life cycle sleep disorder

sleep disorders

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

• 75% of people questioned said that they often have sleep problems.



• Only 1 out of 2 of people questioned said that they slept without a problem on the majority of nights.



• 1 out of 4 of people questioned said that difficulty in sleeping impacted upon their daily lives.

The poll also showed that:

• Just under two thirds of motorists questioned reported driving while drowsy in the previous year. (4 % reported having an accident or near-accident because of tiredness or falling asleep while driving.)



• People polled named sleep-related issues as the usual reason for being late for work. Almost 1 in 3 of working adults reported missing work, events/activities or making errors at work as a result of sleep-related issues in the preceding 3 months.



• Three quarters of people polled 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 may cause the other to lose, on average, almost an hour of sleep nightly.



• A quarter of people polled with partners report difficulties in their sexual relationship because of tiredness. They enjoy sex less often or lose interest in sex because of tiredness. A large number of couples sleep separately because of sleeping difficulties.

A large number of people have the occasional sleepless night without any consequences. If, however, the occasional night here and there turns into a pattern of several nights in a row, you are facing a sleeping problem.

At its simplest, jet lag is an extremely common sleep disorder experienced by millions of travelers daily. It affects both those people traveling on business and for pleasure and, in a recent survey of international business travelers, 74% of those questioned said that they frequently suffered from jet lag.

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

Furthermore, if you already have sleeping difficulties, you may find that jet lag is more of a problem.

Jet lag also increases as you cross an increasing number of time zones. If the difference in time between your departure point and your destination is merely an hour or two, then you're unlikely to experience jet lag at all. But, if the time difference is three hours or more then jet lag will begin to appear and its effects will become more and more pronounced the bigger the time difference.

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

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

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

Following the pattern of night and day (darkness and light) this internal clock tracks a pattern of almost 24 hours thereby giving your body a 24 hour rhythm or, more correctly, a circadian rhythm - from the Latin circa (about) dies (a day).

Whenever your body's circadian rhythm is disrupted due to 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 can become chronic and in serious cases can even expect medical intervention.

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

It is believed that in excess of 35 million Americans are suffering from a case of chronic insomnia (difficulty sleeping each night or virtually all nights for at least, or in excess of, six months), with an added 20 to 30 million adults suffering shorter-term insomnia (difficulty sleeping well for a period of a month to six months). As well, a large number of people suffer from insomnia over shorter periods (under 4 weeks) and this is frequently called transient insomnia.

Transient insomnia is frequently brought on by excitement (a child anticipating his birthday) or by stress (worrying about an important meeting). It also often results from air travel (jet lag) and can be seen in people who take exercise late in the day, shortly before going to bed. It is also often associated with illness (colds/flu) and with various over-the-counter medications (for example, some medicines bought for asthma or a cold).

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

Insomnia can be separated into three categories:

• "Initial" insomnia: where you demonstrate a difficulty in in falling asleep, typically taking 30 minutes or more to fall asleep.



• "Middle" insomnia: where, after falling asleep, you have problems maintaining a state of sleep and often stay awake into the early morning hours.



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

Insomnia can occasionally be just the symptom of an underlying medical conditions which may require your doctor's advice and medical care. Here it will be a case of treating the cause, rather than the insomnia.

If, however, your sleeplessness 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 the need to use prescription drugs.

Sleep apnea is one of the most common and most dangerous types of sleep disorder. An estimated 18 million individuals in America suffer from sleep apnea, that is marked by recurring episodes of cessation of breathing during sleep. Over time this can result in disordered thinking, high blood pressure, and cardiac disease.

Sometimes linked with increasing age, sleep apnea can occur together with fat buildup or loss of muscle tone. These changes cause a collapse in the windpipe while breathing Whenever muscles relax during sleep.

This form of the condition, known as obstructive sleep apnea, is often connected to loud snoring (though not everybody who snores suffers from this condition). Sleep apnea might also occur if the neurons that control breathing malfunction during sleep.

During obstructive sleep apnea, your effort to inhale air will create suction that causes the collapse the windpipe. This, in turn, blocks the air flow for between ten seconds and one minute while you struggle to breathe. When your blood oxygen level falls, the brain reacts 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 which you experience as a sleep apnea sufferer leave you feeling permanently sleepy and may produce changes in personality like depression and irritability. Sleep apnea also leaves you short of oxygen, which could lead to a loss of interest in sex, a decline in mental functioning, or morning headaches. High blood pressure, an irregular heartbeat, and an increased risk of stroke and heart attack also Frequently 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 commonly be overcome by dieting or by preventing yourself from sleeping on your back. You might also require special devices or surgery to correct the obstruction.

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life cycle sleep disorder, sleep disorders