american sleep disorders association

sleep disorders

The publication of a recent National Sleep Foundation polls shows that:

• 75% of those questioned stated that they frequently experience difficulty in sleeping.



• As little as 50% of those questioned stated that they normally slept without any difficulty.



• 1 out of 4 of those questioned stated that problems sleeping had an impact upon their daily lives.

The poll also showed that:

• 60% of motorists questioned said that they had driven while drowsy in the past year. (4 % reported that they had had an accident or near-accident through tiredness or falling asleep while driving.)



• People polled named sleep-related issues as the most usual reason for being late for work. Almost two thirds of working adults reported missing work, events/activities or making errors at work as a result of sleep-related issues in the preceding 3 months.



• 3 out of 4 of people polled reported a sleep problem with their partner - with snoring being the most common. Partnered adults, suffer doubly disruptive sleep problems, as one partner's sleep problem can cause the other to lose, on average, almost an hour of sleep each night.



• 1 out of 4 of people polled with partners report problems in their sexual relationship as a result of tiredness. They enjoy sex less often or lose interest in sex as a result of tiredness. Many couples sleep apart because of sleeping problems.

Many people have the occasional sleepless night without any consequences. Once, however, the odd night here and there becomes a pattern of several nights in a row, you are looking at a sleeping problem.

Sleep apnea is one of the commonest and most dangerous types of sleep disorder. In the region of 18 million individuals in America suffer from sleep apnea, which is marked by repeating episodes in which you cease breathing while sleeping. Over time this can lead to disordered thinking, cardiac disease, and high blood pressure.

Sometimes linked with aging, sleep apnea can occur in association with loss of muscle tone or a buildup of fat. These changes allow the windpipe to collapse while breathing As muscles relax in the course of sleep.

This form of the condition, known as obstructive sleep apnea, is usually associated with loud snoring (though not everyone who snores suffers from this condition). Sleep apnea might also occur if the neurons responsible for controlling breathing malfunction during sleep.

During obstructive sleep apnea, your effort to inhale air will create suction which causes the collapse the windpipe. This blocks the air flow for anything from about ten seconds up to a minute while you struggle to breathe. As the level of oxygen in your blood falls, the brain reacts by awakening you sufficiently to tighten the muscles of the upper airway and open the windpipe. You may gasp or snort, then start breathing again. This cycle may be repeated hundreds of times a night.

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

If you suffer from severe, untreated sleep apnea you appear two to three times more likely to have an automobile accident than the general population.

Mild sleep apnea can commonly be overcome through weight loss or by preventing yourself from sleeping on your back. You might also need special devices or surgery to clear the obstruction.

Restless leg syndrome (RLS), a familial disorder creating unpleasant crawling, tingling, or prickling sensations in the feet and legs and impulse to move them to get relief, is emerging as one of the more common sleep disorders, especially among the elderly.

Affecting as many as 12 million individuals in the United States, restless leg syndrome leads to continual leg movement during the day and to sleeplessness at night.

Severe RLS is most commonly seen in elderly people, though symptoms might well appear at any age. In some cases, it may be associated with other conditions such as anemia, pregancy, or diabetes.

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

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

Following the pattern of day and night (light and darkness) this internal clock tracks a pattern of close to 24 hours thereby giving your body a 24 hour rhythm or, more correctly, a circadian rhythm - from the Latin circa (about) dies (a day).

Whenever you circadian rhythm is upset due to shift work, you may suffer from temporary sleep disorders such as transient insomnia or excessive daytime sleepiness. If not treated, transient sleep problems connected to a change in your work schedule could become chronic and in serious cases could even necessitate medical intervention.

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

It is estimated that more than 35 million adults in the United States are suffering from a case of chronic insomnia (difficulty sleeping every night or on the majority of nights for six months or more), with another 20 to 30 million suffering shorter-term insomnia (difficulty sleeping well for a period of four weeks to six months). Additionally, many individuals suffer from insomnia over shorter periods (less than 4 weeks) and this is usually known as transient insomnia.

Transient insomnia is commonly brought on by excitement (a child looking forward to an outing) or by stress (concern about a coming examination). It also often results from air travel (jet lag) and can be seen in those who take exercise late in the day, shortly before going to bed. It is also often associated with illness (colds/flu) and with a few over-the-counter medications (for example, some medicines purchased for asthma or a cold).

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

Insomnia can be separated into three categories:

• "Initial" insomnia: where you experience problems in falling asleep, typically taking 30 minutes or more to fall into a sleep state.



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



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

Insomnia can occasionally be just the symptom of some underlying medical conditions that may well require a visit to the doctor's surgery and medical care. Here it is a matter of treating the cause, 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 sufficiently relaxed state for sleep, then there are a number of choices for achieving healthy sleep without having to resort to prescription drugs.

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