common sleep disorder

sleep disorders

A recent poll conducted on behalf of the National Sleep Foundation found that:

• 75% of those polled reported that they frequently have sleep problems.



• Only 50% of those polled reported that they usually slept reasonably well.



• 25% of those polled reported that difficulty in sleeping had an impact upon their daily lives.

The poll also demonstrated that:

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



• Those questioned named 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 preceding 3 months.



• 75% of people polled reported a sleep problem with their partner - with snoring being the commonest. Partnered adults, suffer doubly disruptive sleep difficulties, as one partner's sleep problem may cause the other to lose, on average, almost an hour of sleep each night.



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

Many people suffer from the odd night of sleeplessness without any consequences. Once, however, the occasional night from time to time turns into a pattern of several nights in a row, you face a sleeping problem.

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

Jet lag affects people of all ages and, though it varies widely from one individual to another, it tends to increase in severity the older you are.

As well, if you are already experiencing a problem sleeping, you may find that jet lag is more of a problem.

Jet lag also increases as you cross a growing number of time zones. If the time difference between your departure point and your destination is simply 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 start to appear and its effects will become increasingly pronounced the greater the time difference.

Finally, jet lag symptoms don't always appear immediately and, for some people, it might be a couple of days before it hits.

Sleep apnea is one of the commonest and most dangerous types of sleep disorder. Approximately 18 million people in America suffer from this condition, that is marked by recurring episodes in which you cease breathing while sleeping. Over time this can produce cardiac disease, disordered thinking, and high blood pressure.

Often linked with increasing age, sleep apnea can occur in association with fat buildup or loss of muscle tone. These changes permit the windpipe to collapse while breathing Whenever muscles relax during sleep.

This form of the condition, known as obstructive sleep apnea, is normally connected to loud snoring (though not everyone who snores has this condition). Sleep apnea might also occur if the neurons responsible for controlling breathing malfunction during sleep.

During an episode of obstructive sleep apnea, your effort to inhale air will create suction which causes the collapse the windpipe. This, in turn, obstructs the air flow for between ten seconds and one minute while you struggle to breathe. When your blood oxygen level falls, the brain responds by waking you enough to tighten the upper airway muscles and open the windpipe. You may snort or gasp, 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 sleepy and could well lead to changes in personality such as irritability or depression. Sleep apnea also leaves you short of oxygen, which could lead to morning headaches, a loss of interest in sex, or a decline in mental functioning. High blood pressure, an irregular heartbeat, and a raised risk of heart attacks and stroke also typically arise in cases of sleep apnea.

If you suffer from severe, untreated sleep apnea you are also 2 to 3 times more likely to have an automobile accident than the general population.

Mild sleep apnea can frequently be overcome by dieting or by preventing yourself from sleeping on your back. You may also need a special device or surgery to sort out the obstruction.

It is considered that more than 35 million individuals in America have a case of chronic insomnia (a difficulty in sleeping every night or virtually all nights for a period of more than six months), with an added 20 to 30 million individuals suffering shorter-term insomnia (a difficulty in sleeping well for between four weeks and six months). In addition, a lot of people suffer from insomnia over shorter periods (less than 4 weeks) and this is commonly called transient insomnia.

Transient insomnia is often brought on by excitement (a child looking forward to an outing) or by stress (worry about making a speech). 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 associated with illness (colds/flu) and with several over-the-counter medications (for example, some medicines purchased for a cold or asthma).

Men and women of all ages experience insomnia, but 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 display difficulty in falling asleep, usually taking 30 minutes or longer to fall into a sleep state.



• "Middle" insomnia: in which, after falling asleep, you have difficulties maintaining a state of sleep 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 often be just the symptom of some underlying medical conditions which may well 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 sleeplessness results from a pattern of not sleeping, or your body and brain find it difficult to settle into a sufficiently relaxed state for sleep, then there are several different choices for achieving healthy sleep without having to resort to prescription drugs.

Narcolepsy affects around 250,000 adults in the United States. People with narcolepsy suffer frequent "sleep attacks" during the day, even when they experience a normal amount of night-time sleep. These attacks can last anywhere from just a few seconds to in excess of half an hour.

People with narcolepsy might also experience cataplexy (loss of muscle control in an emotional situation), hallucinations, temporary paralysis when they wake up, and disrupted night-time sleep. These symptoms are features of REM (rapid eye movement) sleep which appear during waking, which suggests that narcolepsy is a disorder of sleep regulation.

The symptoms of narcolepsy usually appear during adolescence, although it normally takes years to get a correct diagnosis.

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

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

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