What are sleep disorders and how common are
they?
Sleep disorders are conditions that prevent a person
from getting restful sleep and, as a result, can cause daytime
sleepiness and dysfunction. There are approximately eighty
different types of sleep disorders. About 70 million Americans
suffer from them. The most common sleep disorders are:
- Insomnia
- Sleep apnea
- Restless legs syndrome
- Narcolepsy
What is insomnia?
Insomnia is a sleep disorder of
difficulty initiating or maintaining sleep. People with insomnia
have one or more of the following symptoms:
- difficulty falling asleep;
- waking up often during the night and having trouble going back
to sleep;
- waking up too early in the morning; and
- having unrefreshing sleep.
Insomnia varies in how long it lasts and how often it occurs.
Insomnia can be short-term (acute insomnia) or can last a
long time (chronic insomnia). It can also come and go,
with periods of time when a person has no sleep problems. Acute
insomnia can last from one night to a few weeks. Insomnia is called
chronic when a person has insomnia at least three nights a week for
a month or longer.
What is sleep apnea?
Sleep apnea is a serious sleep
disorder that occurs when a person's breathing is interrupted
during sleep. People with untreated sleep apnea stop breathing
repeatedly during their sleep, sometimes hundreds of times during
the night. There are two types of sleep apnea: obstructive and
central. Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is the more common of the
two. It is caused by a blockage of the airway, usually when the
soft tissue in the rear of the throat collapses during sleep. In
central sleep apnea, the airway is not blocked but the brain fails
to signal the muscles to breathe due to instability in the
respiratory control center. This type is called central apnea
because it is related to the function of the central nervous
system.
What is restless legs syndrome?
Restless legs
syndrome (RLS) is a sleep disorder that cause tingling, pulling,
creeping, or painful sensations in the legs at night. This
sensation is brought on a lying down in bed, sits for prolonged
periods such as while driving or at a theatre. RLS typically occurs
in the evening, making it difficult to fall asleep. Often, people
with RLS want to walk around and shake their legs to help relieve
the uncomfortable sensation.
What is narcolepsy?
Narcolepsy is a neurological
disorder of sleep regulation that affects the control of sleep and
wakefulness. People with narcolepsy experience excessive daytime
sleepiness and intermittent, uncontrollable episodes of falling
asleep during the daytime. These sudden sleep attacks may occur
during any type of activity at any time of the day. Narcolepsy
usually begins between the ages of 15 and 25, but it can become
apparent at any age. In many cases, narcolepsy is undiagnosed and,
therefore, untreated.