infant sleep disorder

sleep disorders

The release of a recently conducted poll on behalf of the National Sleep Foundation reveals that:

• 3 out of 4 of individuals polled stated that they often have sleep problems.



• Only half of individuals polled stated that they usually slept reasonably well.



• A quarter of individuals polled stated that sleeping difficulties had an impact upon their daily lives.

The poll also showed that:

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



• Those polled 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 errors at work through sleep-related problems in the previous three months.



• 75% of people polled 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 can cause the other to lose, on average, almost an hour of sleep each night.



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

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

Narcolepsy affects an estimated 250,000 adults in America. People with narcolepsy get frequent "sleep attacks" in the day, even if they experience a normal amount of night-time sleep. Such attacks can last anything from several seconds to over 30 minutes.

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

Narcolepsy symptoms typically appear in adolescence, though it normally takes years to obtain a correct diagnosis.

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

Once narcolepsy 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 daytime sleepiness.

Sleep apnea is among the commonest and most dangerous sleep disorders. In the region of 18 million people in the United States suffer from sleep apnea, which is characterised by repeating episodes in which you cease breathing while sleeping. In time this can lead to disordered thinking, cardiac disease, and high blood pressure.

Frequently linked 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 Whenever muscles relax in the course of sleep.

This form of the condition, referred to as obstructive sleep apnea, is typically associated with loud snoring (though not everyone who snores has this condition). Sleep apnea might also occur if the neurons responsible for the control of breathing malfunction during sleep.

During obstructive sleep apnea, your effort to inhale air will create suction which collapses the windpipe. This, in turn, blocks the air flow for 10 seconds to a minute while you struggle to breathe. When your blood oxygen level falls, the brain responds by awakening you enough to tighten the upper airway muscles 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 such as irritability or depression. Sleep apnea also deprives you of oxygen, which can 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 stroke and heart attack also Commonly arise in cases of sleep apnea.

If you have from severe, untreated sleep apnea you appear 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 might need a special device or surgery to clear the obstruction.

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 your own internal clock that dictates your body's rhythm.

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

Following the pattern of day and night (light and darkness) the internal clock tracks a pattern of close to 24 hours thereby giving your body a 24 hour rhythm or, to give it its full title, a circadian rhythm - from the Latin circa (about) dies (a day).

Whenever disruption to your circadian rhythm takes place because of shift work, you may suffer from temporary sleep disorders such as transient insomnia or excessive daytime sleepiness. Without treatment, transient sleep problems linked to a change in your work schedule may become chronic and in serious cases may even require medical intervention.

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

At its simplest, jet lag is an extremely common sleep disorder endured by millions of travelers each day. It affects both those traveling on business and on holiday and, in a recent survey of international business travelers, 74% of those questioned said that they often suffered from jet lag.

Jet lag affects individuals of all ages and, despite the fact that it varies widely from person to person, it tends to be more severe the older you get.

In addition, if you already have sleeping difficulties, you might 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 just an hour or two, then it's possible that you won't 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 bigger the time difference.

Finally, the symptoms of jet lag don't always appear instantly and, for a few individuals, it may be a couple of days before it hits.

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infant sleep disorder, sleep disorders