Skip to main content

saas's Sleep FAQ

Patient or professional contact

This works at several different levels
  • Edinburgh sleep centre
  • Supervised and monitored by a sleep expert.
  • Daily, weekly or monthly reviews
  • Self-assessment
  • Informative

Online questionnaires

  • Some are use for self-assessment (e.g. jet-lag control, sleepiness measurement)
  • Others are used as part of the consultation process.

Oline messaging

  • With security in mind and the problems with email, saas uses it's own messaging system to let diary users, etc know what to do, etc.

sms messaging

  • 21 day packages of sleep tips, useful aphorisms, telephone numbers, self-affirmations, religious (most religions) and meditative thoughts.

The real world

  • Apart from saas's unique virtual internet online facilities it also provides real services (actigraphy, polysomnography, etc).

I have a serious sleep problem, what do I do now?

In brief - this is what you should do (this eventually costs you, free information and links below)

    I can't sleep properly what do I do?

    Depends on the cause and severity?

    • If the cause is obvious, try to fix the cause of the problem, e.g. noise. If the noise is coming from your partner (usually middle-aged male and snoring) and your elbows are sore from trying to stop them, and you've sent them to the doctor to check whether something humane can be done for them then you might want see if there are some ways to encourage your own sleep ( Get Advice). Remember though that the noise from snoring isn't actually keeping you awake, after all the snorer isn't woken up by their snoring, it's thinking and fixating on the snoring that can be causing your own problem.

    • If it's not obvious, doesn't happen all the time and is not particularly worrying, but you want to fix it then Get Advice.

    • If it's not obvious, quite severe, has lasted several days and is making you worry then it's probably worth visiting your doctor for a check-up. If they can't find the cause and simply offer a sleeping pill or antidepressant then you might want to Get Advice.

    • Otherwise

      • Hope you get a useful text message
      • Hope it goes away
    • If you don't know what's obvious then seek "the obvious"

    Get advice

    Free, nearly free, sometimes free

    • Go to the doctor
    • Read a newspaper or magazine
    • Listen to the radio or watch television
    • Visit a web site (which site)
    • Call a telephone help line
    • Join a self-help group
    • Talk to friends or relatives

    Regrettably, not free

    Not free

    • Go to a private clinic
    • Buy a book
    • Buy a panacea

    The "obvious"

    What may disturb your sleep?

    Your sleeping environment

    • Too light, too dark
    • Too quiet, too noisy,
    • Too humid, too dry,
    • Too hot, too cold
    • Uncomfortable bed

    Your lifestyle

    • Too much exercise, too little exercise
    • Too much food, too little food
    • The wrong food (caffeine-containing drinks) (Why caffeine)
    • Smoking (it's just bad for you, so stop, easier said then done, I (CI) know).

    Sleep disorders - finding the right solution

    From the cheapest to the most expensive

    What is saas?

    saas stands for the "Sleep Assessment and Advisory Service." It was originally set up in 1994 to provide a service for general practitioners but started to provide a direct service to the public in 1998. It is not free and is supported by consultation fees and by the time given by Chris Idzikowski (who is Chris Idzikowski?)

    Who are the sleep experts, sleep specialists and sleep consultants?

    In the U.S. there are professional organisations that train both medical and non-medical doctors to be expert in the field of sleep medicine. This does not occur in the UK so in a sense there are no qualified 'sleep' doctors (medical or otherwise). Some medical specialities have a particular interest in sleep, e.g. respiratory physicians or ENT surgeons need to know about sleep apnoea and other breating problems during sleep; neurologists should be aware of disorders such as REM behaviour disorder, or movement disorders that might affect sleep (e.g. Parkinson's), or sensory/motor disorders such as restless legs; psychiatrists need to be aware sleep in depression, PTSD, etc. General practitioners need to know when and how to prescribe sleeping pills or antidepressants and whether these are appropriate or not. Non-medical professions, e.g. psychologists should also be aware of non-pharmacological treatments, etc. There are actually very few (perhaps 150?) individuals in the UK who have researched and been strongly involved in the development of the sleep medicine and sleep research areas and in that sense might be considered the 'sleep experts', 'sleep specialists', or at a stretch 'sleep consultants'. The list of possibilities could continue.

