Insomnia

Insomnia is a sleep disorder. Sufferers may have problems falling asleep, wake up too often and have trouble going back to sleep, wake up too early in the morning, or feel tired when they awake. Insomniacs may have short-term or long-term problems with sleep, depending on whether it is caused by a health condition or external factors such as stress or depression. A person with insomnia is often sleepy during the day, irritable, and may have problems concentrating or remembering things.

Why UAB

UAB Medicine provides complete treatment for sleep-related disorders. We use a team approach that combines the expertise of multiple medical specialties, including internal medicine, pulmonology, otolaryngology (ear, nose, and throat, or ENT), and surgery.

UAB was an early leader in sleep medicine, receiving our first accreditation from the American Academy of Sleep Medicine in 1986. Today, the UAB Sleep/Wake Disorders Center’s board-certified physicians continue to lead their field, and they are active in clinical trials and research on topics such as the relationship of sleep disorders to obesity, new therapies for restless legs syndrome, and how obstructive sleep apnea is connected to some forms of high blood pressure. Our pioneering work led the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to present us with the coveted Sleep Academic Award. As a result, patients with difficult sleep problems are referred to UAB from throughout Alabama.

UAB Medicine is home to the first sleep disorders technologist in the world to be fully certified in the Inspire Care Pathway. This is a set of guidelines or “best practices” for using the Inspire upper airway stimulation device, which is implanted to treat sleep apnea. Click here to learn more.

Our state-of-the-art facility at UAB Hospital-Highlands offers the convenience of easy access and free parking. A significant advantage of coming to UAB is that you will not have to wait several weeks to get test results after an overnight sleep study; instead, you receive the results of your sleep study, a diagnosis, a treatment plan, and any prescriptions the morning after your study. Generally, patients are ready to leave by 9 am following an overnight sleep study.

UAB has no financial ties to durable medical equipment (DME) companies who sell or service sleep products or CPAP/BiPAP devices. You are free to choose your own provider.

CARE PROVIDERS

Amy W. Amara, MD, PhD

Jeffrey W. Hawkins, MD

CLINICAL TRIALS

UAB is an active participant in research and clinical trials for the diagnosis and treatment of insomnia. We encourage you to speak to your physician about research and clinical trial options and browse the link below for more information.

View Clinical Trials