bed wetting sleep disorder

sleep disorders

In a recent poll conducted on behalf of the National Sleep Foundation:

• 3 out of 4 of those questioned reported that they frequently have difficuly sleeping.



• Only half of those questioned reported that they slept without difficulty on most nights.



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

The poll also showed that:

• Just under two thirds of motorists questioned said that they had driven while drowsy in the previous year. (4 % reported that they had had an accident or near-accident as a result of tiredness or actually falling asleep while driving.)



• Those 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 because of sleep-related problems in the previous three months.



• Three quarters of people 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, almost an hour of sleep a night.



• 1 out of 4 of people polled with partners report troubles in their sexual relationship because of tiredness. They enjoy sex less often or lose interest in sex as a result of tiredness. A large number of couples sleep apart because of a sleep problem.

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

Narcolepsy affects roughly 250,000 individuals in the United States. Individuals with narcolepsy endure frequent "sleep attacks" in the day, even if they experience a normal amount of night-time sleep. Such attacks can last anything from a number of seconds to in excess of 30 minutes.

People with narcolepsy can also experience cataplexy (a loss of muscle control during emotional situations), hallucinations, temporary paralysis when they wake up, and disrupted night-time sleep. These symptoms are features of REM sleep which appear during waking, suggesting that narcolepsy is a disorder of sleep regulation.

Narcolepsy symptoms usually appear during adolescence, though it commonly takes years to get a correct diagnosis.

The disorder (or a predisposition to it) is normally hereditary, but it is sometimes linked to brain damage from a head injury or to neurological disease.

Once the condition has been diagnosed, antidepressants, stimulatns, or other drugs can be used to control the symptoms and prevent the embarrassing and dangerous effects of falling asleep at inappropriate times. Naps at certain times of the day may also reduce the excessive sleepiness during the day.

It is figured that in excess of 35 million adults in the United States have a case of chronic insomnia (a difficulty in sleeping every night or most nights for a period of more than six months), with a further 20 to 30 million individuals suffering shorter-term insomnia (a difficulty in sleeping well for a period of a month to six months). In addition, a lot of people suffer from insomnia over shorter periods (under 4 weeks) and this is commonly known as transient insomnia.

Transient insomnia is normally brought on by excitement (parents expecting a visit from a son or daughter after a long absense) or by stress (concern about a forthcoming job interview). It also often results from long distance travel (jet lag) and can be seen in individuals who exercise late in the day, shortly before going to bed. It is also often associated with illness (colds/flu) and with some over-the-counter medications (for example, some medicines bought for a cold or asthma).

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

Insomnia can be separated into three categories:

• "Initial" insomnia: in which you experience a difficulty in in falling asleep, generally taking 30 minutes or longer to fall into a sleep state.



• "Middle" insomnia: in which, having fallen asleep, you have problems maintaining a sleep state and typically stay awake into the early hours of the morning.



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

Insomnia can often be simply the symptom of some underlying medical conditions that could require the advice of your doctor and medical care. Here it will be a case of treating the underlying medical problem, 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 sufficiently relaxed state for sleep, then there are several choices for achieving healthy sleep without the use of prescription drugs.

Sleep apnea is among the most common and most dangerous sleep disorders. Roughly 18 million people in America suffer from sleep apnea, which is marked by recurring episodes in which you stop breathing while sleeping. Over a period of time this can produce high blood pressure, disordered thinking, and cardiac disease.

Commonly connected with aging, sleep apnea can occur together with loss of muscle tone or a buildup of fat. These changes allow a collapse in the windpipe while breathing Whenever muscles relax during sleep.

This form of the condition, called obstructive sleep apnea, is generally connected to loud snoring (though not everybody who snores has this condition). Sleep apnea can also occur if the neurons responsible for controlling breathing malfunction during sleep.

During an episode of obstructive sleep apnea, attempts to inhale air will create suction which causes the collapse the windpipe. This, in turn, blocks 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 waking 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 frequent awakenings which you experience as a sleep apnea sufferer leave you feeling permanently fatigued and can lead to personality changes like depression and irritability. Sleep apnea also deprives you of oxygen, which might lead to a loss of interest in sex, a decline in mental functioning, or morning headaches. High blood pressure, an irregular heartbeat, and a heightened 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 two to three times more likely to have automobile accidents than the general population.

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

Restless leg syndrome (RLS), a familial disorder inducing unpleasant crawling, prickling, or tingling sensations in the feet and legs and a desire to move them for relief, is emerging as one of the more common sleep disorders, especially in older people.

Affecting as many as 12 million individuals in the USA, RLS leads to constant leg movement during the day and insomnia at night.

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

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