hormones sleep disorders

sleep disorders

Evidence from a recent National Sleep Foundation polls shows that:

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



• As little as half of adults polled said that they slept without a problem on the majority of nights.



• 25% of adults polled said that difficulty in sleeping affected their daily lives.

The poll also demonstrated that:

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



• People questioned cited sleep-related problems as the most usual reason for being late for work. Almost 30% of working adults reported missing work, events/activities or making mistakes at work because of sleep-related issues in the past 3 months.



• 3 out of 4 of people questioned reported a sleep problem with their partner - 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, almost an hour of sleep every night.



• A quarter of people questioned with partners report troubles in their sexual relationship because of tiredness. They enjoy sex less often or lose interest in sex as a result of tiredness. Numerous couples sleep separately because of sleeping problems.

A large number of people suffer from the odd night of sleeplessness without any consequences. Once, however, the odd night now and again turns into a pattern of several nights in a row, you face a sleeping problem.

It is judged that in excess of 35 million adults in the US have chronic insomnia (a difficulty in 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 difficulty in sleeping well for between four weeks and six months). As well, a significant number of people suffer from insomnia over shorter periods (under 4 weeks) and this is often called transient insomnia.

Transient insomnia is usually brought on by excitement (a child anticipating his birthday) 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 linked to illness (colds/flu) and with a few over-the-counter medications (for example, some medicines bought for asthma or a cold).

Men and women of all ages suffer from insomnia, although it is more frequently seen in the elderly and in women, particularly after the menopause.

Insomnia can be divided into three categories:

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



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



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

Insomnia can sometimes be simply the symptom of some underlying medical conditions that could well require the advice of your doctor and medical care. Here it is a matter of treating the underlying medical problem, 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 turning to prescription drugs.

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

Affecting as many as 12 million people in America, RLS leads to constant leg movement during the day and to sleeplessness at night.

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

Jet lag is an extremely common sleep disorder suffered by millions of travelers each day. It affects both those people traveling on business and for pleasure and, according to a recent survey of international business travelers, 74% of those questioned said that they suffered frequently from jet lag.

Jet lag affects individuals of all ages and, though it varies widely from one individual to another, it tends to become more severe the older you are.

What is more, if you already have sleeping difficulties, you are likely to find that jet lag is more of a problem.

Jet lag also increases as you cross an increasing number of time zones. If the time difference between your point of departure and your destination is merely an hour or two, then you might not experience jet lag at all. However, if the difference in time is three hours or more then jet lag will begin to appear and its effects will be more pronounced the larger the time difference.

Finally, jet lag symptoms do not always appear instantly and, for a few individuals, it could be two or three days before it hits.

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 have an internal clock which dictates your body's rhythm.

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

Following the pattern of day and night (light and darkness) your body's 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).

If disruption to your circadian rhythm takes place due to shift work, you may suffer from temporary sleep disorders such as transient insomnia or excessive daytime sleepiness. If not treated, transient sleep problems linked to a change in your work schedule may become chronic and in serious cases could even require medical intervention.

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

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