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We Know: All About Sleep Disorders
What is a sleep disorder?
A sleep disorder is any kind of difficulty related to sleeping. Sleep disorders generally involve difficulty falling or staying asleep (Insomnia), or difficultly staying awake (hypersomnia).
What causes Insomnia?
Insomnia can be temporary and caused by noise or a stressful event. On the other hand, it is considered chronic when it lasts most nights for a few weeks or more. It can be a psychological problem or caused by external stimulants like caffeine or medications.
What are some signs of Insomnia?
- Narcolepsy: One might think that narcolepsy is a disorder where someone might sleep too much; it is actually a type of insomnia. Narcolepsy is a chronic neurological disorder caused by the brain's inability to regulate sleep-wake cycles normally. Because they do not get enough sleep at night, narcoleptics fall asleep easily during the day. Unlike normal sleepers who enter Rem Sleep 90-100 minutes after falling asleep, people with narcolepsy frequently enter REM sleep within a few minutes of falling asleep, and wake quickly.
- Restless Leg syndrome: Also know as Nocturnal myoclonus, restless leg syndrome, jerking of legs during sleep causes frequent brief awakenings. It is a neurological movement disorder characterized by sudden, involuntary contractions of skeletal muscles.
What is Hypersomnia?
This problem of excessive sleepiness during the day is when a person has a strong tendency to fall asleep in inappropriate situations or at inappropriate times. This problem suggests the presence of a significant sleep disorder and is different from fatigue, which is caused by depression, anxiety, and stress.
What are some types of Hypersomna?
- Sleep apnea: Obstructive sleep apnea, a common disorder where the nose and/or throat are blocked by enlarged tonsils or a deviated nasal septum resulting in lapsed breathing during sleep. Snoring, morning headache and daytime fatigue due to inadequate sleep at night are signs of sleep apnea.
- Chronic fatigue syndrome: CFS is a debilitating and complex disorder characterized by profound fatigue that is not improved by bed rest and that may be worsened by physical or mental activity. CFS has incapacitating fatigue as a major symptom.
- Sleepwalking and sleep terrors: Sleepwalking happens when a person gets up and moves about during REM sleep. For most people, the body releases a chemical that paralyzes the body but this does not happen in sleepwalkers. Night terrors are a variation of sleepwalking and are the result of bad dreams. Sleepwalkers often find themselves very tired during the day. Sleepwalking is common in children under 12, but in adults can be caused by physiological disorders, or external stimulants like drugs or medicines.
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