dream sleep disorder

sleep disorders

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

• Three quarters of adults said that they often have difficulty sleeping.



• Only 1 out of 2 of adults said that they slept without a problem on the majority of nights.



• 1 out of 4 of adults said that difficulty in sleeping had an impact upon their daily lives.

The poll also revealed that:

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



• People questioned referenced sleep-related problems as the most common reason for being late for work. Almost 1 in 3 of working adults reported missing work, events/activities or making mistakes at work as a result of sleep-related issues in the preceding 3 months.



• 3 out of 4 of individuals polled reported a sleep problem with their partner - snoring being the most common. Partnered adults, suffer doubly disruptive sleep problems, as one partner's sleep difficulty could cause the other to lose, on average, nearly an hour of sleep every night.



• 25% of individuals polled with partners report troubles in their sexual relationship as a result of tiredness. They enjoy sex less often or lose interest in having sex as a result of tiredness. A large number of couples sleep separately because of sleeping problems.

Many of us experience the occasional night of sleeplessness without any consequences. Once, however, the odd night here and there turns into a pattern of several nights in a row, you are facing a sleeping problem.

It is judged that over 35 million individuals in America suffer from chronic insomnia (difficulty sleeping each night or on the majority of nights for at least, or in excess of, six months), with an additional 20 to 30 million adults suffering shorter-term insomnia (difficulty sleeping well for a period of four weeks to six months). Further, many individuals suffer from insomnia over shorter periods (under 4 weeks) and this is normally known as transient insomnia.

Transient insomnia is commonly brought on by excitement (a child looking forward to an outing) or by stress (concern about a coming examination). It also often results from long distance travel (jet lag) and can be seen in people who take 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 colds or asthma).

Both sexes and all ages suffer from insomnia, although it is more common in women and in the elderly, particularly after the menopause.

Insomnia can be separated into three categories:

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



• "Middle" insomnia: where, having fallen asleep, you have difficulty maintaining a sleep state and usually stay awake until the early morning hours.



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

Insomnia can often be merely the symptom of an underlying medical conditions which may require a trip to the doctor's office and medical care. Here it will be a case of treating the cause, rather than the insomnia.

If, however, your inability to sleep results from a pattern of not sleeping, or your brain and body find difficulty in settling into a state of relaxation necessary for sleep, then there are a number of choices for achieving healthy sleep without making use of prescription drugs.

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

This 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's time to get up and go to sleep.

Following the pattern of night and day (darkness and light) the internal clock tracks a pattern of almost 24 hours thereby giving your body a 24 hour rhythm or, more correctly, a circadian rhythm - from the Latin circa (about) dies (a day).

If your body's circadian rhythm is disrupted because of shift work, you may suffer from temporary sleep disorders such as excessive daytime sleepiness or transient insomnia. Without treatment, transient sleep problems associated with a change in your work schedule could become chronic and in serious cases can even need medical intervention.

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

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

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

Severe RLS is most frequently seen in elderly people, although symptoms might well appear at any age. In some cases, it may be linked to other conditions such as diabetes, pregancy, or anemia.

Sleep apnea is one of the commonest and most dangerous sleep disorders. An estimated 18 million Americans suffer from sleep apnea, which is marked by repeating episodes of cessation of breathing during sleep. Over a period of time this can cause cardiac disease, high blood pressure, and disordered thinking.

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

This form of the condition, named obstructive sleep apnea, is typically associated with loud snoring (though not everyone 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 results in the collapse the windpipe. This, in turn, obstructs the air flow for 10 seconds to a minute while you struggle to breathe. When the level of oxygen in your blood falls, the brain responds by awakening 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 that you experience as a sleep apnea sufferer leave you feeling permanently tired and can result in personality changes such as depression and irritability. Sleep apnea also deprives you of oxygen, which can lead to a decline in mental functioning, a loss of interest in sex, or morning headaches. High blood pressure, irregular heartbeats, and an increased risk of stroke and heart attack also Often arise in cases of sleep apnea.

If you are suffering from from severe, untreated sleep apnea you are also two to three times more likely to have an automobile accident than the general population.

Mild sleep apnea can often be overcome by reducing your weight or by preventing yourself from sleeping on your back. You may also need a special device or surgery to rectify the obstruction.

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