Sleep medicine is a pretty new medical area. Insomnia is a frequent phenomenon, but there are simple ways for a physician to deal with it. By asking specific questions about a person's medical history (anamnesis), I can quickly establish whether or not the patient is suffering from chronic insomnia, and whether it would make sense to conduct sleep measurements (polysomnography).

About ten to fifteen percent of all cases of insomnia are caused by medical issues.

Sleep apnea is one example, and the number of those suffering from it, is on the rise! This is often caused by overweight, toxic causes such as alcohol consumption, an unhealthy diet, flawed biorhythm, or malpositioned joints. Another reason may also be ageing (decreasing elasticity of tissue, decrease in hormones, immunodeficiency). As a result, you are frequently tired and exhausted; suffer from high blood pressure, cardiac arrhythmia, headaches, and other symptoms.

My treatment plan:    
I always start with sleep screening. When I suspect insomnia, I do a basic somnography (without measuring brain waves). The process is simple and unobtrusive, and it will not impair your sleep. You will also be asked to fill out a questionnaire.
If the results indicate that you indeed suffer from insomnia, I will send you to a sleep specialist in Bad Honnef, where you will undergo a night of inpatient treatment, and your sleep will be monitored by polysomnography. If chronic insomnia is monitored, another colleague of mine, an otolaryngologist, will ensure that your sleeplessness does not occur due to chronic malfunction of ears, nose, or throat.

I follow a holistic approach to solve the problem: weight loss, change of biorhythm (sleep advice according to your individual day-and night rhythm), dietary changes, advice in professional and private issues, and stress management. In addition, I will provide advice for regular exercise, a hormonal assessment, and an acid-base-balance assessment.  

In case of particularly heavy insomia, I might recommend a CPAP-therapy in order to re-establish your health (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Positive_airway_pressure). If this is the case I can, once again, use my extensive network of medical specialists in their respective fields.
My practice is certified by the German Medical Association to provide advice and treatment for insomnia, and to utilize machinery required for somnography and polysomnography.