug history but may not always delve into patients’ nonprescription or over-the-counter drug history. But when it comes to sleep aids, it’s crucial for professionals to be aware of what herbal remedies, hormones, and other compounds your patients are ingesting in their quest for better sleep. Un…

Restless legs syndrome (RLS) that is unresponsive to traditional therapies or in which the patients can’t tolerate traditional therapies—can be frustrating for clinicians and patients alike. Opioids can be a viable therapy for these patients—and a paper published in the January 2018 issue of Mayo Clinic Proceedings aims to illuminate this treatment…

Oral appliance therapy (OAT) provides an alternative treatment option for those with upper airway resistance syndrome and obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). The patient’s treatment journey begins with the referring physician, who will have administered a sleep test, and, either due to the patient’s noncompliance with CPAP or the patient’s preference, s…

The opportunity to pursue post-secondary education is fraught with challenges for some people with sleep disorders. From concerns about inadvertently keeping roomies awake with loud snoring, to being unable to wake for early morning classes, colleges and other places of higher education can feel a little intimidating for your patients. Luckily, the…

Patients with obstructive sleep apnea who are prescribed a positive airway pressure machine, commonly known as CPAP, are instructed to use it every night. But that means lugging the device with them on every overnight trip—no small task given the shrinking space for airplane carry-on luggage. For CPAP users who leave their device at home while they…

Home sleep testing, also known by the abbreviation HST, can benefit patients and healthcare practices alike. When all goes smoothly, advantages include: less time to diagnosis, increased patient volumes, and convenience. But patients returning HST devices late (or not returning them at all) is a problem sleep disorders centers and other administrat…