    What does FAQ stand for?

    Frequently Asked Questions.

    Who is Chris Idzikowski?

    Chris Idzikowski started sleep research at Edinburgh University in 1978 at the sleep laboratory located in the University Department of Psychiatry. He has since worked for Universities, Government Departments,  research councils, pharmaceutical companies, commercial research foundations, healthcare systems, healthcare providers, just about anyone who might have an interest in sleep. He became independant 1992 and supports himself by charging fees, writing, broadcasting and contracted research projects. He has been Chairman of the British Sleep Society, Chairman of the Royal Society of Medicine's (RSM) Forum on sleep and its disorders and is now Vice-Prent of the RSM Sleep Medicine Section. He is a Fellow of the British Psychological Society.

    What is Chris Idzikowski's background?

    Chris originally started training at Liverpool University's Medical School interested in eventually going into Psychiatry. After a burst of anaesthesia at Cheltenham General Hospital, which was followed by a brief spell at St Michael's Hospital, Toronto, he switched into the basic biological sciences at Edinburgh University specialising in psychology and pharmacology. Whilst investigating the neurophysiology of the visual system he became interested in sleep and joined Prof Ian Oswald, one of the UK founders of sleep research at the Unversity Department of Psychiatry in Edinburgh. Since then, apart from a five year interlude in Cambridge studying the effects of fear and anxiety on performance, he has been working either as a clincial pharmacologist or psychologist interested in sleep. His background gives him a unique perspsective on sleep and its disorders.

    Who does Chris work for?

    Everyone and no one.Chris is a freelance. He advises both Governmental bodies (e.g. NHS, NICE), commercial organisations (e.g. GSK (GlaxoSmithKline), Pfizer, Boots, vieLife) and individuals.

    Chris's books

    Chris has written:

    • Serotonin, sleep and mental disorder
    • the Insomnia Kits
    • Beating Insomnia
    • Learn to sleep well Chris's books

    Chris's services

    Chris runs the Sleep Assessment and Advisory Service

    Chris's affiliations

    Professionally, Chris is a Fellow of the British Psychological Society. He is a fellow of the Royal Society of Medicine where he founded the Forum on sleep and its disorders (which is now the Sleep Medicine Section - of which he is currently vice-Prent. He run saas. He is a Visiting Professor at Surrey University (HPRU). He belongs to various sleep-related organisations (e.g. The British Sleep Society (former Chairman, Hon Treasurer), e.g. the U.S. Sleep Research Society).

    How are www.neuronic.com, www.thePureSleep.com, www.sleepspecialist.co.uk and www.sleepspecialists.co.uk connected?

    They are all run and written by Chris Idzikowski. www.neuronic.com was the first site and is perhaps the most idiosyncratic. It contains many of his professional interests (e.g. Royal Society of Medicine Sleep Medicine Section; British Sleep Society), saas, descriptions of his books, etc. www.thePureSleep.com is slightly different and more commercial. It currently hosts products that are available at shops and other venues: e.g. dreamLine REM, Beating Insomnia, the Sleep Course, etc.  www.sleepspecialist.co.uk is a business card site, whilst www.sleepspecialists.co.uk hosts much of the machinery behind the other sites.

    Is www.dmoz.org involved?

    No - Chris Idzikowski was once an editor and given time may be again. Dmoz still though provides one of the best independant directories on the WEB (sleep dmoz).

    saas problems - technical and dairy

    I can't log on to my sleep diary

    Simply keep a copy on paper until you can get through. The saas diary server is on 24 hours / day, 7 days a week. It is occasionally down for maintenance but usually there is an announcement well in advance that this might happen

    How can I get to use the saas sleep diary properly?

    Usually you will need to have had a consultation with Chris Idzikowski first.

    Problems with this page or the site?

    Leave a message here if you have a problem with this page or the site. The problem can be computer-based, that is the pages don't appear to be presented properly, or you don't understand the layout or how the site works.
    Leave a message.