Comprehensive Care for Sleep Disorders

Leading Diagnostics and Treatment in Denver for Sleep Disorders

Sleep disorders can affect patients of all ages, from infants to the elderly adult, and be associated with serious medical conditions such as SIDS, high blood pressure, premature heart disease and stroke.

Presbyterian/St. Luke's Medical Center is proud to have Robert Ballard, MD and his team at the Colorado Sleep Medicine -- an advanced sleep disorders center located at P/SL in Denver.

Dr. Robert Ballard began specializing in sleep disorders medicine in 1986 and has been committed to research, diagnosis, and effective treatment for his patients since then.

Robert Ballard, MD, Medical Director
Colorado Sleep Medicine

Dr. Ballard is a Fellow of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, and a member of the American Thoracic Society and American Academy of Chest Physicians. He specializes in Sleep Apnea, Restless Legs Syndrome, other Sleep Disorders, Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), and other Pulmonary disorders.

Sleep Services for Children:

Special equipment in the sleep center especially for young patients, including the neonate high-risk infants

Each room has accommodations to allow parents to sleep in the same room with their child undergoing testing

Sleep Disorders Treated

• Insomnia
• Daytime Sleepiness
• Sleep Apnea
• Snoring
• Sleepwalking
• Teeth Grinding (Bruxism)
• Drug- & Alcohol-Induced
• Circadian Rythm Disorder
• Anxiety
• Narcolepsy
• Restless Legs Syndrome

Dr. Robert Ballard and his team provide:

• Comprehensive and sophisticated sleep analysis and therapy
• Timely reporting to referring physicians
• Test results studied and summarized by both a registered sleep technologist and personally by Dr. Robert Ballard
• List of recommendations and treatments
• Consultative services
• Alice 5 Technology from Respironics
• Real Time information
• Tabular Data
• Superior Technology
• Ability to help treat patients that suffer from chronic respiratory failure, sleep apnea, insomnia, and restless leg syndrome to name a few
• Focused on a multi-disciplinary approach combining Pulmonology, Psychiatry and Neurology for the best treatment of sleep disorders
• The center is comprised of 4 private hotel-like suites, each with a separate bathroom
      

Appointments & Information

Sleep Clinic: 303-832-2955

Sleep Lab: 303-869-2069
 

More about Dr. Robert Ballard

Robert Ballard, MD

Board Certified
American Board of Sleep Medicine
American Board of Internal Medicine
Subspecialty Board of Pulmonary Medicine
Critical Care Medicine
National Board of Medical Examiners

Fellow Pulmonary-Critical Care
Oklahoma University Health Sciences Center; Oklahoma City, OK

Fellow in Pulmonary Research
National Jewish Medical and Research Center; Denver, CO

Residency in Internal Medicine
University of Colorado Health Sciences Center; Denver, CO

Internship in Internal Medicine
University of Colorado Health Sciences Center; Denver, CO

Medical Doctorate
University of Kentucky College of Medicine; Lexington, KY

   
What Happens in a Sleep Lab? 

Patients have electrodes placed over their head - blue on each side of the forehead, lavender next to the eyes and green on the jaw. Fourteen different sensors are attached not only to the head, but also to the chest and legs.  The electrodes, hooked to a computer, record the electrical impulses in your brain as well as monitor your breathing, heart rhythm and limb movements.

Throughout the night, different lines dance across a computer screen. They tell part of the story of sleep: the jumbled waves of people drifting off that resemble a toddler's scribbling; the big, loopy shapes of deep-sleep delta waves; the rapid eye movement waves of dreaming.

The wires also record if a patient stops breathing. Patients with severe sleep apnea may stop breathing three times every minute they are asleep. Such patients don't generally wake up in the morning and remember that they stopped breathing. More likely they feel like they didn't sleep well and aren't well-rested.

If you think you may be a candidate for a sleep study, you need to obtain a referral from a primary care doctor or a specialist who suspects that you're suffering from a serious sleep disorder. The sleep lab generally contacts your insurance company before the study to get authorization for coverage.

After the study, Dr. Ballard reviews the findings and makes recommendations to your referring doctor, such as a face mask for apnea or medications for other medical problems. 

Fast Sleep Facts

• Nearly six out of l0 men and women - 126 million Americans - have some trouble sleeping a few nights a week, the National Sleep Foundation says.
• A third of us, at some time, suffer from a more serious condition: chronic insomnia.
• And up to one in five has sleep apnea, a serious physical sleep disorder.