The Best Sleep Doctor in Every State
Updated: Apr. 05, 2021
To find the top sleep doctors across the United States, we looked for certification in sleep and related disciplines. These doctors are directors—or on the staff—of American Academy of Sleep Medicine-certified centers. Most importantly, they get extremely high patient-satisfaction ratings.
Alabama: Robert Doekel, Jr, MD
Dr. Doekel, is the Medical Director of the Sleep Disorders Center of Alabama, the first sleep center in Alabama accredited by the American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM), a professional society in charge of accrediting sleep centers across the United States. Along with board certification in Sleep Medicine with the American Board of Sleep Medicine (ABSM), he also is certified in Internal Medicine and Pulmonary Medicine. Dr. Doekel gets high scores for his kindness and compassion and his wealth of experience. Make sure you know the 17 sneaky signs you might need a sleep doctor.
Alaska: Mauricio Reinoso, MD
Dr. Reinoso is the Medical Director of the Alaska Sleep Clinic, an AASM-accredited sleep center that was voted Best Sleep Clinic in Alaska by CEO Magazine for 2018. By all reports, Dr. Reinoso is devoted to his patients and great at coming up with individually tailored solutions to sleep problems. “When I work with a patient who has a problem such as sleep apnea, once we have matched the patient with the right equipment, the results are immediate,” he says.
Arizona: James M. Parish, MD
Certified in Sleep Medicine by the ABSM as well as in Internal Medicine and Pulmonary Medicine, Dr. Parish is a prolific sleep researcher and is on staff at the Mayo Clinic in Phoenix/Scottsdale, an AASM-accredited sleep center that treats around about 3,000 people with sleep disorders each year.
Arkansas: Duane Birky, MD
Dr. Birky is a neurologist with 20 years of experience who is on staff at the Baptist Health Specialty Clinic North Little Rock in Little Rock. Dr. Birky deals with a high volume of patients with sleep disorders and is known for his warm and focused bedside manner and personal touch.
California: Michael Breus, PhD
Known as the “The Sleep Doctor,” Dr. Breus is a clinical psychologist who is certified in Sleep Medicine by the ABSM—he’s also one of the nation’s leading authorities on sleep disorders. He has authored several books on sleep and other health topics—his latest is The Power of When. He’s also on the clinical advisory board of The Dr. Oz Show. Here’s what Dr. Breus recommends for dealing with insomnia.
Connecticut: Daniel McNally, MD
In addition to having certification in Sleep Medicine with the ABSM, Dr. McNally is also board certified in internal medicine, pulmonary medicine, and critical care. On staff at the University of Connecticut Medical Center in Farmington, Dr. McNalley is a Castle Connolly Top Doctor and has received stellar reviews from his patients, one of whom says there’s no rating high enough for him.
Colorado: Jack D. Edinger, PhD
Dr. Edinger is a professor and insomnia specialist at the National Jewish Health Section of Sleep Medicine in Denver. A Doctor of Clinical Psychology, Dr. Edinger is renowned for his psychological approach to insomnia. He’s the 2018 recipient of the Nathaniel Kleitman Distinguished Service Award from the AASM for his decades of research on insomnia. A former head of the AASM’s Research Diagnostic Criteria for Insomnia Workgroup, he is currently is leading the academy’s Insomnia Treatment Guidelines Task Force. Check out 12 sleep disorders beyond sleep apnea.
Delaware: Vikas Batra, MD
Board certified by the ABSM in Sleep Medicine, Dr. Batra also holds certifications in Pulmonary Medicine and Critical Care Medicine. As the director of the Sleep Disorders Center at Beebe Healthcare in Lewes, Dr. Batra has been cited as a top doctor by Castle Connolly. He’s also the recipient of rave reviews by his patients on Vitals.com.
Florida: Brynn Dredla, MD
Dr. Dredla has been certified in Sleep Medicine by the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology. She is a neurologist specializing in sleep medicine at Jacksonville’s Mayo Clinic who has done quite a bit of research on sleep disorders, including this study on the way sleep disorders complicate medical cases. Dr. Dredla‘s also studied the effects of natural remedies on restless leg syndrome, a major causes of sleep disruption.
