anxiety sleep disorders

sleep disorders

The publication of a recently conducted National Sleep Foundation polls reveals that:

• 3 out of 4 of people questioned stated that they have frequent sleep problems.



• Only 50% of people questioned stated that they normally slept without problem.



• A quarter of people questioned stated that difficulty in sleeping had an impact upon their daily lives.

The poll also demonstrated that:

• 60% of motorists questioned reported driving while drowsy in the previous twelve months. (4 % said that they had had an accident or near-accident because of tiredness or actually falling asleep while driving.)



• People referenced sleep-related problems as the most common reason for being late for work. Almost 30% of working adults reported missing work, events/activities or making mistakes at work because of sleep-related issues in the preceding 3 months.



• Three quarters of those polled reported a sleep problem with their partner - with 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, about an hour of sleep each night.



• 25% of those polled with partners report difficulties in their sexual relationship because of tiredness. They enjoy sex less frequently or lose interest in having sex as a result of tiredness. A lot of couples sleep apart because of sleeping difficulties.

A significant number of us have the odd night of sleeplessness without any consequences. When, however, the occasional night from time to time becomes a pattern of several nights in a row, you face a sleeping problem.

It is thought that over 35 million people in America are suffering from chronic insomnia (a problem sleeping each night or virtually all nights for six months or more), with a further 20 to 30 million individuals suffering shorter-term insomnia (a problem sleeping well for between a month and six months). Further, a significant number of people suffer from insomnia over shorter periods (less than 4 weeks) and this is typically referred to as transient insomnia.

Transient insomnia is normally brought on by excitement (a child anticipating his birthday) or by stress (worrying about your upcoming driving test). It also often results from long distance travel (jet lag) and can be seen in people who exercise late in the day, shortly before going to bed. It is also often connected to illness (colds/flu) and with several over-the-counter medications (for example, some medicines bought for asthma or colds).

Women and men of all ages experience insomnia, although it is more common in women and in the elderly, especially after the menopause.

Insomnia can be split into three categories:

• "Initial" insomnia: in which you demonstrate a problem in falling asleep, usually taking 30 minutes or more to fall into a sleep state.



• "Middle" insomnia: in which, having fallen asleep, you have difficulty maintaining a sleep state and frequently stay awake until the early morning hours.



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

Insomnia can occasionally be merely the symptom of an underlying medical conditions that could require advice from your doctor and medical care. Here it is a matter of treating the cause, rather than the insomnia.

If, however, your insomnia results from a pattern of not sleeping, or your brain and body find difficulty in settling into a state of relaxation necessary for sleep, then there are various choices for achieving healthy sleep without having to resort to prescription drugs.

Narcolepsy affects an estimated 250,000 Americans. People with narcolepsy endure frequent "sleep attacks" in the day, even if they get a normal amount of night-time sleep. Such "sleep attacks" can last anywhere from several seconds to more than half an hour.

People with narcolepsy might also experience cataplexy (the loss of muscle control during emotional situations), hallucinations, temporary paralysis when they awaken, and interrupted night-time sleep. These symptoms seem to be features of Rapid eye movement (REM) sleep that appear during waking, indicating that narcolepsy is a sleep regulation disorder.

Narcolepsy symptoms often appear in adolescence, although it often takes years to obtain a correct diagnosis.

The disorder (or a predisposition for it) is generally hereditary, but it is now and then linked to brain damage from a head injury or to neurological disease.

Once the condition has been diagnosed, stimulants, antidepressants, or other drugs can help to control the symptoms and prevent the dangerous and embarrassing effects of falling asleep at improper times. Naps at certain times of the day may also reduce the excessive daytime sleepiness.

Sleep apnea is one of the most common and most dangerous sleep disorders. Around 18 million people in the US suffer from sleep apnea, that is characterised by repeated episodes in which you cease breathing during sleep. Over time this can cause cardiac disease, high blood pressure, and disordered thinking.

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

This form of the condition, named obstructive sleep apnea, is often associated with loud snoring (though not everyone who snores has this condition). Sleep apnea might also occur if the neurons responsible for the control of breathing do not function correctly during sleep.

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

The continual awakenings that you experience as a sleep apnea sufferer leave you feeling permanently fatigued and might produce personality changes like depression and irritability. Sleep apnea also deprives you of oxygen, which can lead to a loss of interest in sex, a decline in mental functioning, or morning headaches. High blood pressure, irregular heartbeats, and a heightened risk of heart attacks and stroke also Commonly arise in cases of sleep apnea.

If you have from severe, untreated sleep apnea you are also two to three times more likely to have automobile accidents than the general population.

Mild sleep apnea can often be overcome through weight loss or by preventing yourself from sleeping on your back. You may also require special devices or surgery to rectify the obstruction.

At its simplest, jet lag is a common sleep disorder suffered by many millions of travelers daily. It affects both people traveling on business and on vacation and, according to a recent survey of international business travelers, 74% of those questioned said that they often suffered from jet lag.

Jet lag affects individuals of all ages and, though it varies widely from person to person, it tends to be more severe the older you are.

Additionally, if you are already experiencing difficulty sleeping, you might find that jet lag is more of a problem.

Jet lag also increases as you cross more and more time zones. If the time difference between your point of departure and your destination is only an hour or two, then you may not experience jet lag at all. But, if the difference in time is three hours or more then jet lag will start to appear and its effects will be more pronounced the larger the time difference.

Finally, jet lag symptoms don't always appear right away and, for a few people, it could be two or three days before it hits.

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