CCSH study plan
CCSH · Give each week a clear focus.
8 weeks · About 7 hours per week
Sleep and Sleep Disorder Fundamentals
Explain the two-process model of sleep regulation and connect circadian and homeostatic drive to common patient complaints
Distinguish N1, N2, N3, and REM sleep by their EEG, EOG, and EMG hallmarks, and state typical adult stage percentages
Describe how sleep architecture and total sleep need shift across the lifespan from infancy through older adulthood
Match at least three classic clinical presentations to each major sleep disorder category (insomnias, sleep-related breathing disorders, central hypersomnias, circadian rhythm disorders, parasomnias, sleep-related movement disorders)
Summarize the cardiometabolic, neurocognitive, and safety consequences of insufficient sleep and untreated sleep-disordered breathing
Your checkpoint
A two-page sleep-stage and disorder-classification reference sheet written from memory, then corrected against a standard text and re-quizzed to 90% recall
Sleep and Sleep Disorder Fundamentals & Patient Assessment and Sleep Health History
Define core assessment vocabulary (epoch, arousal, respiratory event, desaturation, sleep efficiency, sleep latency, WASO) in your own words
Conduct a structured sleep history covering schedule, symptoms, bedroom environment, medications, substances, and comorbidities
Differentiate excessive daytime sleepiness from fatigue and describe how each is screened and described in a report
Describe the collaborative roles of the sleep health educator within the care team and the boundaries of that role
Your checkpoint
Three written mock sleep histories from self-authored vignettes, each flagging at least five modifiable contributing factors
Patient Assessment and Sleep Health History
Interpret two-week sleep diaries and describe what actigraphy adds beyond self-report
Select appropriate validated screening tools for insomnia, daytime sleepiness, restless legs, and circadian misalignment, and state what each measures
Identify red-flag findings that require prompt escalation (e.g., drowsy driving, witnessed apneas with cardiovascular disease, nocturnal injury)
Adapt the assessment approach for pediatric, older adult, and shift-working patients
Your checkpoint
A reusable intake and screening packet template plus a 25-item self-quiz on assessment content scored at 85% or better
Diagnostic Testing and Study Interpretation Concepts & Treatment Modalities and Therapy Management
Explain the purpose of each standard polysomnography channel group and what artifact patterns can mimic physiologic signals
Describe the indications, limitations, and common causes of false-negative home sleep apnea test results
Explain the concepts behind the MSLT and MWT and when each is appropriate
Calculate Apnea-Hypopnea Index, Oxygen Desaturation Index, and sleep efficiency from given counts, and classify severity using standard cut-points
List first-line treatment options for obstructive sleep apnea and match each to patient characteristics
Your checkpoint
A scoring-concept cheat sheet containing three worked AHI/OAI/efficiency calculations and a 30-item diagnostic-testing quiz scored at 80% or better
Treatment Modalities and Therapy Management
Compare PAP, oral appliance therapy, positional therapy, surgery, weight-management approaches, and pharmacologic options on indications, limitations, and expected outcomes
Explain the components of CBT-I (stimulus control, sleep restriction, cognitive restructuring, relaxation training, sleep hygiene) and the rationale for each
Describe how adherence is measured for PAP therapy and identify the most common barriers patients report
Outline the selection logic for bright light therapy and scheduled sleep timing in circadian rhythm disorders
Your checkpoint
A treatment-modality comparison matrix covering six modalities with indications, contraindications, adherence considerations, and patient-education talking points
Treatment Modalities and Therapy Management & Patient Education, Counseling, and Adherence Support
Design a stepwise desensitization plan for a patient who is anxious or claustrophobic about PAP therapy
Apply motivational interviewing and teach-back techniques to a patient with low adherence
Write measurable, patient-centered adherence goals and a follow-up schedule for the first 90 days of therapy
Anticipate and respond to the five most common patient objections to PAP, oral appliance, and CBT-I recommendations
Your checkpoint
A 10-minute counseling script for a low-adherence patient plus a role-play scoring rubric used with a study partner
Patient Education, Counseling, and Adherence Support & Professional Practice, Documentation, and Ethics
Produce plain-language patient education that corrects common sleep myths without shaming the patient
Explain documentation standards for education encounters, including what constitutes objective versus subjective content
Apply privacy, consent, and scope-of-practice principles to three written ethical scenarios
Identify when to refer out versus when to continue education within the sleep health educator role
Your checkpoint
A one-page patient handout written at a sixth-grade reading level plus a documentation checklist for education encounters
Professional Practice, Documentation, and Ethics & Sleep and Sleep Disorder Fundamentals & Patient Assessment and Sleep Health History & Treatment Modalities and Therapy Management
Complete one timed full-length mock examination under exam-day conditions
Analyze every missed item by domain and root cause (knowledge gap, misread, or reasoning error)
Re-drill the two weakest domains with focused recall practice until each reaches 85%
Build a one-page exam-day strategy sheet covering pacing, flagging, and guessing rules
Your checkpoint
A completed timed mock exam with a domain-level error log and a one-page weak-area remediation plan
Milestones
Week 2: Score 85% or better on a self-made 30-item recall quiz covering sleep physiology, staging, and disorder categories, with no notes
Week 4: Complete a 50-item mixed-domain-1-through-3 practice set at 80% or better and explain every missed rationale aloud
Week 5: Recite from memory the indications and limitations of all six treatment modalities and the five components of CBT-I
Week 6: Deliver the counseling role-play to a study partner and score 80% or better on the rubric, including at least three teach-back checkpoints
Week 7: Produce a handout verified at sixth-grade reading level and pass a 20-item professional-practice and ethics quiz at 80% or better
Week 8: Score 80% or better on the timed full-length mock exam with all six domains represented in the error log