Georgia: Mark T. Pollock, MD
Along with certification by the ABSM, Dr. Pollock also specializes in internal medicine, pulmonary medicine, and critical care, offering interdisciplinary care. Dr. Pollock is the chief medical information officer and the co-director of critical care at DeKalb Medical. Dr. Pollock is the recipient of Patient’s Choice awards recognizing his skills, his compassion, and the difference he has made in patients’ lives.
Hawaii: Michael Slattery, MD
Holding certifications in sleep medicine from both the ABSM and the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology, Dr. Slattery is also a neurologist on staff at Hawaii Pacific Neuroscience in Honolulu, AASM-certified sleep center. Dr. Slattery’s patients describe him as “reassuring, compassionate, warm, and skilled.” Here are 16 bedtime snacks that can help you get a better night’s sleep.
Idaho: Anna Irwin, MD
Dr. Irwin, certified in sleep medicine, psychiatry, and neurology, takes a brain-centered multidisciplinary approach when helping patients get better sleep. She’s an integral part of the pulmonary team at the highly regarded St. Luke’s Hospital in Boise. Dr. Irwin also specializes in the management of narcolepsy.
Illinois: Sarah M. Alderman, MD
Dr. Alderman, an internal medicine doctor and board-certified sleep specialist at the Chicago Sleep Center, has been practicing sleep medicine for over 25 years and has extensive experience in treating all sleep disorders; she has a special interest in sleep apnea. She has lectured extensively with the goal of educating both patients and physicians in the diagnosis and treatment of sleep disorders. And her patients consistently award her with five (out of five) stars on Vitals. Here are 22 ways your lifestyle and habits may be causing your insomnia.
Indiana: Cassandra E. Curtis, MD
Dr. Curtis practices primarily in Indianapolis and has 18 years of experience and is board certified in sleep medicine, neurology, and psychiatry. She is consistently rated so highly by her patients that she’s been listed among Vitals’ Top 10 Doctors. Dr. Curtis is on staff at St. Vincent Hospital in Indianapolis.
Iowa: Ross N. Bacon, MD
A Castle Connolly Top Doctor, Dr. Bacon is board certified in sleep medicine, pulmonary medicine, and critical care. He’s part of the University of South Dakota Sanford Health System and gets rave reviews from his patients who adore his warmth, compassion, and his ability to explain things in layman terms. Check out these 11 sleep tricks that actually work.
Kansas: Damien Stevens, MD
With certifications in sleep medicine, internal medicine, critical care, and pulmonology, Dr. Stevens is the recipient of numerous awards for his high-quality patient care. He’s licensed in Missouri as well as Kansas and operates in both states (at the University of Kansas Hospital and Missouri’s Cameron Regional Medical Center).
Kentucky: Ammar Almasakhi, MD
Dr. Almasakhi, whose practice is primarily in Louisville, is board certified in sleep medicine, internal medicine, and pulmonology. He’s the recipient of several awards, including a Patient’s Choice from Vitals. In addition, Dr. Almasakhi performs a high volume of sleep studies. Learn about the 16 things sleep doctors wish you knew about snoring.
Louisiana: Joseph Y. Bordelon Jr, MD
Dr. Bordelon, whose board certifications include sleep medicine, pulmonary disease, and internal medicine, is one of the on-staff physicians at the Premiere Sleep Medicine Center in Baton Rouge. While he’s involved in sleep research at the center, Dr. Bordelon also treats patients at hospitals in Opelousas and Lafayette, making him highly accessible. His patients give him high ratings: One says, simply, “He saved my life.”
Maine: Andrew Dixon, MD
Dr. Dixon’s board certifications include sleep medicine, critical care medicine, pulmonary disease, and internal medicine, and his patients say things about Dr. Dixon like, “I’d trust him with my life.” This Bangor-based sleep doctor is experienced in sleep studies who has practiced in Maine for more than 21 years, after attending med school at Dartmouth in New Hampshire.
Maryland: David Nelson Neubauer, MD
As the associate director of the Johns Hopkins Sleep Disorders Center in Baltimore, Dr. Neubauer is also an associate professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Johns Hopkins. The board-certified psychiatrist is renowned for his extensive research in the field of insomnia. He has authored chapters on insomnia and sleep disorders in professional therapy guides, and a book, Understanding Sleeplessness: Perspectives on Insomnia. Don’t fall for these 7 sleep myths that sleep doctors have debunked.
