I am working with Bill Dement and actually the focus now is on home sleep studies (yes it's his company) with proper screening to decide who can be tested at home or will need an in lab study. The problem has been that the sleep medicine community has created a scenario in which every conceivable sleep disorder is used as a rationalization to have an in lab study. But if you look at the percentages OSA is the primary issue (75% +) associated with sleep apnea and the vast majority of these patients (if screened correctly) are excellent candidates for a home study. I think the disconnect in the sleep medicine community has been a fear of losing ones job and/or loss of income which is why there are so many games now being played on the credentials side (AASM driven). What needs to be realized is that the home sleep business will actually very soon play a major role in validating the need for an in lab study as well as provide increased diagnosis for a far greater number of people which will increase everyones ongoing care business (plus let's not forget the job here is to diagnose and then provide good outcomes). Plus, with more screening and steerage from the MCO's, VA hospitals, DOT trucking mandates and primary care there will be more business (for in lab appropriate patients) than you can imagine.

We are not your competition and actually will play a key role in ensuring the long term viability of the sleep lab.

Frank Sanger said:

This book will never be topped as an orientation to sleep disorders because it was written by the man who (some would say singlehandedly) turned sleep study into a productive science. Before Dr. Dement, sleep as a subject was almost exclusively in the domain of psychology. The biology and chemistry of sleep were peppered with anecdotes and misunderstandings.

Dr. Dement mixes sound science with a memoir of personal discovery with a mildly suspenseful quest story. A valid criticism of the book is that you must have a strong interest in order to wade through the entire story.Sufferers of obstructive sleep apnea are candidates for such depth of commitment. After all in many cases we owe this man our lives. But even if you have OSA, there is no guarantee that you can stay connected for the whole big story. Very few people have the obsessive enthusiastic passionate curiosity about the intricacies of sleep that Dr. Dement required to advance the science of sleep to a legitimate and life-saving branch of medicine through meticulous studies that span 60+ years.

Sleep apnea is only one of the many disorders we learn about. Someone could make a smaller book for the rest of us by just pulling out the things that Dr. Dement and his students and colleagues discover. If you are not a big fan of science or scientists like I am, this book might put you to sleep.

Dr. Dement does indeed write a fine book. I had to put it down for a while as it follows the history of his research and I might learn something (or try to) that he later finds out is not the case. It does seem more like a textbook to me. I need a bit clearer head to appreciate it, and maybe need to take notes, or read it twice. I got Dr. Parks book for Christmas, but haven't read it yet. I'm looking forward to it. I can't believe how the science of sleep study seems to be growing by leaps and bounds since I've been on the forum. At home sleep studies only seemed to be an idea then, not they are a reality for many.
Mary Z.

I just finished reading it and found it an invaluable read. It's a layman's sleep medicine curriculum. Sadly, many of his warnings and recommendations go unheeded, even over 10 years after he wrote his book.