If you’re interested in a career in the healthcare industry, you have plenty of options. From becoming a general practitioner to specializing, you can find a career that you’ll love— and one specialty field that you can focus onis sleep medicine.

You can easily become a sleep specialist in Houston, where you’ll practice a form of medicine known as somnology, working to help your patients sleep safely and soundly. If you’re interested in learning more about a career as a sleep specialist then keep reading on, we’ll cover everything from your duties as a sleep specialist to average salaries and how to become a licensed somnologist.

What Does a Sleep Specialist Treat?

As a sleep specialist, you play a critical role in diagnosing and treating a variety of sleep disorders. Your mission is to help your patients improve their quality of sleep, which in turn, helps boost their overall well-being.

If you’re not sure what a sleep disorder is, it’s defined as a condition that disturbs an individual’s normal sleeping patterns. Some of the common types of sleep disorders you may diagnose and treat include:

• Sleep Apnea: The condition is characterized by repeated interruptions in breathing while the individual is sleeping.
• Insomnia: Trouble falling and staying asleep.
• Parasomnias: This condition is typically marked by nightmares and night terrors that affect sleep quality. The individual may also engage in sleepwalking.
• Narcolepsy. This condition affects muscle control and an individual’s ability to stay awake during the day.
• Restless Leg Syndrome: Common symptoms include feeling uncomfortable sensations in your legs and an urge to move them. While the condition can occur during the day, or at night, it can interfere with a person’s ability to stay asleep at night.
• REM Sleep Behavior Disorder: Sufferers of this disorder act out their dreams while sleeping. Not only can the constant movement disrupt their partners’, but it also makes it difficult for the sufferer to get a good night’s sleep.

By working closely with your patients, you can identify the underlying cause of their sleep disorder and create a customized treatment plan. You can practice in a hospital setting, a healthcare clinic, or a sleep disorder center.

Common Treatments for Sleep Disorders

While every patient is different, and this will affect their treatment plan, there are some methods commonly used by sleep disorder specialists.

• Medications: Sometimes, medications are prescribed to treat pre-existing conditions that may be causing the sleep disorder. Medications can also be used to treat breathing issues, like those caused by sleep apnea, or address issues with an individual’s sleep and wake cycles.
• Medical Devices: Sleep disorders can occasionally be treated with medical devices. An example is using a continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) machine to help control breathing in sleep apnea patients.
• Lifestyle Changes: The treatment plan may recommend lifestyle changes like improving sleep habits, reducing stress, and treating any pre-existing medical conditions. You may recommend a patient take a break from their handheld devices an hour or so before bedtime, turn off all lights at night, or even take advantage of relaxation apps.
• Behavioral Therapy: Cognitive behavioral therapies are often employed to help reduce symptoms associated with insomnia and other types of sleep disorders.

These are only some of the treatments you may use to help your patients as a sleep specialist.

Steps to Becoming a Sleep Specialist

If a career as a sleep specialist seems intriguing, be prepared to go through anywhere from 12 to 14 years of higher education and training. This is on top of your high school diploma.

You’ll need the following:

• 4 years at an undergraduate college: You must complete your bachelor’s degree but you aren’t required to focus solely on pre-med coursework. However, it’s a good idea to have credits in biology, chemistry, mathematics, and even physics. You must also keep a high GPA, usually no lower than a B, and have a high score on the Medical College Admission Test (MCAT).
• 4 years of medical school: You can either complete a Doctor of Medicine (MC) or a Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (DO) program. Along with completing clinical rotations and taking advantage of research opportunities, you must also pass the Comprehensive Osteopathic Medical Licensing Exam (COMPLEX - USA) or the United States Medical Licensing Exam (USMLE). Which exam you take depends on the program you completed. For example, if you completed a four-year MC program, you take the USMLE.
• At least 3 years of residency training: Once you graduate medical school, you’re still not ready to set off on your career. You must apply for and complete a residency program.
• At least one year of sleep medicine fellowship: You’re finally getting close to becoming a licensed sleep specialist. All that’s left is to complete one or two years in a fellowship program. The program must focus on sleep medicine.

The final step is passing the Sleep Medicine Certification Board exam. The test is offered by the American Board of Sleep Medicine (ABSM) and it’s a step you don’t want to skip. Even though not all states require licensing for sleep specialists, it’s still a good idea to be board-certified.

Not only does the certification indicate your level of knowledge but it can also help you advance your career.

How Much Can You Earn as a Sleep Specialist?

How much you earn as a sleep specialist depends on a few factors. Your level of experience affects pay rates, along with the location. You can probably expect to earn more in a large city than in a more rural setting. Working in the academic field or for a private lab can also pay more than if you’re practicing at a state-funded general hospital.

With that being said, most sleep specialists can expect to earn anywhere from $237,000 to $505,000 and possibly more. As previously mentioned, several factors affect pay rates which is why the salary for a sleep doctor is so broad.

Start a Rewarding Career as a Sleep Specialist

It takes years to become a sleep specialist, but the education and training are well worth the effort. Not only do you gain the satisfaction of helping patients improve their sleep quality, but you also have the potential to earn a comfortable income.

This particular career path offers the unique reward of making a significant impact on people's overall health and well-being, making all the hard work and dedication worthwhile.