Clinical Standards

This page describes the principles our clinicians work by: what we will and will not prescribe, who is qualified to provide care, and how we handle situations that need more than what telehealth can do. It exists so that you can see, before you ever fill out the assessment, the standard you are walking into.

1. Prescribing principles

Our clinicians prescribe based on the specific pattern of how your sleep is breaking (onset, maintenance, early-morning, or non-restorative) and a mechanism-grounded match between that pattern and the agent considered. We prefer agents with evidence in the relevant insomnia subtype, a clean side-effect profile relative to alternatives, and a mechanism that fits the pattern. We do not prescribe a single hero formula to every patient; the right medication, or the decision not to use medication at all, depends on you.

2. What we do not prescribe

Dayward clinicians do not prescribe controlled substances through the platform. Insomnia care frequently involves scheduled hypnotics elsewhere in the field; our clinical posture is to use non-controlled agents matched to your pattern wherever clinically appropriate, and to refer you to in-person care if a controlled substance is genuinely indicated.

3. Compounded medications

For some patients, a compounded formulation prepared by a licensed compounding pharmacy partner is the appropriate choice. A compounded medication is selected because the dosage, combination, or delivery form supports a more precise match to the patient’s pattern, not for cost or marketing reasons. Compounded medications are dispensed by a licensed compounding pharmacy and are subject to the pharmacy practice standards of the state in which the pharmacy is licensed.

4. Clinician credentialing

Every clinician who treats patients on the Dayward platform is independently licensed in the state where the patient is located at the time of care. We verify state license status and any board certification on appointment and on an ongoing basis. We do not employ unlicensed clinical staff to make prescribing decisions.

5. Scope of practice

The Dayward platform treats adult insomnia and adjacent sleep-disordered patterns within the scope of what a sleep medicine specialist can responsibly evaluate and treat by telehealth. We do not, through the platform, manage acute psychiatric emergencies, substance-use treatment, primary care outside sleep, or pediatric sleep care. Where a presentation is outside scope, the clinician will refer you to in-person care and tell you why.

6. Evaluation standard

Before a first consultation, your clinician reads your full assessment, treatment history, current medications, and any relevant background you provide. The first visit is for a real evaluation: a structured conversation about how your sleep is breaking, what has already been tried, and what fits your situation, not a four-minute intake.

7. Follow-up and adjustment

Sleep care is rarely one-and-done. Your clinician will set a follow-up cadence appropriate to your treatment, review what is working and what is not, and adjust. If an approach is not working, we will say so and offer an alternative path, not keep going for the sake of consistency.

8. Escalation pathways

When your situation requires care that telehealth cannot responsibly deliver, for example suspected obstructive sleep apnea that calls for a sleep study, a possible psychiatric condition driving the insomnia, or any acute risk, your clinician will refer you to in-person evaluation or emergency care. We will tell you exactly why and help you navigate the referral.

9. Reporting a concern

If you have a concern about the care you received on the Dayward platform, contact us using the contact information on our site. You also retain every legal right available to you with respect to a treating clinician, including reporting to the relevant state medical board.