behavior rem sleep disorder

sleep disorders

A recent poll carried out for the National Sleep Foundation found that:

• Three quarters of individuals questioned stated that they often have sleep problems.



• As little as 1 out of 2 of individuals questioned stated that they normally slept quite well.



• A quarter of individuals questioned stated that sleep problems had an impact upon their daily lives.

The poll also demonstrated that:

• Just under two thirds of motorists polled reported having driven whilst drowsy within the past twelve months. (4 % reported having an accident or near-accident through tiredness or having fallen asleep while they were driving.)



• People cited sleep-related issues as the usual reason for being late for work. Almost 30% of working adults reported missing work, events/activities or making errors at work as a result of sleep-related problems in the past three months.



• 75% of individuals questioned reported a sleep problem with their partner - with snoring being the most usual. Partnered adults, suffer doubly disruptive sleep difficulties, as one partner's sleep problem may cause the other to lose, on average, about an hour of sleep nightly.



• 25% of individuals questioned with partners report difficulties in their sexual relationship as a result of tiredness. They enjoy sex less often or lose interest in having sex because of tiredness. Many couples sleep apart because of sleeping difficulties.

A significant number of us have the odd sleepless night without any consequences. If, however, the odd night now and again turns into a pattern of several nights in a row, you are facing a sleeping problem.

At its simplest, jet lag is a common sleep disorder experienced by many millions of travelers every day. It affects both individuals traveling on business and on vacation and, in a recent survey of international business travelers, 74% of those questioned said that they frequently suffered from jet lag.

Jet lag affects individuals 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 are.

Additionally, if you are already experiencing a problem sleeping, you could 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 merely an hour or two, then you're unlikely to 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 be more pronounced the bigger the time difference.

Finally, jet lag symptoms don't always appear right away and, for some individuals, it could be a couple of days before it hits.

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

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

Severe RLS is most often seen in elderly people, though symptoms may develop at any age. In some cases, it may be linked to other conditions such as pregancy, anemia, or diabetes.

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

This internal clock controls 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 go to sleep and to get up.

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

Whenever disruption to your circadian rhythm takes place as a result of shift work, you may suffer from temporary sleep disorders such as transient insomnia or excessive daytime sleepiness. Without treatment, transient sleep problems associated with a change in your work schedule could become chronic and in serious cases might even expect medical intervention.

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

Sleep apnea is among the commonest and most dangerous sleep disorders. An estimated 18 million adults in the USA suffer from this condition, that is characterised by repeating episodes of cessation of breathing during sleep. Over time this can result in cardiac disease, high blood pressure, and disordered thinking.

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

This form of the condition, known as obstructive sleep apnea, is usually linked to loud snoring (though not everybody who snores suffers from this condition). Sleep apnea may also occur if the neurons responsible for the control of breathing do not function correctly during sleep.

During an episode of obstructive sleep apnea, efforts to inhale air will create suction that collapses the windpipe. This, in turn, obstructs 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 responds by awakening you sufficiently to tighten the muscles of the upper airway and open the windpipe. You may snort or gasp, then start breathing again. This cycle may be repeated hundreds of times a night.

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

If you suffer from severe, untreated sleep apnea you appear two to three times more likely to be involved in an automoblie accident than the general population.

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

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