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The Different Types of Sleeping Disorders
Sleep is as essential to us as food, air and water. Good sleep each night increases our ability to concentrate, strengthens our immune system, and decreases our risk of being killed in accidents. Unfortunately, not everyone is able to have a good nights sleep. Sleep disorders are among the most common clinical problems encountered in all of medicine. Primary sleep disorders are chronic disturbances in the quantity or quality of sleep that interfere with a person's ability to function normally. Sleep disorders are classified into two kinds. Dyssomnias are primary sleep disorders in which the patient suffers from changes in the amount, restfulness, and timing of sleep. Some examples of ailments in this category are primary insomnia, hypersomnia, narcolepsy, breathing-related sleep disorder and circadian rhythm sleep disorder. Parasomnias, which is the second category of sleep disorders, include those in which people experience physical events while they are sleeping. They are typically characterized by abnormal behavior in association with sleep, sleep stages or sleep-wake transitions. Disorders in this category include nightmare disorders, sleep terror disorders, sleepwalking disorders and parasomnia NOS. Hypersomnia is a condition marked by excessive sleepiness during normal waking hours. The patient has either lengthy episodes of daytime sleep or episodes of daytime sleep on a daily basis even though he or she is sleeping normally at night. People who have hypersomnia can fall asleep at any time: for instance, at work or while they are driving. An adult is considered to have hypersomnia if he or she sleeps for more than 10 hours a day on a regular basis In some cases, patients with primary hypersomnia have difficulty waking up in the morning and may appear confused or angry. This condition is sometimes called sleep drunkenness and is more common in males. The number of people with primary hypersomnia is unknown, although 5-10% of patients in sleep disorder clinics have the disorder. Primary hypersomnia usually affects young adults between the ages of 15 and 30. Being overweight, excessive drug and alcohol abuse, genetics, a physical problem such as a tumor or head trauma, fibromyalgia and clinical depression are considered to cause hypersomnia in people. Sleep apnea is considered to be a potentially life-threatening condition that requires immediate medical attention. People with sleep apnea stop breathing for 10 to 30 seconds at a time while they are sleeping. These short stops in breathing can happen up to 400 times every night. These periods of not breathing may make them wake up from deep sleep. Sleep apnea can increase a persons risk of heart disease and stroke. People with this disorder are more likely to have traffic accidents if they drive while theyre sleepy. There are two basic forms of sleep apnea -- central and obstructive. The central form of sleep apnea occurs when breathing is interrupted by the lack of effort, whereas the obstructive form of sleep apnea occurs when there is an actual physical blockage to the airflow. Loud snoring or gasping is often noted with this type of sleep problem. The primary recommended treatment for people suffering from sleep apnea is that of a lifestyle change, including avoiding alcohol and any medications that relax the central nervous system. Restless Leg Syndrome (RLS) is another incredibly common sleep disorder, and is especially seen in the elderly. It is a genetic disorder that results in a prickly, crawly, aching or tingly sensation in the leg, one that often causes patients to want to move their limbs ceaselessly. RLS often prevents the patient from falling asleep until the early hours of the morning, when the condition is less intense. Narcolepsy is a sleep disorder that causes overwhelming and severe daytime sleepiness that often occurs at inappropriate times and places, even after adequate nighttime sleep. Periods of sleep can last for less than a minute to more than a half an hour. Many narcoleptics experience additional symptoms including cataplexy (a sudden loss of muscle tone while in a conscious state), hallucinations and other unusual perceptual phenomena, and sleep paralysis, an inability to move for several minutes upon awakening. Narcolepsy is typically a genetic disorder, and is considered to also be associated with brain damage or neurological disease or disorder. Some people who suffer from narcolepsy report experiencing an increased number of attacks during pregnancy, illness, fever, or stressful periods, and patients who suffer from narcolepsy complain of being tired all the time.
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