Access to Care

What is access to care?
Access to care is a person’s ability to get medical care.

Why is it important to have access to sleep care?
Healthy sleep is one of the pillars of a healthy lifestyle as proper sleep, or lack thereof, affects daytime functioning and cognition, physical health, emotional wellness, safety and all aspects of your life.

What should I do if I think I have a sleep issue?
If you are not able to get an appropriate amount of sleep, all areas of your life can suffer. If you believe you may have a sleep disorder, it is critical to see a medical professional who can diagnose and treat that disorder so that you can manage your sleep disorder and live a long, healthy life. The first steps to getting the care you need are to be informed about what healthy sleep is and sleep disorders, recognize that you may have an issue and seek care. You can start by speaking to your primary care physician.

Living with an undiagnosed, untreated sleep disorder can be a lonely existence and greatly diminish a person’s quality of life. I know because that defined my life until finally being referred to an accredited sleep specialist. Until then, I assumed my inability to stay awake was a personal flaw to be disguised at all cost. Social settings were avoided and business meetings at work always presented fear of being discovered. I thought discussing these challenges with my primary care physician was out of the question as I believed that might risk my right to drive a car. Being diagnosed with narcolepsy and learning about the treatment of my disorder allowed me to finally live the life I had only dreamed about. I just wish I’d known about sleep disorders and had access to the right kind of care much earlier in my life.  ~ Patti, a patient living with narcolepsy

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