title: Recognizing sleep disorders in a primary care setting.
abstract: As many as one third of the general population suffers from some form of sleep disorder. Although sleep disorders are widespread in society, few patients present with overt sleep complaints; they instead present with symptoms of fatigue, excessive sleepiness, and impaired waking function. Untreated sleep disorders, particularly insomnia, can lead to potentially life-threatening automobile crashes and industrial accidents. In addition, poor motor, mental, and cognitive function at home, work, and school can negatively impact a patient's quality of life. Therefore, physicians must maintain a high index of suspicion for sleep disorders whenever they see patients, and they must ask sleep-related questions during office visits for acute conditions, chronic conditions, and annual physical examinations. Today's "24/7" society experiences sleep disorders in ever-increasing numbers, and people who work shifts are at risk for developing circadian rhythm sleep disorder, particularly shift work sleep disorder. Physicians must engage their patients in a discussion of their occupations and sleeping habits in order to detect and treat sleep disorders.
authors.affiliation: Brookside Family Practice, Pottstown, PA 19464, USA. hyedoc@pol.net
authors.forename: Paul P
authors.initials: PP
authors.lastname: Doghramji
mesh_terms: D039721:Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology; D010808:Physical Examination / Q000379:methods; D015995:Prevalence; D011320:Primary Health Care / Q000379:methods* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D020178:Sleep Disorders, Circadian Rhythm / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology; D007319:Sleep Initiation and Maintenance Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology; D012893:Sleep Wake Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology