UCSF Sleep Disorders Center At Mount Zion

This place loses two stars for one simple reason — the wait to see anyone or to have your sleep study done is in the measure of months, not days, not weeks. I have not scheduled an appointment that wasn’t at least four weeks out. I will give them a bit of credit that perhaps the sleep medical field may just not have enough doctors and more and more patients may be coming in for sleep apnea, but some of it is perfectly within their control. The point of this review is not to dissuade you from using them. I don’t know what other options there are in the city, but to just prepare you for a VERY long wait from beginning to end. To give you an idea here is my timeline off my calendar:
I first met with my GP on July 7 and asked for a referral for my sleep apnea. Both my father and brother sleep with a CPAP, and I knew based on feedback that I was a very loud snorer. I was sure I had sleep apnea but I resisted getting the machine because as a single gay man, it’s not very sexy. My GP referred me to the UCSF Sleep Disorders Center. I called immediately to schedule an appointment — first availability September 16! WOW!
Over two months later, I go in to meet the doctor. I will say that my doctor, Julianne Blythe, was fantastic. Answered all my questions. Was very informative about what the course of action was. Next step was to schedule a home sleep study. OK let’s get this done! SO I schedule my home sleep study — October 17! Ugh.
October 17 rolls around and I go to the hotel to pick up my unit. Other Unilocal reviews have already commented on the weird hotel and creepy dude that works in the hotel room for the center so I won’t go into that detail. He explains the device to me and that night I strap it on and go to sleep. Hopefully I’ll be getting my CPAP soon!
In a few days they call me to tell me that my sleep study was faulty. My unit had failed to record one of the measurements so they had to reschedule me. OK, I can come in whenever. Next available appointment is November 12. WTF! I complain that I just took the test, this has been a 5 month endeavor at this point, can’t I be given priority. Well turns out that they only own two machines so there’s a long backlog. TWO MACHINES. Here’s one of the areas they can clearly improve. I know medical devices are expensive but still, I think 2 – 3 more machines will clearly be put to use.
At that point it was Thanksgiving and I went to Hawaii for 2 weeks on vacation. But December 17, 5 months later, I finally got my CPAP and I’m happy it’s finally in my hands.
In January the Center contacts me to schedule an appointment to see how I’m doing and make sure I’m compliant with using my machine (for insurance purposes I believe). SO I schedule one for mid February. The date of my appointment nears and I suddenly have a big presentation I have to give on that day so I have to reschedule. Next available appointment — April 29. Of course.
So I just had my appointment with Dr. Blythe this week. Fortunately I don’t have to go back for another year. I think I might schedule the appt now. I did complain to her about the enormous wait time. She acknowledged that it was bad and that they were brining on another doctor and other doctors were increasing their availability. So if you do end up going here, it might not be that bad when you go. I hope it isn’t.

One reviewer in this thread needs to do the sleep study at his mommy’s house. Dude, were you seriously complaining about it being a waste of money for your insurance company? Should have known, since you gave IKEA 5 starts. IKEA?
I, on the other hand, had a very pleasant experience. I liked the décor at the Hotel Tomo, and found it kind of cool.
No doubt awkward given the situation, but the tech I had was friendly and kind. I found the bed comfortable, and I had a good night’s sleep.
The test was a success. What more could you ask for?

Sleep apnea? Me? Don’t be ridiculous! Nothing could be wrong enough with me to warrant wearing one of those enormous face masks and breathing through a hose all night long. By my doctor insisted I go for a sleep study, and I have the world’s finest doctor (Dr. Francis Charlton, since you asked), so I went.
Every single person I encountered at this office was awesome. I know, I know, it’s hard to believe, but it’s true: Annette and Sonia signed me up. Dr. Claman was my doctor. Dr, Wonderful New Doctor Who Is Still In Training was also fantastic — too bad I forgot to get his business card. They all answered a zillion questions and reassured me over and over, and before I could freeze back up and remember that I simply do not have sleep apnea so there is no reason to waste everyone’s time on a sleep study, I was signed up for one.
The study is done in a hotel in Japantown and no, there is no room service — that was my first question too. My sleep technician was Yuri, who was absolutely wonderful. She cemented electrodes into my hair (yes, that is true — the cement does wash out, but it takes a couple of tries) and stuck them to my arms and legs and then she said I needed to go to sleep. Yeah, right. But I did nod off, because three hours later she came in and woke me up and hooked up me to the sleep machine. As she was doing this, in my mind I was telling her that I had had enough of all of this, I was then putting on my clothes and marching out of there and driving home. In reality, I let her put the little soft plastic thing over my nose, hook its hose (yes, there’s a hose) up to the machine, and turn on the air blower. I lay down, fully intending to get up, get dressed, and get out of there as soon as she’d left the room, but instead I must have fallen asleep because suddenly it was six in the morning and she was waking me up. And to my amazement, even after just five hours of sleep, I felt great. Well, as great as you can with your hair full of cement.
So Dr. Claman and I talked about the results of the sleep study, and after two weeks a respitory therapist came to my house with the machine, and to my surprise there is no ginormous face mask — just the little plastic thing that fits over the nose (with a big ol’ honking hose attached to it — that part did not change, so warning warning: if you get one of these things do not look at yourself in the mirror), and once again I told myself that as soon as he left I would throw the whole thing in the trash, but obviously I have no will, no inner strength, and no self-​respect, because I have used the machine every night for a month and I feel more rested than I have in years. I wake up feeling cheerful (oh, the indignity of it all), I don’t fall asleep on the bus or at work or in front of the TV, and even though the nose mask thing still smells a bit like plastic and there is just something kind of alien about going to sleep with a hose blowing air into your nose, I wear it every night, and when I wake up and discover that I’ve taken it off I find it and put it back on.
The UCSF Sleep Disorders Center has been stellar all the way through this procedure. I could not ask for better health care professionals. And as an extra added bonus, not once has anyone even whispered, «I told you you had sleep apnea.» Who, me? Not a chance. I just wear this thing because it makes me sleep better.