Massachusetts: Charles A. Czeisler, MD, PhD
Dr. Czeisler, is the director of Sleep Medicine at Harvard Medical School and the chief of the division of sleep and circadian disorders at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston; Dr. Czeisler is on the cutting edge of research in the area of sleep disorders, including the way sleep deficits impacts workers on the job and the use of melatonin—which, he tells Reader’s Digest, has “important but limited uses.”
Michigan: Q. Afifa Shamim-Uzzamam, MD
A sleep medicine physician at the University of Michigan’s Sleep Disorders Center, Dr. Shamim-Uzzaman has board certifications in internal medicine and sleep medicine. She’s top-rated with her patients for her caring nature and her insistence on getting to the bottom of what’s causing the problem. Here’s how to find out what’s at the root of your insomnia.
Minnesota: Timothy Morgenthaler, MD
Dr. Morganthaler, co-director of the Mayo Clinic Center for Sleep Medicine in Rochester, is a former president of the AASM. Board certified in sleep medicine, pulmonary medicine, and critical care medicine, Dr. Morganthaler also a professor of medicine at Mayo Clinic, and serves as the Mayo Clinic patient safety officer. His main clinical interests are sleep-disordered breathing, patient safety, and improving healthcare delivery.
Mississippi: Abha Mishra, MD
Like many of our best sleep doctors, Dr. Mishra has multiple board certifications that make her a multi-disciplinary sleep specialist, but hers are more focused on the mind. In addition to sleep medicine, she specializes in psychiatry, neurology, and vascular neurology. She’s the Medical Director at the AASM-accredited Gulfport Sleep Center, which has been in operation since 1995. Learn the 13 secrets to better sleep that sleep doctors want you to know.
Missouri: Joseph Espiritu, MD
Dr. Espiritu is the director of the SLUCare Sleep Disorders Center, at St. Louis University. Board certified in sleep medicine, as well as critical care, pulmonary medicine, and internal medicine, Dr. Espiritu is a full-service sleep doctor with a particular interest in continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) treatment for sleep apnea. His patients have a great deal of confidence in him and find him to be compassionate and respectful.
Montana: Kurt Kubicka, MD
Board certified in sleep medicine and family medicine, Dr. Kubicka has been providing patient care in the Helena area for 26 years and is on staff at the Rocky Mountain Sleep Center in Great Falls, where he’s available to his patients even on the weekends and deeply attentive to his patients’ concerns. Here are 19 daily habits of people who sleep really well.
Nebraska – Dr. Michael O. Summers, M.D.
Dr. Summers, who is board certified in sleep medicine and critical care medicine, is an integral part of the Nebraska Medicine Sleep Center. His patients consider Dr. Summers exceptionally thorough and value his ability to explain things in terms they understand.
Nevada: R.D. Prabhu, MD
Dr. Prabhu founded the AASM-certified Sleep Center of Nevada in 2008 with the mission of providing compassionate care in a safe and comfortable environment. His patients describe Dr. Prabhu as “wonderful” and “The Expert” and “could not ask for a better doctor.” Read about the 14 mistakes that doctors wish you’d stop making already.
New Hampshire: Michael Sateia, MD
An emeritus professor of psychiatry at the Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Dr. Sateia was the 2009 winner of the AASM Distinguished Service Award and his colleagues regard him as “a true pioneer in the field of sleep medicine, having devoted his professional career to its development and advancement” and a professional whose “leadership has greatly contributed to the formal recognition of sleep medicine as an independent medical subspecialty.” He’s also very highly regarded by his patients.
New Jersey: Jeffrey Barasch, MD
Dr. Barasch heads up the Valley Health System’s Center for Sleep Medicine in Ridgewood. The Center is AASM-accredited and offers what’s been described as uniquely comfortable and reassuring. Board certified in sleep medicine, pulmonology, and internal medicine, Dr. Barasch‘s patients appreciate his warm bedside manner, his careful consideration of their issues, and his willingness to listen.
New Mexico: John W. Doggett, MD
A Castle Connolly Top Doctor, Dr. Doggett is board certified in sleep medicine and internal medicine. Practicing in Albuquerque, he has more than 20 years of experience; at his practice, he has—and continues to—run sleep studies. His patients appreciate his “calm competence.”
