Sleep Medicine

Jefferson Healthcare’s Sleep Clinic is an American Academy of Sleep Medicine accredited facility for diagnosing and treating sleep disorders.

Jefferson Healthcare Sleep Medicine, located in Port Townsend at the Jefferson Healthcare Specialty Clinic wing of the hospital, is a sleep clinic affiliated with Jefferson Healthcare. Our purpose is to diagnose and treat sleep disorders. Primary care physicians refer their patients to our sleep center for consultations related to a variety of sleep disorders. Dr. Jakdej Nikormborirak, MD, known as Dr. Jak, is a sleep medicine specialist and the medical director of the sleep center.
 

Contact Information

360-385-9961 (direct line) or 360-385-2200, ext 5961
For Referring Physicians:  Sleep Study Orders PDF
 

How Do I Know if I Have a Sleep Disorder?

Ask yourself the following:

• Does it take me more than 30 minutes to fall asleep at night?
• Do I wake up frequently at night and have a difficult time going back to sleep?
• Do I wake up in the morning feeling groggy, lethargic, or with a headache?
• Am I irritable or forgetful?
• Do I have a difficult time concentrating?
• Do I find myself drifting off during routine situations?
• Do I fall asleep during the day?
• Do I snore loudly?
• Has anybody seen me quit breathing in my sleep?

If you answered yes to any of these questions, you may have a sleep disorder.

After the first visit, you may be asked to return for a night or two, so that your sleep patterns can be monitored. The sleep center staff will have you go about your normal routine to get ready for bed. Then, before you go to sleep, dime-sized sensors will be placed on your body. This painless, nonrestrictive test, called a polysomnogram, records your brain waves, muscle activity, limb movements, heartbeat, breathing, and other body functions during the night. You also may be given another test, called a multiple sleep latency test, which shows how quickly you fall asleep—a good measure of daytime sleepiness.

Know your treatment options. When the study is complete, a sleep specialist will conduct a thorough evaluation and recommend treatment either directly to you or to your referring physician.

What Are the Most Common Sleep Disorders?

There are nearly 84 known sleep disorders. Here are a few of the most common.

• Sleep apnea: a disorder characterized by brief interruptions of breathing during sleep.
• Parasomnias: problems that often intrude on our sleep and those around us in active, sometimes dramatic ways. These disorders include rapid eye movement behavior disorder, sleep talking, sleep terrors, and sleepwalking.
• Insomnia: the chronic inability to sleep.
• Narcolepsy: a condition marked by sudden, uncontrollable, and usually brief attacks of deep sleep.
• Periodic leg movement: periodic leg movements are sudden, jerking spasms of the leg muscles that can affect a person’s ability to fall asleep and maintain quality sleep.

What Should I Do if I Think I Have a Sleep Disorder?

Talk to your physician.
It’s a good idea to talk with your physician about any sleeping problem that recurs or persists for more than a week. Your physician can help you make a plan to control or prevent poor sleep.

Seek out a sleep disorders specialist.
Most sleep disorders can be successfully treated or controlled, after they are properly diagnosed. Ask your physician for a referral to a sleep disorders specialist. Our sleep center medical director is a board-certified sleep specialist.

Arrange to visit a sleep disorders center.
During your first visit, you will be asked questions about your sleep and daytime habits, in order to compile a sleep history. (Family members often can provide additional information about your personal habits, such as snoring or shortness of breath, of which you may be unaware.) Also, your physician should provide any relevant medical history in advance of your first visit to a sleep disorders center.