OET Writing Material 4 – Letter to a sleep specialist

OET Writing Sub-test: 

Case Notes

Patient details:

Name: Mihiraa

Marital Status: Divorce

Date of Birth: December 15, 1989

Today’s Date: January 26, 2025

Subjective:

• Significant difficulty falling asleep
• Staying asleep for the past six months.
• Typically takes 1-2 hours to fall asleep
• Frequently wakes up multiple times during the night.
• Describes her sleep as “light” and “unrestful.”
• Feeling consistently fatigued throughout the day, impacting her concentration and daily activities.
• Denies any recent significant life stressors, but notes a consistent demanding workload.
• Tried over-the-counter sleep aids (melatonin), but minimal improvement.
• Increased anxiety re lack of sleep.
• Denies use of caffine after 2pm
• Denies alcohol use.

Objective:

• Appears tired and exhibits mild dark circles under her eyes.
• Vital Signs:
  • Blood Pressure: 120/80 mmHg
  • Heart Rate: 72 bpm
  • Respiratory Rate: 16 breaths/min
• Consistent sleep log keeping (provide this to specialist)
• No known medical conditions.

Assessment:

• Suspected chronic insomnia.
• Impact on daily functioning is significant.
• Further evaluation by a sleep specialist.

Plan:

• Referral to a sleep specialist for comprehensive evaluation and management of insomnia.
• Provide educational materials on sleep hygiene.
• Advise to maintain a consistent sleep schedule and create a relaxing bedtime routine.
• Provide a copy of the patients provided sleep log to the specialist.

Writing Task

Using the information given in the case notes, write a letter to a sleep specialist, community health center, Marieville. You are a community health nurse.

 

Sample Answer

Sleep specialist
Community Health Nurse
Marieville

January 26, 2025

Dear Sleep Specialist,

Re: Ms. Mihiraa, Date of Birth: December 15, 1989

I am writing to refer Ms. Mihiraa for a comprehensive evaluation and management of suspected chronic insomnia. She has been experiencing significant sleep disturbances for the past six months, which are impacting her daily functioning.  

Ms. Mihiraa reports considerable difficulty both initiating and maintaining sleep. She typically takes between one to two hours to fall asleep and frequently wakes up throughout the night. Despite maintaining a consistent sleep log, she describes her sleep as consistently “light” and “unrestful,” resulting in persistent daytime fatigue that impairs her concentration and daily activities. While she denies any recent significant life stressors, she mentions a consistently demanding workload. She has attempted to use over-the-counter melatonin to improve her sleep but reports minimal benefit and expresses increased anxiety regarding her lack of sleep. She also reports no caffeine intake after 2 pm and denies alcohol consumption.  

On examination today, Ms. Mihiraa appeared tired, with mild dark circles under her eyes. Given the prolonged duration of her symptoms and their significant impact on her daily life, she is suspected to have chronic insomnia. She was provided with educational materials on sleep hygiene and advised to maintain a consistent sleep schedule and establish a relaxing bedtime routine.  

It would be greatly appreciated if you could provide a specialist consultation for Ms. Mihiraa to further evaluate her condition and recommend an appropriate management plan. 

A copy of her sleep log is attached for your reference. Please do not hesitate to contact me if you require any further information.  

 

Yours faithfully,

 

Community Health Nurse

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