If you’re reading this blog post, you’re likely part of the 72% of Americans that has researched health information online, whether at work, at home or on a mobile device. According to the Pew Research Center, 77% of online health seekers say they began their last session at a search engine such as Google, Bing, or Yahoo.
Whether you are looking to research your own symptoms or those of a family member; prepare for or follow up after a consultation with your doctor; there is no shortage of information available. If it’s a sleep-related health issue that ails you, look no further! We’ve compiled a list of the best online sleep resources we could find. As the interweb grows, we’ll come back and update this post. If you have come across a website that’s not on this list, please add it in the comments and we’ll put it on the list.
Best Interactive Sleep Website:
Harvard Medical School, Division of Sleep Medicine: Health Sleep
This website from the prestigious Harvard Medical School is choc full of videos and interactive tutorials explaining everything from why sleep is important, how sleep studies are performed and what the data looks like to how to improve your sleep help. My favorite part is the “What is Sleep” section where you can look at the graphs (actigram and hypnogram) of a newborn baby, elderly man, shift worker, insomnia patient and sleep apnea patient. Very cool!
Best Videos on a Website:
Sleep Apnea: MedCram
If you’re a visual learner, the internet is great for finding videos. This video from MedCram.com clearly illustrates the physiology, risk factors, diagnosis and treatment of sleep apnea.
Diagnosing narcolepsy: Harvard Medical School
Describing narcolepsy with cataplexy: Julie Flygare- REM Runner
Best All-Around Sleep Education Websites:
National Sleep Foundation
Yes, millions of Americans suffer from sleep apnea and it’s the most-diagnosed disorder in our sleep centers, BUT IT’S NOT THE ONLY SLEEP DISORDER. Insomnia, narcolepsy, bed wetting, teeth grinding, sleep walking, sleep talking, sleep paralysis, sleep hygiene. The list goes on! This website offers info about ALL of them and answers your questions about healthy sleep. Check it out!
SleepEducation.com
The American Society for Sleep Medicine, a group of sleep specialists and medical doctors trained in identifying and treating sleep disorders, has developed this patient-focused educational resource.
Best YouTube Channel for CPAP Users: The Lanky Lefty
Jason has a full library of videos troubleshooting the most CPAP issues, new masks and CPAP accessories. Jason is funny and often adds hilarious illustrations and even music to his videos. This channel has over 11,000 subscribers and lively comments.
Editor’s note: This post was originally published in 2013 and has been updated with accurate links and new content. Please let us know if there are other useful resources to add to this list!
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