At Tel Aviv Doctor we help with the common sleep problems — trouble falling or staying asleep (insomnia), excessive daytime sleepiness, and snoring or suspected sleep apnea. Our doctors can assess your sleep, advise on what helps, and arrange testing where it is needed.
Insomnia and trouble sleeping
Insomnia means difficulty falling asleep, staying asleep, or waking unrefreshed despite having enough opportunity to sleep. For ongoing (chronic) insomnia, the recommended first-line treatment is cognitive behavioural therapy for insomnia (CBT-I) — a structured, drug-free approach (sleep scheduling, stimulus control and relaxation techniques) that the American Academy of Sleep Medicine and NICE recommend ahead of sleeping tablets for most people. Sleeping pills can help in the short term but are not a long-term solution.
Simple steps that help: keep regular sleep and wake times, limit caffeine and alcohol later in the day, get daylight and exercise, and keep the bedroom cool, dark and screen-free. If poor sleep persists for more than a few weeks, affects your day, or comes with low mood, anxiety, loud snoring or pauses in breathing, see a doctor. Our doctors can assess your sleep, advise on CBT-I-based approaches, review any medicines that may be affecting your sleep, and refer you on where appropriate.
Home sleep studies (sleep apnea testing)
If you snore heavily, have been told you stop breathing in your sleep, or feel very sleepy during the day, you may have obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). A home sleep study is a simple overnight test you do in your own bed to check for it.
A home sleep study uses a small, portable device you wear for one night at home, recording signals such as your breathing, airflow, blood-oxygen level and heart rate while you sleep. Because you sleep in your own bed it is convenient and reflects a normal night. It is a screening test for OSA and does not replace a full in-laboratory sleep study (polysomnography), which is sometimes needed for more complex cases.
It works in four steps: a doctor reviews your symptoms and confirms a home study is suitable; you take the device home for one night; the recording is analysed; and a doctor goes through the results with you and discusses next steps, which may include treatment such as CPAP or referral for a full sleep study.
Book or ask about sleep help
Whether it is insomnia, daytime tiredness or possible sleep apnea, please get in touch and our doctors will advise on the right next step. Home sleep studies are arranged individually, with an offer tailored to you rather than a fixed price.
Sources
- American Academy of Sleep Medicine; NICE — cognitive behavioural therapy for insomnia (CBT-I) as the first-line treatment for chronic insomnia.
- American Academy of Sleep Medicine — clinical practice guideline on home sleep apnea testing for the diagnosis of obstructive sleep apnea in adults.
