Sleep Medicine Program

About Our Sleep Medicine Program:

Do you (or does someone you know) snore, have difficulty falling or staying asleep, or constantly feel exhausted during the day? These issues may be a result of an underlying sleep disorder and you may benefit from seeing a neurologist who specializes in sleep. 

Leading a healthy lifestyle is not only contingent upon getting enough sleep, but also the quality of sleep. Often, a decrease in quality sleep is the reason a person suffers from other conditions. Sleep disorders can be the root cause for headaches/migraines, poor concentration, motor vehicle accidents, work and school problems, heart disease, depression and anxiety, weight gain, high blood pressure, and diabetes.  

Sleep disorders can also develop due to other medical conditions like heart conditions, strokes, migraines, neuromuscular disorders, Parkinson’s Disease, mood disorders, obesity, etc. Choosing a Sleep Neurologist allows for treatment of the whole body, with a focus on sleep disorders. 

At NCD (Neurology Consultants of Dallas), we understand that the first step to managing your sleep health is getting you answers about your sleep concerns. Understanding the cause of your sleep disorder is the gateway to discovering what treatment will work best to alleviate or control your symptoms. 

Our specialist, Dr. Brian Ku, is a board-certified neurologist and fellowship-trained sleep disorder specialist that practices in both general neurology and sleep medicine. Dr. Ku oversees our state-of-the-art, AASM (American Academy of Sleep Medicine) accredited
sleep center located within our Neuro Testing Center.

We are delighted to assist primary care physicians and other general neurologists in any way possible, whether that means serving primarily in a consultative capacity or taking over management of the patient. Each person with sleep issues has their own unique journey.
We see ourselves as partners who walk this journey side-by-side with our patients.

Understanding the cause of your symptoms is the first step in the determining what treatment may be the best for your situation. Our team of experts diagnose and treat neuromuscular diseases such as Demyelinating Diseases, Hemifacial Spasm, Myasthenia Gravis, Myopathies, Myositis, Neuropathies and more. Many of these conditions are treatable when properly diagnosed.

NCD houses a state-of-the-art diagnostic imaging and neurological testing. We are pleased to assist primary care physicians and general neurologists, whether that means serving primarily in a consultative capacity, or managing the treatment of the patient. Each person with a neuromuscular disorder has their own unique journey and we work as partners who walk this journey with our patients and their family.

snoring man, sleep study, neurology, apnea, cpap, neurologist, sleep medicine
snoring man, sleep study, neurology, apnea, cpap, neurologist, sleep medicine

Our Sleep Team:

While all our neurologists provide orders for sleep medicine studies and operate in a team environment, they rely on our sleep medicine
neurologist to follow the patient’s sleep care. 

What Our Sleep Medicine Program includes:

  • A professional collaboration to improve the patient’s quality of life.
  • Consultation with a fellowship-trained sleep neurologist
  • In-house sleep studies in our Neuro Testing Center
  • Home sleep testing
  • Medication review and continued care management
  • Neuropsychological testing and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, when needed
  • State of the art technology including MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging) with neuro trained radiology readings.
  • Clinical Research providing access to emerging therapies
  • Onsite pharmacy that is part of your neuro team
  • Access to other neurological specialists to assist with additional neuro diagnoses
What is a sleep disorder?

A sleep disorder is any condition that may cause a disruption in getting quality, restful sleep. This includes the ability to fall asleep, remain asleep or reach full deep sleep. Sleep disorders may cause a multitude of symptoms including daytime sleepiness, dry mouth, disrupted concentration, mood disorders, fatigue, headaches and more. While sleep interruption can happen periodically, you may have a sleep disorder if:

  • You have trouble with daytime sleepiness
  • You have a reduced or impaired ability to perform regular daytime activities
  • You notice focus and/or mood changes that happen frequently
  • You or a loved one notices continual snoring that happens outside of acute sickness
  • You routinely struggle to fall asleep or stay asleep throughout the night

Getting restful, quality sleep is incredibly important for health and wellbeing. Sleep disorders can have unpleasant consequences on your health, safety, relationships, cognitive abilities, other diseases/disorders and so much more.
What types of sleep disorders are there? + (information should be hidden until clicked on)
There are approximately eighty diverse types of sleep disorders. The most common include:

  • Insomnia.
  • Sleep apnea.
  • Restless legs syndrome.
  • Narcolepsy.

Some symptoms common to neuromuscular disorders include:

  • Muscle weakness that causes twitching, pain, cramping
  • Muscle loss
  • Movement issues: gait disorders, uncoordinated movements
  • Balance problems
  • Numbness, tingling or painful sensations
  • Droopy eyelids
  • Double vision
  • Trouble swallowing
  • Trouble breathing
How much SLEEP is enough?

Experts recommend that adults sleep at least seven to nine hours per night, although some people require more and others require less.
A recent National Sleep Foundation Sleep in America poll found that adults (ages 18-54) sleep an average of 6.4 hours per night on weekdays and 7.7 hours on weekends. The poll showed a downward trend in sleep time over the past several years. People sleeping less hours tend to use the internet at night or bring work home from the office.
The National Sleep Foundation also reported that older adults (age 55-84) average seven hours of sleep on weekdays and 7.1 hours on weekends. Sleep is most often disturbed by the need to use the bathroom and physical pain or discomfort in older adults.

https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/articles/11429-common-sleep-disorders

Treatments for Sleep+

Insufficient or poor sleep can lead to more than just feeling tired. Sleepiness interferes with cognitive function, which can lead to learning disabilities in children, memory impairment in people of all ages, personality changes and depression. It can also cause many different symptoms such as headaches, fatigue, daytime sleepiness, weight gain, and more. 

There are many different ways to alleviate sleep disorder symptoms. A few examples are: 

  • Medication treatments (Melatonin supplements, sleep medications, medications for underlying health issues) 
  • An assistive breathing device or surgery (usually for sleep apnea) 
  • A dental guard (usually for teeth grinding) 
What causes sleep disorders?

While there are many factors that may cause sleep disorders, there are a few more common examples. Sleep disorders are caused by a disruption in the natural cycle of sleep. This causes daytime drowsiness, stress, interrupted sleep patterns, all which can lead to worsening symptoms of sleep disorders. A few common causes are:
Physical (such as ulcers, back pain, restless legs)
Medical (such as asthma)
Psychiatric (such as depression and anxiety disorders)
Environmental
Shift work
Genetics
Medications (some interfere with sleep)
Aging (certain sleep disorders are more prevelant among older adults)

  • Physical (such as ulcers, back pain, restless legs)
  • Medical (such as asthma)
  • Psychiatric (such as depression and anxiety disorders)
  • Environmental
  • Shift work
  • Genetics
  • Medications (some interfere with sleep)
  • Aging (certain sleep disorders are more prevalent among older adults)

Contact Us

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Find a Specialist

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NCD Testing Center

Learn more about the testing available for seizures in our Neuro Testing Center.