Comprehensive Sleep Medicine Associates, PA
Leading the Way in Advanced Sleep Disorders Care

Not all sleep centers are created equally, and for patients seeking help with sleep disorders, this distinction can be crucial. Many facilities focus on basic diagnostic procedures, often missing the subtle complexities that contribute to a patient’s sleep issues.

For instance, while most centers may identify the common symptoms of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and focus on oxygen levels, they may overlook subtle yet critical breathing disruptions that do not cause oxygen levels to drop, leading to misdiagnosis or inadequate treatment.

This is where Comprehensive Sleep Medicine Associates, PA (CSMA), under the leadership of Jerald H. Simmons, MD, triple board certified in neurology, sleep, and neurophysiology (epilepsy), stands apart.

The center offers a higher standard of care, using advanced diagnostic tools and techniques beyond the industry standard to identify abnormalities missed by other facilities. With years of expertise, Dr. Simmons brings together a multidisciplinary team that excels at uncovering the root causes of sleep disturbances missed by other groups, providing more accurate diagnoses and more effective treatment plans. CSMA holds a national reputation for its success. Patients travel from across the country to obtain CSMA’s high level of care. Telemedicine services are also provided for the convenience of patients outside Texas before any testing.

Other national sleep programs promote extensively on social media, claiming that home testing is all that is needed and persuading patients to follow a streamlined process that lacks the ability to handle more complex cases. CSMA provides the full spectrum of services, from home testing to laboratory studies, from basic evaluations to the most complex. A truly comprehensive service requires the full spectrum of testing capabilities to tailor the assessment to the needs of each patient, rather than using a one size fits all approach.

A Professional Journey on the Cutting Edge

Dr. Simmons has always been driven by a deep interest in how the brain works and its connection to sleep. He began his career as a neurologist, completing his neurology training at Washington University, one of the nation’s leading medical institutions. He then pursued a fellowship in sleep medicine at Stanford University, the first Sleep Disorders Center in the world, where he was exposed to cutting edge research.

In the early 1990s, sleep medicine was still a relatively new specialty, and Dr. Simmons was among the first neurologists to become board certified in the field, working with legendary leaders who helped shape his career.

Going beyond the basic expertise of neurology and the newly established field of sleep medicine, he completed an additional fellowship in clinical neurophysiology and epilepsy. Most sleep centers limit their focus to conditions such as obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). Other, more advanced centers, such as CSMA, also handle disorders such as insomnia, Restless Legs Syndrome (RLS), and narcolepsy. Few, however, take on the more challenging cases that Dr. Simmons and CSMA manage, with an even greater scope of care that includes seizures during sleep and parasomnias (abnormal behaviors during sleep) such as REM sleep behavior disorder, sleepwalking, and other complex sleep conditions.

Comprehensive and Innovative Diagnostic Approach

At CSMA, the process begins with a deep understanding of each patient’s unique needs. Dr. Simmons and his expert team, including highly trained nurse practitioners, emphasize that testing is only part of the process. Understanding the whole patient is essential.

“It is not just about the test; it is about the patient,” Dr. Simmons says, highlighting the importance of combining clinical evaluation with diagnostic testing for the most accurate results. Whether a patient undergoes an in-lab sleep study or a home-based test, the goal remains the same: to understand the patient’s sleep and develop the most effective treatment plan.

The practice’s diagnostic approach is both comprehensive and innovative. If a patient living across the country seeks an evaluation, the process typically begins with a telemedicine visit to understand the patient’s issues so that when they come to one of the Texas facilities the testing is tailored to their case, possibly including additional sensors or daytime testing sessions. Many patients have clear symptoms of sleep disorders but have received inconclusive results with no diagnosis from other facilities. They come to CSMA and are successfully diagnosed, which opens a pathway for treatment.

Enhancing the Treatment Process

The practice’s holistic approach extends to partnerships with other healthcare professionals. Dr. Simmons and his team collaborate with specialists including cardiologists, psychiatrists, dentists, ENT physicians, oral and maxillofacial surgeons, and others to address the full range of health problems that may relate to a patient’s sleep issues.

