Possible Sleep Disorders
Sleep disorders come in many forms and can affect each of us in different ways. Some of the most common forms of sleep disorders include: Insomnia, Sleep Apnea and Snoring, Narcolepsy, Restless Leg Syndrome (RLS), and Circadian Rhythm Disorders.
Insomnia
Insomnia is a sleep problem experienced by over 50% of Americans, according to a 2002 NSF poll. Insomnia can be short or long-term and may be due to stress, an underlying medical issue or psychiatric problem such as depression, a loss, or another sleep disorder.
Sleep Apnea and Snoring
Sleep apnea sufferers actually stop breathing for several seconds, waking up many times per night, snoring and gasping for air. Some of these events may be associated with a drop in oxygen level, an irregular heart beat and/or a sudden spike in blood pressure.
People with undiagnosed and untreated sleep apnea can endure chronic exhaustion and this may be seen as a sign of some other illness, such as depression or fibromyalgia. Please take our online Sleep Assessment to see how your symptoms rate.
Narcolepsy
Narcolepsy is a chronic neurological disorder that affects approximately 1 in 2,000 people. This disorder is characterized by "sleep attacks" that occur at any time. Narcolepsy patients sleep a normal amount but cannot control the timing of sleep. "Sleep attacks" may last about 15 minutes. They may be associated with emotional reactions such as laughter or anger, may occur after eating or in sedentary situations. Narcolepsy affects both sexes equally and develops with age; symptoms usually first develop in adolescence or young adulthood and may remain unrecognized as they gradually develop as sleepiness is not indicative of disease to most people.
Restless Leg Syndrome (RLS) and
Periodic Limb Movement Disorder (PLMD)
RLS is a neurological movement disorder that affects as many as 12 million
Americans. RLS symptoms make it difficult to fall and stay asleep due
to an uncontrollable urge to move the legs in response to unpleasant,
restless, creepy feelings in the legs. These feelings appear when at
rest and often disrupt sleep. Moving the legs can stop these symptoms
temporarily, but the irritation returns when the limb is still.
Circadian Rhythm Disorders
Circadian rhythm disorders is where the
natural human biological "clock" sometimes breaks down.
In delayed sleep phase syndrome, the "clock" runs later
than normal. The sufferer often cannot fall asleep before 3
or 4 a.m. and cannot "wake" before noon. In advanced sleep
phase syndrome, a person falls asleep early, for example at
7 or 8 p.m. and wakes at 3 or 4 a.m., and is unable to fall back asleep.
Jet Lag is another condition that qualifies as a circadian rhythm disorder. This results from an abrupt change in the "world clock" (i.e. the outside clock) that is not immediately followed by a corresponding change in the internal clock. After a few days, almost everyone re-synchronizes to the new cycle.
- Do you have a sleep disorder? Take the Sleep Assessment.
- Schedule an appointment today.