New York: Mandana Mahmoudi, MD, PhD
With board certifications in pulmonary medicine, critical care, and sleep medicine, Dr. Mahmoudi takes a multidisciplinary approach to her practice at the NYU Langone Sleep Disorders Center. Dr. Mahmoudi treats numerous issues, such as sleep arousal disorder, breathing disorder during sleeping, advanced sleep phase syndrome, delayed sleep phase, REM behavior disorder, circadian rhythm sleep disorder, snoring, and upper airway resistance syndrome. Learn the reasons that you might need a new mattress.
North Carolina: Bradley Vaughn, MD
Dr. Vaughn directs the Sleep Disorders Center at the University of North Carolina and is board certified in sleep medicine. Dr. Vaughn is also a board-certified neurologist and neurophysiologist. That means he’s adept at identifying and addressing sleep problems caused by neurological conditions such as epilepsy. He’s highly esteemed by his colleagues and by his patients.
North Dakota: Seema Khosla, MD
Dr. Khosla is the medical director of the North Dakota Center for Sleep in Fargo and specializes in sleep medicine as well as critical care medicine and general pulmonary medicine. Dr. Khosla is the lead author of a 2018 position statement on sleep apps from the AASM and his highly regarded by her patients.
Ohio: Jessica Vensel Rundo, MD, MS
A staff physician at the Cleveland Clinic Sleep Disorders Center, Dr. Rundo is a board-certified sleep medicine specialist with additional certification in neurology. She has over 15 years of experience. Most importantly, her patients adore her and give her the highest scores on her willingness to listen, explain, take time, and be respectful of their concerns.
Oklahoma: Vikas Jain, MD
Dr. Jain has 14 years of experience as a board-certified sleep medicine specialist. Affiliated with Northwestern Medicine Central DuPage Hospital, Dr. Jain has earned awards from Vitals for his compassion and for being so popular with patients. Find out if one of these 11 behaviors is giving you insomnia.
Oregon: Adrian E Varela, MD
A Castle Connolly Top Rated doctor, Dr. Varela practices in Portland and Happy Valley and is affiliated with the Portland Medical Center; he holds board certifications in sleep medicine and otolaryngology. His patients appreciate the time he takes with them, his trustworthiness, and the fact that he can treat sleep issues connected to allergies and upper respiratory issues.
Pennsylvania: Daniel Buysse, MD
Dr. Buysse isn’t just a highly regarded sleep doctor—one patient calls him, “The best in his field”—he’s also a full professor of sleep medicine at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, where he’s also a professor of psychiatry. On staff at the Sleep Center at the University of Pittsburgh, Dr. Buysse has over 25 years of experience in sleep medicine research with a particular focus on evaluation and treatment of insomnia and the role of sleep in aging as well as in mood disorders.
Rhode Island: Franklin McCool, MD
Besides having the best name on the list, Dr. McCool is the medical director of the Roger Williams Medical Center Sleep Disorders Center and is board certified in sleep medicine and internal medicine. He also completed a fellowship in pulmonary medicine. The Sleep Disorders Center is a full-service sleep center in Johnston that has beds available for overnight sleep studies; Dr. McCool and his staff are renowned for providing comprehensive evaluation and treatment.
South Carolina: Joseph Krainin, MD
Charleston-based Dr. Krainin is board certified in sleep medicine and neurology. He has an active sleep medicine practice and a wealth of knowledge and experience about sleep apnea (he’s also Chief Medical Advisor for SoClean, a company that sanitizes sleep apnea devices). “Sleep apnea can affect anyone at any age level or body weight, and you should get tested if you experience any symptoms related to sleep apnea,” he tells Reader’s Digest. Check out 10 remedies for sleep apnea that don’t involve a CPAP.
South Dakota: Mei He, MD
With her certifications in sleep medicine, clinical neurophysiology, neurology, and psychiatry, Dr. He offers a brain-focused multidisciplinary perspective. At her practice in Sioux City, she and her staff do a high number of sleep studies; she also relies on brain and heart testing for a comprehensive analysis of sleep issues.
