fibromyalgia sleep disorder

sleep disorders

The publication of a recently conducted National Sleep Foundation polls reveals that:

• Three quarters of adults said that they have frequent sleep problems.



• As little as 1 out of 2 of adults said that they normally slept without any difficulty.



• A quarter of adults said that problems sleeping impacted upon their daily lives.

The poll also showed that:

• 60% of motorists polled said that they had driven while drowsy in the past twelve months. (4 % reported having an accident or near-accident as a result of tiredness or having fallen asleep while they were driving.)



• Those questioned named sleep-related issues as the commonest reason for being late for work. Almost 30% of working adults reported missing work, events/activities or making mistakes at work through sleep-related problems in the previous 3 months.



• 75% of adults reported a sleep problem with their partner - with snoring being the most usual. Partnered adults, suffer doubly disruptive sleep problems, as one partner's sleep problem can cause the other to lose, on average, nearly an hour of sleep a night.



• 25% of adults with partners report difficulties in their sexual relationship as a result of tiredness. They enjoy sex less often or lose interest in sex as a result of tiredness. A lot of couples sleep separately because of a sleep problem.

Many people have the occasional night of sleeplessness without any consequences. When, however, the odd night once in a while turns into a pattern of several nights in a row, you are looking at a sleeping problem.

It is thought that more than 35 million individuals in the US have 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 suffering shorter-term insomnia (a problem sleeping well for between one and six months). Further, a lot of people suffer from insomnia over shorter periods (less than 4 weeks) and this is usually called transient insomnia.

Transient insomnia is commonly brought on by excitement (parents expecting a visit from a son or daughter after a long absense) or by stress (worry about making a speech). 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 asthma or a cold).

Women and men of all ages experience insomnia, but it is more frequently seen in women and in the elderly, especially after the menopause.

Insomnia can be separated into three classes:

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



• "Middle" insomnia: in which, after falling asleep, you have difficulty maintaining a state of sleep and commonly 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 only the symptom of an underlying medical conditions that might require a visit to your doctor and medical care. Here it is a matter 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 brain and body find it difficult to settle into a sufficiently relaxed state for sleep, then there are a number of choices for achieving healthy sleep without using prescription drugs.

Narcolepsy affects about 250,000 people in the USA. Individuals with narcolepsy suffer frequent "sleep attacks" during the day, even when they experience a normal amount of night-time sleep. These "sleep attacks" can last anywhere from just a few seconds to over half an hour.

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

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

The disorder (or at least a predisposition for it) is normally hereditary, but it is sometimes linked to brain damage from a head injury or to neurological disease.

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

Sleep apnea is among the most common and most dangerous types of sleep disorder. Around 18 million individuals in the US suffer from sleep apnea, which is characterised by recurring episodes in which you stop breathing while sleeping. Over time this can lead to high blood pressure, disordered thinking, and cardiac disease.

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

This form of the condition, called obstructive sleep apnea, is more commonly connected to loud snoring (though not everyone who snores has this condition). Sleep apnea can also occur if the neurons that control breathing do not function correctly during sleep.

During obstructive sleep apnea, your effort 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 responds by waking you enough to tighten the muscles of the upper airway and open the windpipe. You may gasp or snort, then start breathing again. 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 could result in changes in personality like depression and irritability. Sleep apnea also leaves you short of oxygen, which might lead to a decline in mental functioning, a loss of interest in sex, or morning headaches. High blood pressure, irregular heartbeats, and a raised 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 appear two to three times more likely to have automobile accidents than the general population.

Mild sleep apnea can commonly be overcome by dieting or by preventing yourself from sleeping on your back. You might need a special device or surgery to clear the obstruction.

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

Affecting as many as 12 million people in the US, this disorder leads to unremitting movement of the legs during the day and insomnia at night.

Severe RLS is most often seen in elderly people, though symptoms can come on at any age. In some cases, it may be linked to other conditions such as diabetes, anemia, or pregancy.

You are currently viewing - fibromyalgia sleep disorder

fibromyalgia sleep disorder, sleep disorders