adolescent sleep disorder

sleep disorders

It was revealed in a recent poll conducted on behalf of the National Sleep Foundation that:

• Three quarters of those polled stated that they often have sleep problems.



• As little as half of those polled stated that they usually slept reasonably well.



• 25% of those polled stated that sleeping difficulties affected their daily lives.

The poll also showed that:

• 60% of motorists reported driving while drowsy in the past twelve months. (4 % reported that they had had an accident or near-accident as a result of tiredness or having fallen asleep while they were driving.)



• People polled cited sleep-related problems as the most common reason for being late for work. Almost two thirds of working adults reported missing work, events/activities or making errors at work through sleep-related issues in the previous 3 months.



• 75% of individuals polled reported a sleep problem with their partner - snoring being the commonest. Partnered adults, suffer doubly disruptive sleep problems, as one partner's sleep problem could cause the other to lose, on average, nearly an hour of sleep each night.



• A quarter of individuals polled with partners report difficulties in their sexual relationship because of tiredness. They enjoy sex less often or lose interest in having sex as a result of tiredness. Many couples sleep apart because of a sleep problem.

Many of us have the occasional sleepless night without any consequences. When, however, the occasional night from time to time becomes a pattern of several nights in a row, you are looking at a sleeping problem.

Jet lag is an extremely common sleep disorder suffered by many millions of travelers every day. It affects both those people traveling on business and on holiday and, according to a recent survey of international business travelers, 3/4 of those questioned said that they frequently suffered from jet lag.

Jet lag affects people of all ages and, in spite of the fact that it varies widely from person to person, it tends to increase in severity the older you get.

In addition, if you already have a problem sleeping, you could well find that jet lag is more of a problem.

Jet lag also increases as you cross an increasing number of time zones. If the difference in time between your point of departure and your destination is simply an hour or two, then it's possible that you won't experience jet lag at all. But, if the time difference is three hours or more then jet lag will begin to appear and its effects will become more and more pronounced the larger the time difference.

Finally, jet lag symptoms don't always appear instantly and, for a few people, it could be a couple of days before it hits.

Sleep apnea is among the commonest and most dangerous sleep disorders. Approximately 18 million adults in the United States suffer from this condition, which is characterised by repeating episodes of cessation of breathing while sleeping. In time this can cause cardiac disease, disordered thinking, and high blood pressure.

Frequently connected with increasing age, sleep apnea can occur in association with loss of muscle tone or a buildup of fat. These changes allow a collapse in the windpipe while breathing As muscles relax in the course of sleep.

This form of the condition, named obstructive sleep apnea, is generally linked to loud snoring (though not everyone who snores suffers from this condition). Sleep apnea might also occur if the neurons responsible for the control of breathing don't function properly during sleep.

During obstructive sleep apnea, your effort to inhale air will create suction which causes the collapse the windpipe. This, in turn, obstructs the air flow for between ten seconds and one minute while you struggle to breathe. As your blood oxygen level falls, the brain responds by awakening you enough to tighten the muscles of the upper airway and open the windpipe. You may gasp or snort, then resume breathing. This cycle may be repeated hundreds of times a night.

The constant awakenings which you experience as a sleep apnea sufferer leave you feeling permanently tired and might cause personality changes such as irritability or depression. Sleep apnea also leaves you short of oxygen, which may lead to a loss of interest in sex, morning headaches, or a decline in mental functioning. High blood pressure, irregular heartbeats, and an increased risk of stroke and heart attack also Commonly arise in cases of sleep apnea.

If you are suffering from from severe, untreated sleep apnea you appear 2 to 3 times more likely to be involved in an automoblie accident than the general population.

Mild sleep apnea can commonly be overcome by loosing weight or by preventing yourself from sleeping on your back. You might need a special device or surgery to clear the obstruction.

It is considered that more than 35 million adults in the USA are suffering from a case of chronic insomnia (a difficulty in sleeping each night or virtually all nights for at least, or in excess of, six months), with an added 20 to 30 million suffering shorter-term insomnia (a difficulty in sleeping well for a period of four weeks to six months). Additionally, a significant number of people suffer from insomnia over shorter periods (under 4 weeks) and this is normally known as transient insomnia.

Transient insomnia is ordinarily brought on by excitement (a child anticipating the arrival of Father Christmas) or by stress (concern about making a long journey). It also often results from long distance travel (jet lag) and can be seen in those who exercise late in the day, shortly before going to bed. It is also often associated with illness (colds/flu) and with several over-the-counter medications (for example, some medicines bought for asthma or a cold).

Both sexes and all ages suffer from insomnia, although it is more common in the elderly and in women, particularly after the menopause.

Insomnia can be divided into three categories:

• "Initial" insomnia: where you demonstrate a problem in falling asleep, typically taking 30 minutes or more to fall asleep.



• "Middle" insomnia: where, after falling asleep, you have difficulty maintaining a state of sleep and often remain awake into the early hours of the morning.



• "Late" or "Terminal" insomnia: where you wake early in the morning after less than 6 hours of sleep.

Insomnia can occasionally be only the symptom of an underlying medical conditions that could well require a visit to your doctor and medical care. Here it is a matter of treating the underlying medical problem, rather than the insomnia.

If, however, your lack of sleep results from a pattern of not sleeping, or your body and brain find difficulty in settling into a state of relaxation necessary for sleep, then there are several different choices for achieving healthy sleep without the need to use prescription drugs.

In addition to your wrist watch, the alarm clock beside your bed or the clock on your mantelpiece, all of which, if you're like me, govern your life to a great extent, you also have an internal clock which dictates the rhythm of your body.

Your internal clock governs many of the functions of your body, regulating such things as temperature and the release of hormones and, most especially, telling you when it is time to get up and go to sleep.

Following the pattern of night and day (darkness and light) your body's internal clock tracks a pattern of approximately 24 hours thus giving your body a 24 hour rhythm or, to give it its proper title, a circadian rhythm - from the Latin circa (about) dies (a day).

Whenever your body's circadian rhythm is disrupted as a result of shift work, you may suffer from temporary sleep disorders such as excessive daytime sleepiness or transient insomnia. Without treatment, transient sleep problems linked to a change in your work schedule might become chronic and in serious cases could even need medical intervention.

Shift work also places you at increased risk of chronic gastrointestinal and cardiovascular problems. Heartburn, flu, indigestion, colds, weight gain, menstrual irregularities and high blood pressure are all documented more amongst shift workers.

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adolescent sleep disorder, sleep disorders