Tennessee: Beth Malow, MD, MS
Dr. Malow is the director of the Vanderbilt University Medical Center Sleep Division in Nashville; she is board certified in Neurology, Clinical Neurophysiology and Sleep Medicine. Dr. Malow has done extensive research in the field of sleep medicine. With a multidisciplinary approach, she focuses on the way sleep and sleep disorders are related to a variety of neurological, medical, and psychiatric disorders, including developmental disabilities. And her patients give her incredibly high ratings. Read about 10 insomnia treatments that actually worked for sleep-deprived patients.
Texas: Rajiv M. Joseph, MD, PhD
Board certified in neurology and sleep medicine, Dr. Joseph has the training and expertise to diagnose and treat a range of conditions, such as sleep apnea, sleepwalking, insomnia, and chronic fatigue. With consistently high patient ratings, he’s known for providing customized patient-focused care. He and his staff at the Sleep Disorders Clinic in Plano welcome patients to their AASM-accredited sleep center with a “one-stop shop experience for all sleep-related medical needs, including sleep studies, polysomnograms (PSGs), and more.”
Utah: Krishna M. Sundar, MD
Dr. Sundar, the Medical Director of the Sleep-Wake Center, University of Utah is board certified in sleep medicine, pulmonary disease, critical care medicine, and internal medicine; Dr. Sundar has been credited with the development of a multi-disciplinary sleep apnea clinic at the University of Utah. One of his main goals is to educate patients and providers in realizing the full potential of sleep in maintaining health and improving outcomes from chronic illnesses. He consistently makes the list of Castle Connolly’s Region’s Top Doctors in Pulmonary Disease, and he’s been featured in the top 10 percent of America’s most honored professionals in the 2016 American Registry.
Vermont: Edward M. Turpin, MD
An attending physician at the University of Vermont Medical Center and assistant professor in neurological sciences at the Larner College of Medicine at the University of Vermont, Dr. Turpin is board certified in sleep medicine, with a focus on sleep apnea, home sleep testing, and telemedicine. He elected to pursue sleep medicine as it “combines a focus on the neurological sciences with the ability to help patients achieve a better quality of life through optimizing their mental and physical wellbeing.” Here are 11 natural sleep remedies that actually work.
Virginia: W. Chris Winter, MD
Dr. Winter, MD has been dubbed “the sleep whisperer,” by Arianna Huffington. Board certified in neurology and sleep medicine, Dr. Winter is also the author of The Sleep Solution: Why Your Sleep Is Broken and How To Fix It. “Just because you don’t snore does not mean you do not have sleep apnea,” he’s told Reader’s Digest in the past. “If you are tired and sleep poorly, insist on a sleep study,” he urges, “even if you don’t look like a typical sleep apnea patient.” Don’t miss the things sleep doctors never do during daylight savings time.
Washington: Nathaniel Watson, MD
Dr. Watson co-directs the University of Washington Sleep Center in Seattle and is the current president of the AASM. Board certified in neurology and sleep medicine, Dr. Watson is focused on sleep duration and the effects of sleep curtailment on human health. He’s also a professor of neurology, the director of the Harborview Medical Center Sleep Clinic, and co-director of the UW Medicine Sleep Center—plus, he’s a member of the board of directors of the American Sleep Medicine Foundation and American Board of Sleep Medicine.
West Virginia: Sam Atassi, MD
Dr. Atassi is the head of the Thomas Sleep Center in South Charleston, which is accredited by the American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM). Dr. Atassi is board certified in sleep medicine and devoted to ensuring better sleep for his patients and returning them to full enjoyment of daily activities. Read what happens to your body when you don’t get enough sleep.
Wisconsin: James P. Gapinksi, MD
Board certified in sleep medicine and pulmonology, Dr. Gapinski treats patients with all sleep-related issues, including sleep apnea, insomnia, narcolepsy, and restless legs syndrome. As director of the sleep centers at Aurora BayCare Medical Center in Green Bay and Aurora Medical Center in Manitowoc County, Dr. Gapinski is “helping patients realize what a difference a good night’s rest can make in their daily lives.”
Wyoming: M. Ammar Hussieno MD
Dr. Hussieno is board certified in pulmonary disease and sleep medicine and is the medical director of Wyoming Medical Center’s Sleep Lab. Top-rated by HealthGrades, Dr. Hussieno is rated highly for being trustworthy, explaining things well, and spending significant time with his patients. Find out what your sleep habits are really trying to tell you.
Originally Published: February 18, 2019
