The Alfred Sleep Disorders & Ventilatory Failure Service

The Alfred Sleep Disorders and Ventilatory Failure Service was initiated in 1994 within the Department of Respiratory Medicine.

Since 1994, the need to monitor The Alfred's in-patients and out-patients has grown rapidly, mainly as a result of increased awareness of sleep disorders associated with disorders, such as heart failure, stroke, COPD and motor vehicle accident victims.

Our Sleep Disorders and Ventilatory Failure Service is one of the busiest in the state. We are committed to providing a high quality clinical service and are actively involved in Sleep Medicine Research.

This centre is a multidiscplinary service that deals with Disorders of Sleep. We offer consultation, diagnosis and treatment for sufferers of sleep disorders. Our team comprises of specialists in Respiratory Medicine, Ear Nose and Throat (ENT) Surgery, Dentistry, Neurology, Psychiatry and Psychology. We also have well trained scientists and nurses to assist in patient management.

What sleep disorders do we manage?

• sleep apnoea
• excessive daytime sleepiness
• abnormal movements during sleep
• breathing problems during sleep
• nocturnal panic attacks
• heart diseases
• stroke

The centre is involved in Sleep research associated with:

• heart disease
• cystic fibrosis
• lung volume reduction surgery
• alcohol
• melatonin