Talking with the sleep physician about social needs
~ 1 min read
Sleep doctors typically don’t ask about your social health.
They are understandably focused on symptom management. This means that you may need to actively bring up concerns about your social relationships with your sleep physician so that it is on their radar.
Chart: Davidson 2022, Table 7: Create pie chart of “Has your doctor asked about your social life” Read More
By bringing up the issue, you may help your sleep doctor modify their recommendations to prioritize social activities that are important for you. For example, if you are active in a sport, you may want to be sure that you are as alert as possible during practices and games. If your doctor knows about this, they may plan a different medication regimen or request that you have a chance to take a nap at a specific time of day every day.
"The more I talk about narcolepsy the better I get at it. I actually used to have cataplexy whenever I had to talk about it, especially at my doctor appointments."