Division of Neurology
The providers in our division have extensive clinical experience in the full spectrum of neurological disorders as well as subspecialty training to benefit their patients, medical trainees and research colleagues.
Better Sleep for Better Health
Living with a sleep disorder impacts many aspects of your health. At Lahey Clinic, we help find the right treatments so you can get restorative sleep.
You get care from a team of many specialists. Together, they evaluate and manage all types of sleep disorders, from insomnia to sleep apnea.
Sleep Disorders Center
When you come to the Sleep Disorders Center for care, you get access to comprehensive services from many experts. This team provides a full range of outpatient and sleep laboratory services.
The sleep center brings together specialists in ear, nose and throat (ENT), neurology, psychiatry and pulmonology.
Your sleep health team works together to evaluate and treat your sleep condition. This approach is key to your care. You can visit with each member of your team on the same day, in the same location. Each doctor reviews your medical records and test results.
Lahey’s Sleep Disorders Center is nationally accredited by the American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM). Your care team is highly experienced. The team has treated more than 15,000 patients over more than 20 years.
Conditions We Treat
There are many conditions that can interrupt your sleep. Our specialists use advanced sleep studies to determine the cause of your sleep disturbance.
If you show signs of sleep apnea, you can access expert sleep tests to help make a diagnosis. Sleep apnea is a breathing disorder combined with loud snoring and short periods when breathing stops.
Your sleep health team also brings expertise in diagnosing less common sleep disorders such as:
- Excessive sleepiness.
- Movement disorders in sleep.
- Night terrors and other parasomnias.
Once your doctor makes a diagnosis, you work together to find the best treatment for you.
Common Sleep Disorders We Treat
Learn about the more common sleep conditions the sleep specialists at Lahey diagnose and treat.
Insomnia
Insomnia is the most common sleep disorder. It occurs when you are unable to sleep or unable to sleep well. Insomnia affects people in different ways, such as:
- Complete wakefulness
- Difficulty in falling asleep
- Disturbed sleep
- Reduced sleep
- Restless sleep
Everyone requires a different amount of sleep. You may need seven to eight hours a night. Or you may be a short sleeper who can function well on three or four hours of sleep.
Your sleep health team helps you understand the amount of sleep you truly need. You also learn to recognize how much sleep you get during a restless night.
In most cases, insomnia is not a serious health problem. Your doctor will provide treatment if lost sleep impairs your ability to function well during the day.
Narcolepsy
Narcolepsy causes an irresistible need to sleep. If you have narcolepsy, you can easily fall asleep at work, while talking or while driving a car.
Narcolepsy is a chronic condition. It affects the part of the brain that regulates sleep and wakefulness. This disorder causes dreaming sleep (REM) during a wakeful state.
These sleep attacks can:
- Last from 30 seconds to more than 30 minutes.
- Cause loss of muscle tone (cataplexy) from a slight buckling at the knees to complete “rag doll” limpness.
Narcolepsy can start at any time of life. The condition first occurs most often in the teen years. Narcolepsy is likely caused by genetic and environmental factors.
Restless Leg Syndrome
If you have restless leg syndrome (RLS) you most likely feel unpleasant “creepy, crawly” sensations in your legs. This feeling occurs when you are sitting or lying still, especially at bedtime.
People do experience RLS in different ways. The condition can be very painful. The calves are most often affected.
Stretching and moving your legs may help you temporarily relieve the pain and unpleasant feelings.
RLS does not feel like the:
- Burning sensation sometimes experienced if you have diabetes.
- Pain of a leg cramp.
- Pins and needs tingling when a limb falls asleep.
Meet the Team
Our sleep disorders specialists evaluate and manage all types of sleep disorders.
