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Numerous people experience problems sleeping every night. This can often be for a variety of different reasons. Some people simply have trouble falling asleep, where as others are woken up during the course of the night, due to medical issues with their body. In order to treat these problems, it is important to know the different types of sleep disorders

Insomnia is characterized as the overall inability to sleep. It is often caused by other particular problems, many of which are a different type of disorder. Insomnia can involve trouble falling asleep, or the inability to remain asleep throughout the whole night. Many sufferers wake up too early or feel extremely sleepy during the day. If a person begins falling asleep at inappropriate times, it is often a symptom of a more serious sleep disorder.

Sleep apnea involves a stoppage of breathing, or a reduction in the quality of breathing level during sleep. This can cause people to get a less restful sleep and feel extremely sluggish during the day. It can sometimes even cause the body to wake itself up during the night in order to breathe properly. Snorting, snoring, and gasping during sleep are common symptoms of sleep apnea. It can also cause severe headaches in the morning.

Narcolepsy is classified as excessive tiredness throughout the day. People suffering from this disorder are known for constant napping. Some even fall asleep unexpectedly during inappropriate times, which can be extremely dangerous in severe cases where people fall asleep during important tasks, like driving. Dream-like hallucinations while falling asleep, along with vivid dreams during naps are common symptoms of narcolepsy. This disorder can cause loss of muscle control or the inability to move while falling asleep, also known as sleep paralysis.

An involuntary movement of the limbs during a sleep cycle is known as restless leg syndrome. People who sometimes experience uncontrollable urges to move or jerk their limbs while awake may be suffering from this sleep disorder. It can cause an extremely restless sleep, so people feel as though they had a sleepless night. It can also result in the body waking itself up throughout the course of the night, due to the severe jerking movements of the limbs.

There are several different classifications of sleeping problems. Understanding each one thoroughly is important for the proper treatment of each disorder. The different types of sleep disorders vary with each person.

Sleep disorders are fairly common in the Western world. Disruptions in sleep and excessive daytime sleepiness come under the concept of sleep disorders and they can be caused by psychological factors or physiological or a mixture of both.

This article goes over some of the most common sleep disorders that you can get and what exactly they are.

Sleep Apnea & Snoring

Snoring is something many people do and may seem like it isn’t a problem (well at first anyway). However snoring may be a sign that one has difficulty keeping their throat open while sleeping and this can lead to it’s more serious companion sleep apnea. Sleep apnea is a condition where a person stops breathing in their sleep. This happens repeatedly and many people are unaware that they have this problem. Sleep apnea can be caused by an obstruction in the upper airway. This type of apnea is called obstructive sleep apnea and is the most common. It can also be caused by a failure of the brain to initiate a breath and this type is called central sleep apnea. This type is very rare and very difficult to diagnose. Apnea can worsen other medical conditions and also contribute to the develop of some such as high blood pressure, heart failure and diabetes to name a few.

Sleep Paralysis

Sleep paralysis involves the inability to move while going from sleeping to wakefulness. This is temporary but can be an extremely frightening experience. Many regular drug users find this can crop up as an issue. This can also be a symptom of narcolepsy.

Narcolepsy

Narcolepsy is characterized by 4 symptoms: excessive sleepiness during the day, cataplexy, sleep paralysis and hypnagogic hallucinations. The daytime sleepiness can be so much that it can cause one to fall asleep in inappropriate situations. Cataplexy is a loss of muscle tone in response to emotional stimulus. If you suffer from hypnagogic hallucinations then you will experiencee vivid dream-like visual or auditory sensations. Generally these hallucinations occur when one is falling asleep.

Restless Legs Syndrome

Many people do not realize that this is in fact a sleep disorder. It is a neurological movement disorder that causes unpleasant sensations in the legs. It makes you feel like you need to move and can include sensations of tingling, burning, aches and also like bugs are crawling on your legs. Many women who are pregnant suffer from this disorder but it isn’t exclusive to them. It can make falling sleep difficult and it can be hard to rest with as a result of this syndrome.
Circadian Rhythm Disorders

This type of disorder results when a person’s body clock is out of sync with external time cues. This can occur as a result of jet lag, shift work or delayed sleep phase syndrome. This mismatch can lead to insomnia.

Insomnia

Insomnia is when one has difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep. If you have insomnia you find it almost impossible to get enough sleep in order to feel rested. Many teenagers will claim to be insomniacs.

Parasomnias

This type of sleep disorder is characterized by abnormal sleep behaviors. This can involve unconscious, goal-directed behaviors that have meaning to the person and can include sleep walking, night terrors, sleep eating, sleep sex and also rapid eye movement behavior disorder. There are many more behaviors that fit under this type of sleep disorder.

Besides the sleeping disorders above there are many others too. If you find yourself experience excessive tiredness during the day and feel like something is up then it may well worth making a sleep diary and contacting your doctor.

