kinds of sleep disorders

sleep disorders

It was shown in a recent poll carried out for the National Sleep Foundation that:

• Three quarters of adults reported that they suffer from frequent sleep problems.



• Just 50% of adults reported that they usually slept reasonably well.



• 25% of adults reported that sleep problems impacted upon their daily lives.

The poll also showed that:

• 60% of motorists said that they had driven while drowsy in the past year. (4 % said that they had had an accident or near-accident as a result of tiredness or actually falling asleep while driving.)



• Those questioned named sleep-related problems as the commonest reason for being late for work. Almost 1 in 3 of working adults reported missing work, events/activities or making errors at work because of sleep-related issues in the previous three months.



• 3 out of 4 of people questioned reported a sleep problem with their partner - with snoring being the most common. Partnered adults, suffer doubly disruptive sleep problems, as one partner's sleep problem can cause the other to lose, on average, almost an hour of sleep nightly.



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

Many of us have the occasional sleepless night without any consequences. When, however, the odd night now and again turns into a pattern of several nights in a row, you are facing a sleeping problem.

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

Affecting as many as 12 million individuals in the US, RLS leads to constant movement of the legs during the day and insomnia at night.

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

It is figured that more than 35 million individuals in the US suffer from chronic insomnia (difficulty sleeping every night or most nights for a period of more than six months), with a further 20 to 30 million individuals suffering shorter-term insomnia (difficulty sleeping well for a period of four weeks to six months). Additionally, many people suffer from insomnia over shorter periods (under 4 weeks) and this is usually called transient insomnia.

Transient insomnia is frequently brought on by excitement (a surprise party for a loved one) or by stress (worrying about your upcoming driving test). It also often results from long distance travel (jet lag) and can be seen in individuals who take exercise late in the day, shortly before going to bed. It is also often linked to illness (colds/flu) and with various over-the-counter medications (for example, some medicines bought for asthma or colds).

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

Insomnia can be split into three classes:

• "Initial" insomnia: in which you display difficulty in falling asleep, more often than not taking 30 minutes or longer to fall asleep.



• "Middle" insomnia: in which, after falling asleep, you have difficulties maintaining a state of sleep and typically stay awake into the early hours of the morning.



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

Insomnia can sometimes be merely the symptom of some underlying medical conditions that could well require a visit to your doctor and medical care. Here it will be 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 brain and body find it difficult to settle into a sufficiently relaxed state for sleep, then there are various choices for achieving healthy sleep without the need to use prescription drugs.

Simply put, jet lag is a very common sleep disorder endured by many millions of travelers daily. It affects both those traveling on business and on vacation and, in a recent survey of international business travelers, three quarters of those questioned said that they suffered frequently from jet lag.

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

Furthermore, if you already have sleeping difficulties, you could 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 only an hour or two, then you're unlikely to experience jet lag at all. However, if the difference in time is three hours or more then jet lag will start to appear and its effects will be more pronounced the greater the time difference.

Finally, jet lag symptoms don't always appear instantly and, for some individuals, it could be two or three days before it hits.

Sleep apnea is one of the most common and most dangerous sleep disorders. About 18 million individuals in the United States suffer from sleep apnea, that is marked by recurring episodes in which you cease breathing during sleep. In time this can produce high blood pressure, cardiac disease, and disordered thinking.

Often connected 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 often associated with loud snoring (though not everybody who snores suffers from this condition). Sleep apnea might also occur if the neurons responsible for the control of breathing do not function correctly during sleep.

During obstructive sleep apnea, attempts to inhale air will create suction which collapses 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 waking you sufficiently to tighten the upper airway muscles and open the windpipe. You may snort or gasp, then resume breathing. This cycle may be repeated hundreds of times a night.

The continual awakenings that you experience as a sleep apnea sufferer leave you feeling permanently fatigued and may well cause changes in personality like irritability or depression. Sleep apnea also deprives you of oxygen, which might lead to morning headaches, a decline in mental functioning, or a loss of interest in sex. High blood pressure, irregular heartbeats, and an increased risk of stroke and heart attack also often arise in cases of sleep apnea.

If you suffer from severe, untreated sleep apnea you are also 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 need special devices or surgery to clear the obstruction.

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