New Sleep Clinic Will Focus on Insomnia

San Francisco, CA - Aug. 15, 2001

A new, state-of-the-art solution for millions of sufferers of sleeping disorders was unveiled today with the creation of The Sleep Clinic of San Francisco, a privately held medical group headquartered in San Francisco.

Formed by a cadre of Stanford trained and nationally recognized medical experts on chronic insomnia, obstructive sleep apnea and restless leg syndrome, the medical group plans to develop a network of clinics in the Bay Area. Each clinic will be designed to provide comprehensive patient care for sleeping disorders in an upscale environment promoting health and wellness.

The flagship clinic opened August 14th at St. Mary's Hospital in San Francisco. The clinic phone number is 866-SleepMD (1-866-753-3763). A second facility focusing solely on insomnia will open shortly thereafter at Sequoia Hospital in Redwood City.

"We are developing a new model for healthcare focusing on comprehensive health and wellness through sleep and we are especially proud of our exciting, new, non-pharmacologic treatment approach for chronic insomnia. Our insomnia program was created and will be administered by Board Certified Sleep Medicine Physicians and PhD's. It incorporates the most successful methods of treating insomnia including cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). In a majority of patients with chronic insomnia, long term efficacy can be realized without the use of medication," said Dr. Jed Black, Director of the Stanford Sleep Disorders Clinic and co-founder of the Sleep Clinic of San Francisco. "No one else has put all the elements of a sleep disorders program together, including a network of participating physicians, the way we have."

"The prevalence of sleep disorders and the resultant health consequences among the U.S. population is staggering," said Dr. Roger Smith, consulting physician to the US Olympic team and Sleep Clinic of San Francisco co-founder. "Many of those suffering are either unaware of the health consequences, or are unaware of the treatment that is presently available."

Recent studies show both the prevalence and consequences of sleeping disorders:

• Approximately 62% (115 million) of U.S. adults experienced a sleep problem a few nights a week or more. (The National Sleep Foundation 2000 Omnibus Sleep Poll)
• Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) may be present in the 20-40% of the adult population that experiences snoring. An individual with untreated OSA is up to 4 times more likely to have a stroke and 3 times more likely to have heart disease. OSA has also been linked to high blood pressure. (The National Sleep Foundation)
• 10-15% of Americans experience one or more symptoms of insomnia a few nights a week. Treatment for insomnia is estimated to be more than $13 billion a year. 10% of the adult population has taken a prescription medication for insomnia within the past 12 months. (The National Sleep Foundation)

Sleep Clinic to Treat Insomnia, Largely Ignored by Other Clinics

Sleep medicine is rapidly changing from a small, specialty field dominated by research institutions, to one of increasing public importance and visibility. However, the majority of clinics treating sleep disorders are small, two- to three-bed capacity facilities focusing primarily on OSA. Insomnia treatment is largely ignored or simply unavailable through either sleep labs or primary care physicians.

Utilizing an innovative approach to cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) in small group settings, The Sleep Clinic staff members have attained significantly improved efficacy and patient satisfaction ratings for the treatment of chronic insomnia.