Rationale
Sleep-Wake Disorders are commonly encountered in medical practice and various medical specialties. They may be episodic or persistent but the result is inadequate quantity or quality of sleep and impaired daytime functioning.
Causal Conditions
(list not exhaustive)
- External Factors contributing to sleep disruption (e.g. Poor sleep environment)
- Intrinsic sleep disorders (e.g. Circadian rhythm disorders, insomnia, sleep-disordered breathing)
- Co-morbid conditions (e.g. Psychiatric disorders, neurologic disorders, substance abuse, dyspnea)
Key Objectives
Given a patient with a sleep disorder, the candidate will diagnose the cause, severity and complications, and will initiate an appropriate plan for management.
Enabling Objectives
Given a patient with a sleep disorder, the candidate will
- conduct a thorough sleep history, including collateral history and sleep log, if necessary;
- conduct a physical examination, if appropriate;
- determine if a patient requires specialized investigations (e.g. polysomnography);
- counsel the patient on the management of the sleep disorder, depending on the underlying cause;
- screen for safety concerns (e.g. excessive daytime somnolence).
