Sleep Medicine (Lifestyle Medicine)

GP-led sleep assessment and management as part of IMC's six-pillar lifestyle medicine framework, addressing insomnia, sleep apnoea risk, and circadian disruption through evidence-based behavioural and medical interventions.

Sleep is one of the six core pillars of IMC Healthcare's Lifestyle Medicine programme, reflecting the clinic's recognition that sleep disruption is both a cause and consequence of chronic disease. The sleep medicine consultation begins with a detailed history of the patient's sleep patterns, duration, quality, and any identified triggers — including shift work, travel, screen exposure, caffeine, anxiety, and underlying health conditions. The attending GP conducts a clinical assessment to differentiate primary sleep disorders (insomnia disorder, delayed sleep phase syndrome) from sleep disturbance secondary to conditions such as anxiety, depression, pain, or sleep apnoea. Where obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) is suspected, the clinic can coordinate referral for overnight polysomnography or home sleep testing, with subsequent CPAP initiation support. For insomnia, IMC's GPs follow evidence-based protocols grounded in Cognitive Behavioural Therapy for Insomnia (CBT-I) principles — sleep restriction, stimulus control, sleep hygiene optimisation, and relaxation techniques — complemented by short-term pharmacological support where clinically appropriate. The lifestyle medicine framework ensures that contributing factors such as nutrition timing, physical activity, stress, and substance use are addressed in parallel. Follow-up reviews are scheduled to assess response and adjust the management plan. This service is appropriate for adults experiencing chronic insomnia, sleep maintenance difficulties, jet lag recovery, and those with suspected sleep-disordered breathing who need GP-level triage before specialist referral.