Dr. Kim sends me to do a Polysomnogram. I make an appointment to pick up the sleep study machine to do a home test because no way in hell will I sleep in a hotel room. I would turn out to be a hulk who rips apart the cords and destroys everything. So I thought this was going to be in a clinic or something, turns out its at Best Western Hotel Tomo in Japantown.
I walk in there and it feels like those really old looking horror films. I go up to the floor where the sleep studies are done and totally freaked out, at last, I see the door. There is no doorbell or nada to go in. I decide to call and the guy said he would open in 5 min. I wait in the hallway and this guy that’s like at least 6’2 opens the door, certainly does the graveyard shift, pale as a vampire, and blonde with blue eyes, my only thought was «OMG, Count Dracula just woke up and is going to eat me alive!» He says «Hello Stephanie. I will assist you in the room next door. Give me a minute please. I will get the machine.» I wanted to run, but I waited in the dark room next door and see a tank, a bed, who would want to do a sleep study in there?! Neveeeeeeeeeer. So count dracula comes in and gives me instructions on how to set up the machine. I signed a paper and took about 10 min and I left with my little black suitcase that made me look badass, as if I were in a spy movie.
I had a date that night. The instructions said to not drink, eat 3 hours before I slept, and to not take any pills. The date was great, but embarrassing to say to him that I had to go home early because I had to do a sleep study. Luckily the guy was super cool about it. I got home and took out the cables. I had my roommate help me tape everything. The oximeter probe on your finger measures the amount of oxygen in your blood. The main computer goes on your chest to measure your respiratory efforts, a tube goes in your nose (cut it, a bit long), one cable taped on your forehead, and two cables taped on your cheek.
The setup can take 30 – 45 minutes or more in order to get everything connected properly. A key part of a sleep study is understanding what is happening while you sleep. The pattern of this activity can be recognized by a sleep specialist who is able to read and interpret the study. I didn’t move one bit and went to drop off the machine the next day. You have to drop it off the next day or not you get charged. Sometimes they are flexible and give you up to 1 – 2 days more. I got my results in 2 weeks later and turns out…
I have freaking obtrusive sleep apnea!!! So I returned to Dr. Kim to explain to me the results because it was like in a foreign medical language, and she told me I woke up 45 times when I slept lying on my back and stopped breathing 45 times! There are 3 types of sleep apnea, obstrusive, central, and mixed. I had moderate obstrustive=BAD! So she prescribed a nasal spray, a daily morning pill, less alcohol, exercise, eating healthy, no eating 3 hours before sleeping, and some other cool tips. Since I’m young, she doesn’t want me to remove my tonsils nor get the CPAP machine. But there’s always the dental device I could buy and use other alternatives out there.
I learned a lot from this study and I recommend others to do it, you might not know you have it until you are examined. It was around $ 1,000−1,500, but my insurance covered it. Snore loud? Someone is telling you that they can’t stand your snoring? Have insomnia? Tired during the day? Waking up too much in the middle of the night? Take this study and have the vampire looking dude help you, he’s nice and quick!

Had my first Sleep Study done last night and used a CPAP for the first time. They got me in right away — only had to wait about a week after I called. Their instructions and directions were all very useful.
The technician was super friendly and answered all my questions. He made me feel comfortable in an awkward situation (being hooked up to a bunch of wires in your pajamas in front of a stranger in a hotel room and then video taped and listened to while you sleep is just plain awkward).
The only reason I’m not giving them 5 stars is because the Best Western Tomo, where they do the sleep studies, could use some updates. While everything looks very nice and clean, the bed could be WAY more comfortable, the water temperature of the shower does not stay at a constant heat (it went from burning hot to freezing cold all on it’s own — you need hot water to get the crap out of your hair after the study), and at least 2 times in the night there was a strange sound coming from the walls or pipes that woke me up.
Now I’m waiting for my referring doc to call. The technician was wary of telling me too much, since that’s the doctor’s job. All I know is that I meet the sleep apnea criteria, which is at least 15 apneas/​hour.

I had a very good experience with this sleep center. The time between calling to schedule an appointment and actually getting in to see the doctor or have a sleep study is about three weeks, so plan ahead for that.
The doctor (Dr. Won) seemed very knowledgeable, and was incredibly thorough in the questions she asked that could possible have been related to or causing my issues.
The sleep technician at the actual study was great, it took quite a long time for him to get all the sensors on, and while he was doing that we had a good conversation. He was very friendly, and funny at times. My mom has had a sleep study done at another place where she was a little uncomfortable with her sleep technician, so I wanted to make a point of mentioning that I liked him and he made the experience as smooth as possible.
I was told I’d hear from my doctor with the results in about two weeks, but it was more like three, after a probing call from me asking when I could expect to hear back. My doctor is pretty quick to return phone calls, when I leave a message in the afternoon I can expect a call by the end of the next business day at the latest. I didn’t feel like I was lost in the crowd of patients with her, and I feel like she’s keeping track of my progress attentively.
A week after the phone call with the doctor I got all my results in the mail, and those were very detailed (sometimes to the point where I didn’t understand them) and I appreciated them providing me with so much information, as opposed to just diagnosing me, giving me a couple vague facts, and sending me on my way.
I went here because it was nearby and covered by my insurance, but I’d certainly recommend others needing a sleep doctor to go to UCSF Sleep Center!