If you have ever found yourself drinking a cup of warm milk because you can’t sleep, you know the frustration that follows when it doesn’t work. And if you have ever wondered if you have a sleep disorder because your partner told you you snore or stop breathing at night, the thought of seeing a medical professional may also have crossed your mind.
Sometimes warm bubble baths before bed work, but sometimes nothing does, right? We have all been there!
But if you have tried seeing an ENT (Ear, Nose and Throat) doctor, and nothing really works, you may need more specialized help.
Maybe you have insomnia. Maybe you snore a lot, or maybe you have sleep apnea. But whatever it is, you need help with your sleep disorder.
Fortunately, there are sleep clinics in Japan that can help!
What do sleep clinics do?
They do tests and provide a diagnosis and treatment for sleep disorders. They may also keep you in the clinic overnight for observation if they feel it is necessary. It all depends on the severity I guess.
What sleep disorders are there?
There are quite a few, but some of the more common ones are:
How do sleep clinics work?
If the doctor thinks that you need to be observed, they will get you to stay at the clinic overnight. They will also give you instructions on the medications you can or cannot take before the observation starts, and will ask you to refrain from any caffeine and alcohol consumption.
You may be hooked up to some machines that will help measure and record your brain activity and muscle movements. There may also be others that measure your breathing and oxygen levels as well.
A diagnosis will then be made and treatment can begin after that.
And if you are worried about having to take a couple of days off, don’t worry. If you really need to check in and and spend the night at the clinic, most sleep clinics will get you come in after 6pm. So really, you could just go after work, and then leave directly for your office from there in the morning. No time off necessary.
Are sleep clinics covered by insurance?
Yes, Health Insurance is accepted by Sleep clinics, but it is best to check with them for the most updated information.
How much do sleep clinics cost?
It really depends on the clinic and what type of tests and equipment you need, so I will try to give you a range instead.
For the Room, it will cost somewhere between 10,000yen to 30,000yen. As you can probably imagine, a room with an ensuite bathroom will cost a bit more than one without.
But honestly, you will probably need to be hooked up to some equipment and machines, so it is probably best to budget about 100,000yen.
And if you need to have a mouthpiece made, it can cost between 10,000yen to 30,000yen for a simpler one, and somewhere between 150,000yen to 300,000yen if you need a more advanced one.
Oh, and yes, these prices are if you have Japanese Health Insurance.
How to find Sleep Disorder Clinics
I would suggest searching using some of the keywords below and the area name.
- 睡眠外来 (sleep clinic)+ area name (Eg. 睡眠外来 池袋)
- 睡眠障害 (sleeping disorder) + area name (Eg. 睡眠障害 横浜)
- 睡眠時無呼吸症候群 (sleep apnea) + area name (Eg. 睡眠時無呼吸症候群 新宿)
Disclaimer: Everything here is for informational purposes, and nothing here should be considered medical advice.
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