Practical kit · sleep referrals

Waiting for a sleep clinic appointment: use the time well

A referral to a sleep service can sit in a queue for days or months. You cannot control the queue, but you can control how complete your referral is, what evidence you bring and how ready you are for the first conversation about treatment.

Why your wait may differ from someone else's

Sleep services are not one queue. A hospital laboratory, a private clinic, a telehealth service and a GP with an interest in sleep each have different capacity and referral rules, and a first consultation is usually quicker to arrange than an in-lab study. Public services generally triage referrals into categories such as urgent, semi-urgent and routine, with safety risk first. The guide to sleep clinic wait times explains the pattern country by country.

In England the rules are published. The NHS says you have a legal right to start non-urgent consultant-led treatment within a maximum of 18 weeks from when your appointment is booked or the referral letter is received, and that you should get a letter within a few days confirming the referral, with a first appointment often within about 2 weeks. Other countries and private providers work differently, so ask the clinic which rule applies to you.

Strengthen the referral

Triage clinicians only know what is written down. A vague request such as "please assess sleep" gives them little to rank. Ask your referring doctor whether the letter mentions:

Witnessed pauses in breathing, choking or gasping at night
Your sleepiness score if one was taken, and any near-misses while driving
Conditions that raise the stakes, such as high blood pressure
Your job if it involves driving or safety-critical work
Previous sleep tests and where they were done

A two-week log to bring

Column	What to write	Why it helps
Bed and wake time	Clock times, including naps	Shows whether short sleep explains the tiredness
Night events	Snoring, gasping, waking to urinate, leg movements reported by a partner	Points toward a breathing or movement disorder
Day sleepiness	Moments you nodded off: reading, TV, driving	Gives the doctor concrete examples
Caffeine, alcohol, medicines	What and when	Some medicines and drinks change sleep
Shift pattern	Which days were nights or early starts	Separates rota effects from illness

When to chase, and how

Call if your symptoms change significantly, if the quoted timeframe has passed with no contact, or if the referral seems to have disappeared. Ask for the referral date and the triage category.
Do not ring daily; one well-documented call achieves more.
Being flexible about location helps: a clinic further away may have a shorter queue.
If you fall asleep while driving, do not wait quietly for the appointment. Tell your doctor now.

Check who will see you

Accreditation is a formal review of a sleep facility's staff qualifications, equipment, testing procedures and patient safety. In the United States the American Academy of Sleep Medicine commonly accredits sleep centres; other countries use other bodies. You can ask the centre directly or search the accrediting organisation's public directory, as described in how sleep centers get accredited.

Questions to have ready if CPAP comes up

Does my result meet the usual threshold for CPAP?

Ask the doctor to explain your apnoea-hypopnoea index (AHI). The NHS notes that sleep tests show how severe sleep apnoea is from how often breathing stops. A commonly quoted threshold is an AHI of 15 or more events per hour, or 5 to 14 with significant symptoms such as daytime sleepiness.

Is there a trial period?

Many clinics and suppliers offer a trial, often around 30 days, to see whether you tolerate CPAP. Ask what happens if you do not.

Which mask should I start with?

Mask fit is one of the biggest factors in long-term use. Ask to try more than one style.

What maintenance will I be doing?

Cushions are typically washed daily, tubing and humidifier chamber weekly, and filters replaced every 1 to 3 months, following the manufacturer.

The full list is in questions about CPAP at your first appointment. To look for sleep specialists by city and country, start at findsleepdoctors.com.

Sources used on this page

NHS: Guide to NHS waiting times in England — 18-week right, referral letter, first appointment timing
NHS: Sleep apnoea — GP referral to a sleep clinic, AHI score