childhood sleep disorder

sleep disorders

In a recent poll carried out on behalf of the National Sleep Foundation (NSF):

• 3 out of 4 of individuals questioned reported that they often have sleep problems.



• Just 1 out of 2 of individuals questioned reported that they normally slept without problem.



• 25% of individuals questioned reported that difficulty in sleeping affected their daily lives.

The poll also revealed that:

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



• People questioned 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 because of sleep-related issues in the previous three months.



• Three quarters of adults reported a sleep problem with their partner - with snoring being the most common. Partnered adults, suffer doubly disruptive sleep difficulties, as one partner's sleep problem can cause the other to lose, on average, about an hour of sleep a night.



• 1 out of 4 of adults with partners report problems in their sexual relationship because of tiredness. They enjoy sex less frequently or lose interest in having sex through tiredness. Numerous couples sleep apart because of sleeping difficulties.

A significant number of people experience the occasional sleepless night without any consequences. If, however, the odd night now and again turns into a pattern of several nights in a row, you face a sleeping problem.

Simply put, jet lag is a common sleep disorder suffered by millions of travelers each day. It affects both individuals traveling for pleasure and on business and, according to a recent survey of international business travelers, three quarters of those questioned said that they suffered frequently from jet lag.

Jet lag affects individuals of all ages and, in spite of the fact that it varies widely from one person to another, it tends to become more severe the older you get.

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

Jet lag also increases as you cross an increasing number of time zones. If the time difference between your point of departure and your destination is merely an hour or two, then you're unlikely to experience jet lag at all. However, if the time difference is three hours or more then jet lag will start to appear and its effects will become more and more pronounced the greater the time difference.

Finally, the symptoms of jet lag do not always appear immediately and, for some individuals, it may well be two or three days before it hits.

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

Your internal clock controls many of your body's functions, regulating such things as temperature and the release of hormones and, above all, telling you when it's time to go to sleep and to get up.

Following the pattern of day and night (light and darkness) your body's internal clock tracks a pattern of more or less 24 hours thereby 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).

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

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

It is estimated that in excess of 35 million adults in the United States are suffering from a case of chronic insomnia (difficulty sleeping every night or most nights for six months or more), with an added 20 to 30 million individuals suffering shorter-term insomnia (difficulty sleeping well for between one and six months). Additionally, a lot of people suffer from insomnia over shorter periods (less than 4 weeks) and this is ordinarily referred to as transient insomnia.

Transient insomnia is ordinarily brought on by excitement (a surprise party for a loved one) or by stress (concern about a forthcoming job interview). It also often results from air 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 various over-the-counter medications (for example, some medicines purchased for colds or asthma).

Men and women of all ages suffer from insomnia, but it is more commonly seen in the elderly and in women, especially after the menopause.

Insomnia can be divided into three classes:

• "Initial" insomnia: where you have difficulty in falling asleep, usually taking 30 minutes or more to fall into a sleep state.



• "Middle" insomnia: where, after falling asleep, you have difficulty maintaining a state of sleep and commonly stay 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 which may require advice from your doctor and medical care. Here it is a case of treating the underlying medical problem, rather than the insomnia.

If, however, your inability to sleep results from a pattern of not sleeping, or your body and mind find it difficult to settle into a sufficiently relaxed state for sleep, then there are a variety of choices for achieving healthy sleep without making use of prescription drugs.

Narcolepsy affects approximately 250,000 adults in the USA. Individuals with narcolepsy suffer frequent "sleep attacks" in the day, even if they enjoy a normal amount of night-time sleep. These attacks can last anywhere from just seconds to over half an hour.

People with narcolepsy may also experience cataplexy (a loss of muscle control during an emotional situation), hallucinations, temporary paralysis when they wake up, and interrupted night-time sleep. These symptoms seem to be features of Rapid eye movement (REM) sleep which appear during waking, suggesting that narcolepsy is a sleep regulation disorder.

The symptoms of narcolepsy typically appear in adolescence, though it commonly takes years to get a correct diagnosis.

The disorder (or a predisposition to it) is typically 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 inappropriate times. Naps at certain times of the day can also reduce the excessive sleepiness during the day.

You are currently viewing - childhood sleep disorder

childhood sleep disorder, sleep disorders