eating related sleep disorder

sleep disorders

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

• 75% of adults polled stated that they suffer from frequent sleep problems.



• As little as 50% of adults polled stated that they slept well on most nights.



• A quarter of adults polled stated that sleeping difficulties impacted upon their daily lives.

The poll also showed that:

• Just under two thirds of adult motorists reported driving while drowsy in the previous twelve months. (4 % said that they had had an accident or near-accident as a result of tiredness or having fallen asleep while they were driving.)



• Those questioned cited sleep-related issues as the most usual reason for being late for work. Almost 30% of working adults reported missing work, events/activities or making errors at work because of sleep-related problems in the previous three months.



• Three quarters of those 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 difficulty can cause the other to lose, on average, nearly an hour of sleep nightly.



• A quarter of those polled with partners report problems in their sexual relationship because of tiredness. They enjoy sex less frequently or lose interest in sex through tiredness. A lot of couples sleep apart because of a sleep problem.

A large number of us have the odd sleepless night without any consequences. When, however, the occasional night from time to time becomes a pattern of several nights in a row, you are looking at a sleeping problem.

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

This internal clock governs many of the functions of your body, regulating such things as temperature and the release of hormones and, first and foremost, 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 roughly 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 disruption to the body's circadian rhythm occurs due to shift work, you may suffer from temporary sleep disorders such as transient insomnia or excessive daytime sleepiness. Left untreated, transient sleep problems linked to a change in your work schedule might become chronic and in serious cases may even expect medical intervention.

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

Narcolepsy affects in the region of 250,000 people in the US. People with narcolepsy suffer frequent "sleep attacks" during the day, even when they enjoy a normal amount of night-time sleep. Attacks can last anywhere from several seconds to more than half an hour.

Individuals with narcolepsy can also experience cataplexy (loss of muscle control in emotional situations), hallucinations, temporary paralysis when they wake up, and interrupted night-time sleep. These symptoms are features of REM sleep that appear during waking, indicating that narcolepsy is a sleep regulation disorder.

Narcolepsy symptoms typically appear in adolescence, although it usually takes years to get a correct diagnosis.

The disorder (or a predisposition to it) is generally 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 be used to control the symptoms and prevent the dangerous and embarrassing effects of falling asleep at improper times. Naps at certain times of the day may also reduce the excessive sleepiness during the day.

Sleep apnea is among the most common and most dangerous types of sleep disorder. In the region of 18 million people in America suffer from this condition, that is characterised by repeated episodes in which you cease breathing while sleeping. Over time this can lead to disordered thinking, high blood pressure, and cardiac disease.

Frequently connected with increasing age, sleep apnea can occur together with loss of muscle tone or a buildup of fat. These changes cause the windpipe to collapse while breathing As muscles relax during sleep.

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

During obstructive sleep apnea, attempts to inhale air will create suction which collapses the windpipe. This blocks the air flow for between ten seconds and one minute while you struggle to breathe. As your blood oxygen level falls, the brain reacts by waking you sufficiently to tighten the upper airway muscles and open the windpipe. You may snort or gasp, then start breathing again. This cycle may be repeated hundreds of times a night.

The constant awakenings which you experience as a sleep apnea sufferer leave you feeling permanently sleepy and might lead to changes in personality like irritability or depression. Sleep apnea also leaves you short of oxygen, which could lead to a loss of interest in sex, morning headaches, or a decline in mental functioning. High blood pressure, an irregular heartbeat, and a raised risk of heart attacks and stroke also Frequently arise in cases of sleep apnea.

If you suffer from severe, untreated sleep apnea you appear 2 to 3 times more likely to be involved in an automoblie accident than the general population.

Mild sleep apnea can sometimes be overcome through weight loss or by preventing yourself from sleeping on your back. You may also require special devices or surgery to clear the obstruction.

It is estimated that in excess of 35 million adults in the United States suffer from chronic insomnia (a problem sleeping every night or virtually all nights for at least, or in excess of, six months), with a further 20 to 30 million individuals suffering shorter-term insomnia (a problem sleeping well for a period of four weeks to six months). As well, many people suffer from insomnia over shorter periods (less than 4 weeks) and this is often known as transient insomnia.

Transient insomnia is usually brought on by excitement (a child anticipating the arrival of Father Christmas) or by stress (concern about a coming examination). 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 connected to illness (colds/flu) and with some over-the-counter medications (for example, some medicines purchased for a cold or asthma).

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

Insomnia can be separated into three classes:

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



• "Middle" insomnia: in which, after falling asleep, you have difficulty maintaining a sleep state and usually remain awake until the early hours of the morning.



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

Insomnia can occasionally be merely the symptom of an underlying medical conditions that might require a visit to your doctor and medical care. Here it will be a case of treating the cause, rather than the insomnia.

If, however, your insomnia results from a pattern of not sleeping, or your body and mind 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.

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eating related sleep disorder, sleep disorders