Insomnia and Sleep Disorder Diagnosis
If you or someone you know is struggling with poor sleep, the good news is that there’s plenty of help out there.
Unfortunately, most people with sleep disorders go undiagnosed and untreated. They often accept their insomnia as a fact of life. Also, sleep quality isn’t formally assessed during a regular health checkup.
The first step on the road to quality sleep is to schedule an appointment with your primary physician. They will likely refer you to a sleep specialist.
Depending on your situation, they will look for clues about your insomnia through questioning, health reviews, health exams, and specific tests:
- Medical History Review
A doctor will review your medical history to see if there are health conditions that could be causing your insomnia.
Your doctor will look for:
- health conditions such as asthma, heartburn, or diabetes
- injuries that may be causing pain
- prescription drug use
- symptoms of anxiety and depression
- life event such as a death or divorce
- stressful day-to-day life issues
- Sleep History Review
- bedtime routine
- sleep environment (noises, lighting, and other distractions)
- bedtimes and wake up times
- how long to fall asleep
- how often do you wake up and how long does it take to get back to sleep
- snoring
- how do you feel when you wake up and throughout the day
To prepare for your appointment, you may want to keep a diary for a couple weeks and record each day things such as:
- sleep times
- naps
- how you feel
- alcohol and caffeine use
- medication use
- exercise
- how stressed you are
- Written test
- Physical Exam
- Sleep Study
If your doctor suspects an underlying sleep disorder, they may recommend a sleep study called a polysomnogram. It will commonly involve an overnight stay at sleep center where technicians can monitor your body while you sleep.
They will record things such as:
- Brain activity
- Eye movement
- Body movement
- Breathing rate
- Oxygen levels
- Air movement through your nose
- Snoring
- Blood pressure
- Heart rate
Based on what your doctor learns from the medical reviews and tests, they can make an official diagnosis and recommend treatment.
ADVERTISEMENT
Last updated: 5/30/2025
Connect with us:
About Us
Better Sleep Simplified® was founded as a place for you to get clear and well-researched information.
Our goal is to make sure you know about your options so that you take action sooner rather than later.
Check us out on YouTube:
Watch and Learn
Helpful sleep tips, interesting sleep facts and statistics you want to know about
Affiliate Disclosure
This site is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program and other affiliate advertising programs designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to them.
Important: BetterSleepSimplified.com is for informational purposes only and is not intended or implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always consult a physician for sleep and health concerns. See additional information.