Allen Blaivas, D.O., Health Professional

Allen Blaivas, FCCP, DABSM, is a graduate of New York College of Osteopathic Medicine and is a quadruple board-certified physician practicing in pulmonary, critical care, and sleep medicine. He runs the sleep laboratory at the VA New Jersey Health Care System and loves taking care of our nation’s veterans. He’s a clinical assistant professor of medicine at Rutgers New Jersey Medical School and holds clinical privileges at Hackensack University Medical Center and New York Presbyterian-Lower Manhattan. He has clinical research interest in obstructive sleep apnea and COPD.

Causes and Symptoms of Restless Leg Syndrome

We started our discussion about restless legs syndrome (RLS) in my recent blog, so let’s continue where we left off. Mild symptoms of RLS occur in 5-15% of the general population, which makes it the second or third most common sleep disorder. Of thes...

Allen Blaivas, D.O.

All Sleep is Not Created Equal

In my last blog we were reviewing the fundamental question of why we sleep. We left off trying to sort out the level of activity of the brain and body during different stages of sleep (i.e. Non-REM and REM). During non-REM the body and brain are at t...

Allen Blaivas, D.O.

How to Nap with Positive Results

Don’t think you will be doing less work because you sleep during the day. That’s a foolish notion held by people with no imaginations. You will be able to accomplish more. You get two days in one- well at least one and a half. - Winston Churchill Or ...

Allen Blaivas, D.O.

Polysomnogram: What Is It, And How Does It Work?

Let’s continue talking about obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). We already discussed some of the symptoms and signs, as well as the significance of untreated OSA and the related diseases such as stroke, heart attack, and diabetes. Today we will focus on ...

Allen Blaivas, D.O.

Night Terrors and REM Behavior Disorder (RBD)

Today we’re going to talk some more about nightmares, particularly Night Terrors and REM Behavior Disorder. Nightmares are common in patients with psychiatric disorders, but in general, nightmares can simply be caused by stressful or traumatic experi...

Allen Blaivas, D.O.

Insomnia Treatment Options

To continue where we left in our discussion of insomnia, we should start reviewing the treatment options. First, we should address the pharmacologic therapies (both prescription and over the counter medicines) and later on will get to the non-pharmac...

Allen Blaivas, D.O.

The Different Types of Insomnia

As we have been discussing, chronic insomnia is insomnia in the absence of other medical, neurological, or psychiatric causes. Two of the most common types of this disorder are idiopathic insomnia and psychophysiologic insomnia. I will also briefly t...

Allen Blaivas, D.O.

OTC Insomnia Medications

There are many other medications that are used for the treatment of insomnia, as well as a number of both over-the-counter (OTC) and herbal remedies that are available and are in frequent use. The most common OTC medication used as a sleep aid is ant...

Allen Blaivas, D.O.

How Do You Know If You Have a Sleep Disorder?

Friends and family often ask me, "How do I know if I have a sleep disorder, and what can I do about it?" I thought that I would review some of the signs and symptoms of sleep disorders and how you should prepare yourself to visit your doct...

Allen Blaivas, D.O.