A pioneer in integrating dental care with sleep medicine, Dr. Simmons has spent decades helping dental professionals understand the link between oral health and sleep apnea. He was the first to promote the concept that clenching teeth during sleep serves as a protective mechanism against airway obstruction in many patients with a tendency toward obstructive sleep apnea. Frequently, by treating the sleep apnea, the clenching improves. This revolutionary concept, which he has promoted for more than 30 years, is now considered common knowledge by dentists influenced by his teaching.

His collaborations have also led to customized dental appliances that adjust jaw position to reduce airway obstruction during sleep, helping many patients manage apnea without relying solely on CPAP therapy.

Dr. Robin Veis, a leading dentist in California, states, “My collaboration with Dr. Simmons began in the mid 1990s and has shaped my practice of dentistry and dental sleep medicine. Few physicians seem to understand the important relationship between the mouth, teeth, and dentistry with what goes on in the rest of the body, breathing, and sleep. Dr. Simmons not only understands this, but he is also committed to teaching others and enhancing the knowledge base of the medical community.”

One of Dr. Simmons’ recent innovations is the remote nightly monitoring of patients’ sleep. By equipping patients with wearable devices that collect nightly sleep data, the practice can track progress and adjust treatment plans in real time. This technology enhances engagement and outcomes, making treatment more effective and personalized.

The impact of CSMA is evident in the lives of its patients. People travel from across the country and even internationally to seek care, often after failing to receive an accurate diagnosis elsewhere. This has led to Dr. Simmons becoming known as the doctors’ doctor for sleep disorders. Many healthcare professionals recognize the high level of care provided by CSMA and refer their more complicated patients.

Stanley Liu, MD, DDS, FACS, Sleep Surgeon, states, “I share a Stanford lineage with Dr. Jerald Simmons and have long admired his pioneering work in sleep medicine. His Comprehensive Sleep Medicine Associates (CSMA) sleep program in Texas remains the gold standard for esophageal pressure monitoring, especially for younger, pediatric, and female patients with Upper Airway Resistance Syndrome. I have personally visited CSMA to observe his methods firsthand, and I continue to regard Dr. Simmons as both a mentor and an innovator leading the field in precision sleep diagnostics and management.”

Committed to Early Detection and Prevention

CSMA is deeply committed to early detection and prevention, particularly in children. Dr. Simmons advocates for screening children for sleep disorders, believing that pediatric issues such as hyperactivity and attention deficit disorder (ADHD) in many children stem from sleep disorders such as OSA or RLS. Rather than placing children on stimulant medication, these patients can improve by diagnosing and treating their sleep disturbances. If this approach were provided nationally, millions of children would not be needlessly placed on stimulant medications, as frequently occurs.

Dr. Simmons is currently working with the American Dental Association, leading a task force to develop pediatric sleep screening protocols and raise awareness about the importance of identifying childhood sleep issues before they lead to more serious conditions.

In addition to their clinical work, Dr. Simmons and his team educate both the public and healthcare professionals about the importance of sleep. Dr. Simmons’ TED Talk on how jaw size affects sleep has shed light on a little-known aspect of sleep medicine, offering valuable insight into the link between dental health and sleep disorders. To enhance sleep education for healthcare professionals, Dr. Simmons started a nonprofit 501c3 organization, the Sleep Education Consortium, in 2004. It holds annual educational conferences to enhance the knowledge of other healthcare professionals.

Offering Tailored, Compassionate Care

Continuing to improve, Dr. Simmons says, “We consistently go above and beyond standard protocols to provide the best care possible, and that is what sets us apart.”

With a focus on comprehensive care, patient education, and continuous advancement in sleep medicine, Comprehensive Sleep Medicine Associates, PA continues to lead the way in treating sleep disorders and improving lives.

For more information, go to the web page www.CSMA.clinic