Joachim Ngiam is a sleep medicine doctor based at Royal North Shore Hospital in Sydney, NSW, Australia.
In sleep medicine, small changes can make a big difference. Poor sleep can affect how you feel day to day, your mood, your energy, and even how safe you are to drive or work. Joachim looks after people who are dealing with sleep breathing problems and other issues that can sit in the background for years, then suddenly become harder to ignore.
His focus includes obstructive sleep apnoea (often called OSA), infantile apnoea, and sleep and breathing concerns linked with obesity. Obstructive sleep apnoea is common. It happens when the airway relaxes during sleep and breathing gets paused or becomes shallow. Many people tell a similar story over time—snoring, waking up a lot, feeling tired in the morning, and sometimes a partner noticing pauses in breathing.
Infantile apnoea is different and needs careful attention. Sleep and breathing in babies can be hard to judge from the outside, so getting the right plan matters. Joachim works with families to make sure concerns are taken seriously, and that next steps are clear and practical.
For people with obesity, sleep breathing problems can be part of the bigger picture. At times, the goal is not only to improve sleep, but also to reduce risks and help people feel more in control. This may involve sleep testing, discussion of treatment options, and working out what will fit with real life at home.
Joachim’s work is based in the hospital setting, so care can be coordinated when it needs to be. That can be helpful when symptoms overlap, or when there are other health issues going on too.
After completing medical training, he continues to keep up with updates in sleep health through ongoing education and guideline changes. He also stays across new ideas in sleep research, especially where they can improve day-to-day care, safety, and treatment choices.
If you’re dealing with ongoing snoring, choking or struggling to breathe during sleep, heavy daytime tiredness, or concerns about an infant’s breathing pattern, Joachim can help sort through what’s most likely and what to do next.
