circadian sleep disorders

sleep disorders

A poll carried out for the National Sleep Foundation showed that:

• 3 out of 4 of individuals polled said that they often have difficulty sleeping.



• Only half of individuals polled said that they slept well on most nights.



• 25% of individuals polled said that sleep problems affected their daily lives.

The poll also showed that:

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



• People questioned named sleep-related issues as the most usual reason for being late for work. Almost 1 in 3 of working adults reported missing work, events/activities or making mistakes at work through sleep-related problems in the past 3 months.



• Three quarters of adults 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 difficulty could cause the other to lose, on average, nearly an hour of sleep a night.



• A quarter of adults questioned with partners report problems in their sexual relationship because of tiredness. They enjoy sex less often or lose interest in having sex through tiredness. Many couples sleep apart because of a sleep problem.

A significant number of us experience the odd night of sleeplessness without any consequences. When, however, the occasional night here and there turns into a pattern of several nights in a row, you are looking at a sleeping problem.

It is judged that over 35 million individuals in the United States are suffering from chronic insomnia (a problem sleeping every night or most nights for at least, or in excess of, six months), with an added 20 to 30 million people suffering shorter-term insomnia (a problem sleeping well for a period of one to six months). Also, many individuals suffer from insomnia over shorter periods (less than 4 weeks) and this is ordinarily referred to as transient insomnia.

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

Both sexes and all ages experience insomnia, but it is more common in the elderly and in women, especially after the menopause.

Insomnia can be divided into three categories:

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



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



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

Insomnia can occasionally be quite simply the symptom of an underlying medical conditions which could well require a trip to the doctor's office and medical care. Here it will be a matter of treating the underlying medical problem, rather than the insomnia.

If, however, your sleeplessness results from a pattern of not sleeping, or your body and brain find it difficult to settle into a state of relaxation necessary for sleep, then there are several choices for achieving healthy sleep without using prescription drugs.

Narcolepsy affects approximately 250,000 individuals in the US. Individuals with narcolepsy get frequent "sleep attacks" in the day, even if they experience a normal amount of night-time sleep. These attacks can last anything from just a few seconds to in excess of 30 minutes.

Individuals with narcolepsy might also experience cataplexy (the loss of muscle control in 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, suggesting that narcolepsy is a sleep regulation disorder.

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

The disorder (or a predisposition to it) is ordinarily hereditary, but it is occasionally 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 embarrassing and dangerous effects of falling asleep at improper times. Naps at certain times of the day can also reduce the excessive daytime sleepiness.

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

Affecting as many as 12 million adults in the US, this disorder leads to continual leg movement during the day and insomnia at night.

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

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

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

Following the pattern of day and night (light and darkness) your 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 your body's circadian rhythm is disrupted 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 might become chronic and in serious cases may even expect medical intervention.

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

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