learning disability and sleep disorder

sleep disorders

In a recent poll carried out on behalf of the National Sleep Foundation (NSF):

• 3 out of 4 of people polled stated that they have frequent sleep problems.



• Only half of people polled stated that they normally slept quite well.



• A quarter of people polled stated that problems sleeping affected their daily lives.

The poll also revealed that:

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



• People polled referenced sleep-related problems as the usual reason for being late for work. Almost two thirds of working adults reported missing work, events/activities or making mistakes at work through sleep-related issues in the past 3 months.



• Three quarters of individuals questioned reported a sleep problem with their partner - with snoring being the most common. Partnered adults, suffer doubly disruptive sleep difficulties, as one partner's sleep difficulty could cause the other to lose, on average, up to an hour of sleep each night.



• 1 out of 4 of individuals questioned with partners report troubles in their sexual relationship because of tiredness. They enjoy sex less frequently or lose interest in having sex because of tiredness. Numerous couples sleep separately because of sleeping problems.

A large number of us experience the occasional sleepless night without any consequences. If, however, the occasional night once in a while turns into a pattern of several nights in a row, you are looking at a sleeping problem.

It is considered that more than 35 million adults in the United States suffer from chronic insomnia (a difficulty in sleeping each night or on the majority of nights for six months or more), with an added 20 to 30 million suffering shorter-term insomnia (a difficulty in sleeping well for between one and six months). In addition, a lot of people suffer from insomnia over shorter periods (less than 4 weeks) and this is commonly known as 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 (concern about a forthcoming job interview). It also often results from long distance travel (jet lag) and can be seen in individuals 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 bought for colds or asthma).

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

Insomnia can be split into three classes:

• "Initial" insomnia: in which you display a problem in falling asleep, generally 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 remain awake until the early morning hours.



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

Insomnia can frequently be simply the symptom of some underlying medical conditions that might require the advice of your doctor and medical care. Here it will be 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 body and brain find it difficult to settle into a sufficiently relaxed state for sleep, then there are a variety of choices for achieving healthy sleep without the use of prescription drugs.

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

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

Following the pattern of night and day (darkness and light) your body's internal clock tracks a pattern of approximately 24 hours thus 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).

When disruption to the body's circadian rhythm occurs because of shift work, you may suffer from temporary sleep disorders such as excessive daytime sleepiness or transient insomnia. If not treated, transient sleep problems linked to a change in your work schedule could become chronic and in serious cases could even demand medical intervention.

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

Sleep apnea is one of the most common and most dangerous sleep disorders. Roughly 18 million adults in the USA suffer from sleep apnea, which is characterised by repeating episodes of cessation of breathing while sleeping. In time this can lead to disordered thinking, cardiac disease, and high blood pressure.

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

This form of the condition, known as obstructive sleep apnea, is typically connected to loud snoring (though not everyone who snores has this condition). Sleep apnea may also occur if the neurons responsible for controlling breathing don't function properly during sleep.

During obstructive sleep apnea, your effort to inhale air will create suction which results in the collapse the windpipe. This obstructs the air flow for between ten seconds and one minute while you struggle to breathe. When the level of oxygen in your blood falls, the brain responds by awakening you enough 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 constant awakenings that you experience as a sleep apnea sufferer leave you feeling permanently sleepy and has the opportunity to result in personality changes like irritability or depression. Sleep apnea also deprives you of oxygen, which can lead to a loss of interest in sex, a decline in mental functioning, or morning headaches. High blood pressure, an irregular heartbeat, and a raised risk of heart attacks and stroke also Typically arise in cases of sleep apnea.

If you have from severe, untreated sleep apnea you are also 2 to 3 times more likely to have an automobile accident than the general population.

Mild sleep apnea can frequently be overcome by loosing weight or by preventing yourself from sleeping on your back. You might need special devices or surgery to sort out the obstruction.

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

Jet lag affects people of all ages and, although it varies widely from person to person, it tends to increase in severity the older you are.

As well, if you are already experiencing sleeping problems, 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 difference in time between your point of departure and your destination is merely an hour or two, then it's possible that you won't experience jet lag at all. However, if the time difference 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 at once and, for a few people, it might well be two or three days before it hits.

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learning disability and sleep disorder, sleep disorders