Summary of the Main
Sleep
Disorders
Note: Much of the following information was taken from pages on our
"sister'
website: SleepWeb.com.
Common sleep disorders...
The most common sleep disorders
include:
Sleep apnea:
The obstruction of the airway during sleep, causing loud snoring and
sudden awakenings when breathing stops.
Restless legs syndrome (
RLS): An
irresistible urge to move legs. RLS sufferers often also have PLMD.
Bruxism:
The sufferer involuntarily grinds or
clenches his or her teeth while sleeping.
Delayed sleep phase syndrome
(DSPS): A
sleep disorder of
circadian rhythm, characterized by the
inability to wake up and fall asleep at the desired times, but not by inability
to stay asleep.
Hypopnea syndrome: Abnormally shallow
breathing or slow respiratory rate while sleeping.
Narcolepsy: The condition of falling asleep
spontaneously and unwillingly at inappropriate times.
Night terror or Pavor nocturnus or sleep
terror disorder: abrupt awakening from sleep with behavior consistent with
terror.
Parasomnias: Include a variety of
disruptive sleep-related events.
Periodic limb movement disorder (PLMD):
Sudden involuntary movement of arms and/or legs during sleep, for example
kicking the legs. Also known as
nocturnal myoclonus. See also
Hypnic jerk, which is not a disorder. PLMD
sufferers often do not also have RLS.
Rapid eye movement behavior disorder (RBD):
Acting out violent or dramatic dreams while in REM sleep.
Hatzfeldt Syndrome or Systemic Neuro-Epiphysial
Disorder (SNED) is a somnipathy mainly characterized by an irregular sleep
pattern, as well as irregular behavior
Shift work sleep disorder (SWSD).
Sleepwalking or somnambulism:
Engaging in activities that are normally associated with wakefulness (such as
eating or
dressing), which may include
walking, without the conscious knowledge of the
subject.
Snoring:
Loud breathing patterns while
sleeping; sometimes this is a symptom of sleep apnea.
Common causes of sleep disorders:
Changes in life style, such as
shift work change (SWC), can contribute to sleep disorders.
Other problems that can affect
sleep:
Back pain
Chronic pain
Sciatica
Neck pain
Environmental noise
Incontinence
Various drugs - Many drugs
can affect the ratio of the various stages of sleep, thus affecting the
overall quality of sleep. Poor sleep can lead to accumulation of
Sleep debt.
Endocrine
imbalance mainly due to
Cortisol
but not limited to this hormone.
Hormone changes due to impending
menstruation
or during the
menopause transition years.
Chronobiological
disorders, mainly
Circadian rhythm disorders.
A
sleep diary can be used to help diagnose, and
measure improvements in, sleep disorders. The
Epworth Sleepiness Scale and the
Morningness-Eveningness Questionnaire (MEQ) by Horne and Östberg are other
useful diagnostic tools.
According to
Dr. William Dement,
of the Stanford Sleep
Center, anyone who snores and has daytime drowsiness should be evaluated for
sleep disorders.
Any time
back pain or another form of
chronic pain is present, both the pain and the
sleep problems should be treated simultaneously, as pain can lead to sleep
problems and vice versa.
