Sleep Disorders Program

Sleep disorders diminish the daily quality of life for millions of people. Poor sleep also leads to serious health problems, especially heart disease, and an increased risk of car crashes.

If you have difficulty falling and/or staying asleep, or difficulty staying awake, you’re among the millions of Americans with a sleep disorder.

The Sleep Disorders Program at Froedtert & The Medical College of Wisconsin stands apart in helping people who suffer from a wide range of sleep problems. Our expert sleep medicine team includes specialists in pulmonary medicine, neurological diseases, reconstructive surgery and psychology. All team physicians are fellowship-trained in sleep disorders and are board-certified in their specialty areas.

The Sleep Disorders Program is accredited by the American Academy of Sleep Medicine.

The Right Diagnosis

In many cases, sleep disorders are caused by a combination of factors. Our team members work together to address sleep disorders from every angle, and provide patients with a thorough diagnosis, education about their disorder, treatment options and rehabilitation.

Because sleep disorders often have more than one cause, treatment can be complex. Effective, lasting treatment begins with thorough identification of the underlying cause(s) of the sleep problem. Physicians in the Sleep Disorders Program excel at finding the exact cause through a comprehensive evaluation. We talk to patients and ask the right questions to determine the exact cause for their sleep disorder. In many cases, a sleep lab study is not required to diagnose the problem.

Our staff is highly skilled in evaluating hard-to-diagnose sleep disorders and offering options for difficult-to-treat cases. Many people who have been treated at other sleep centers discover the difference of receiving comprehensive care at the Sleep Disorders Program. Some people learn that they received an incorrect diagnosis of their sleep problem, or that their poor sleep is related to a medical problem that was overlooked.

Emphasis on Patient Education

Educating patients about their sleep disorder — even before treatment begins — is key to a successful outcome. We discuss recommended treatment options and work with each person to discuss how treatment will evolve over time, going through each step of the process. Patients truly partner with our team members in maximizing their health and well being. In some cases, people who are struggling with their prescribed medication or sleep equipment get the help they need to maximize the effective use of these items.

Froedtert & The Medical College of Wisconsin also offer community education classes for the public on the health effects of inadequate sleep.

Teaching and Training Other Physicians

Through formal education programs, our sleep medicine physicians share their expertise with other physicians in the community. This helps physicians to ask the right questions when discussing sleep problems with their patients. We also teach the next generation of physicians about sleep disorders as part of the curriculum at the Medical College of Wisconsin, and provide sleep medicine fellowship training for two physicians each year.

Advanced Diagnostics and Treatment

Because the program is part of an academic medical center, our sleep medicine specialists have access to the latest technology and research to fully evaluate a wide range of sleep disorders. We use a multidisciplinary approach to treatment, often involving specialists from the fields of sleep medicine, otolaryngology, neurology, pulmonary medicine, oral and maxillofacial surgery, endocrinology and psychology. All testing is conducted onsite at Froedtert & The Medical College of Wisconsin.

Our advanced medical and surgical treatment options are based on solid, evidence-based research. The Program is known internationally for performing pioneering surgery to correct breathing-related sleep disorders.

State-of-the-Art Sleep Lab

The Sleep Disorders Program features a state-of-the-art sleep laboratory — one of the largest sleep testing facilities in southeastern Wisconsin.

Incredible Stories

Jack Smith suffered from poor sleep for years, but never knew he had obstructive sleep apnea until he came to the Sleep Disorders Program. Read Jack Smith’s story.

When a person has a sleep disorder, the right diagnosis and treatment can make all the difference. No one knows this better than Ken Neidert. Read Ken Neidert's story.


	Learn more at HealthLink Nightmares, night terrors, and sleepwalking are not a normal part of our dreaming sleep, says Rose Franco, MD, Medical College of Wisconsin pulmonologist. Read more about dreaming sleep and how Dr. Franco approaches a diagnosis at HealthLink, available from the Medical College of Wisconsin website, mcw.edu. Froedtert & The Medical College of Wisconsin has provided this link as a convenience for patients and visitors to this site. We are not responsible for the content of this external site. Whenever you leave our site, we will tell you because we feel it is important to make this distinction as we have not reviewed the privacy policies of any websites we link to from our site, and you should exercise care when visiting any other website.