The US Department of Health and Human Services reports that 40 million people in the United States suffer from sleep problems. Sleep disorders affect a person’s overall quality of life and are related to difficulty falling asleep, staying asleep, the quantity of sleep, quality of sleep, and level of alertness during the day. There are 81 official sleep disorders. The most common sleep disorders are sleep apnea, insomnia, narcolepsy, and restless leg syndrome (RLS). Most sleep disorders can be helped by changing personal habits and behaviors. Nightmares, sleepwalking, headbanging, bedwetting, and teeth grinding are just a few sleep problems called parasomnias. Parasomnias are disorders that disrupt sleep.

Sleep apnea is a disorder of breathing during sleep usually accompanied by loud snoring. People with sleep apnea do not get enough oxygen when they sleep and experience brief moments throughout the night where breathing stops. There are two types of sleep apnea; obstructive sleep apnea and central sleep apnea. Obstructive sleep apnea is the most common type and is caused by an obstruction in the airway during sleep. Central sleep apnea is caused by a delay in the signal from the brain to breath and is difficult to diagnose. In both types of apnea, a person wakes up briefly several times during the night to breathe, usually with no knowledge of doing so. Sleep apnea can be a life-threatening condition if it goes undiagnosed and untreated for a long period of time. The severity of the condition determines how it should be treated.

Mild sleep apnea can be treated with behavioral changes including losing weight and sleeping on your side. However, there are also devices that a person can wear during sleep to help keep the airway open. Moderate to severe sleep apnea is usually treated a machine called the CPAP (continuous positive airway pressure) that blows air into your nose via a nose mask. The continuous air keeps the airway open and unobstructed. A Bi-level PAP(Bi-PAP) machine is used for more severe cases of apnea. The bi-level machine blows air at two different pressures; higher pressure when a person inhales and lower pressure when a person exhales. In cases where CPAP can not help or when a person has a facial deformity that causes sleep apnea, surgical procedures to increase the size of the airway are needed.

Insomnia is another sleep disorder involving difficulty falling asleep, difficulty staying asleep, waking up too early, and sleep state misperception. At times, life events can cause insomnia but it is usually temporary. This is called transient or short-term insomnia. Chronic insomnia involves sleeping poorly most nights for a month or longer. There are usually a number of factors involved including physical and or mental disorders. Depression is the most common cause of chronic insomnia. However, chronic insomnia may also be due to the misuse of caffeine, alcohol and drugs. Chronic insomnia can also be caused by a disruption in the sleep/wake cycle, like shift work and other nighttime activities. Anxiety about sleep and/or chronic stress are other behaviors that can perpetuate insomnia. Medication and behavioral treatment can help with transient, short term and chronic insomnia.

Transient and short term insomnia may not need to be treated because the episodes only last a short period of time. For example, if insomnia is due to a disruption in the sleep cycle, usually a person’s biological clock will readjust to normal on its own. However, short-acting sleeping pills are available for those that experience impaired performance due to day time sleepiness from insomnia. The first step for treating chronic insomnia is diagnosing and treating the underlying medical or psychological problem causing the sleeplessness. This can be followed by identifying and stopping or reducing behaviors that may worsen insomnia. Finally, the use of sleeping pills prescribed at the lowest dose for the shortest duration needed can also be beneficial. Behavioral techniques such as relaxation therapy, sleep restriction therapy and reconditioning are also effective and safe.

Narcolepsy is a chronic sleep condition where a person continues to experience an irresistible need to sleep no matter how much sleep they get. It is mostly a hereditary condition but only prevalent in about 0.3% of the population. Symptoms include, excessive sleepiness, temporary decrease or loss of muscle control (especially when excited), vivid dream-like images when drifting off to sleep or waking up unable to move or talk for a brief time. Symptoms usually begin between the ages of 15 and 30 with a peak in the teenage years. There is no cure for narcolepsy, however, behavior and medical therapy can help control symptoms.

The excessive daytime sleepiness is usually treated with a stimulant drug. Muscle weakness and REM sleep symptoms are treated with antidepressants. The medications reduce symptoms but don’t alleviate them and some medications may have side effects. Maintaining a routine sleep schedule, a good diet, increased exercise and avoiding exciting situations are lifestyle adjustments that can help reduce excessive daytime sleepiness and muscle weakness. With proper medication and support from friends and family, most individuals with narcolepsy enjoy a nearly normal lifestyle.

Restless Legs Syndrome (RLS) is a discomfort or prickly/tingly feeling in the legs relieved by moving or stimulation the leg. The most unusual aspect of this condition is that relaxing or lying down tends to activate the symptoms. Therefore, most people with RLS have trouble falling asleep or staying asleep. When undiagnosed and untreated RLS can cause daytime fatigue and extreme exhaustion. 80% of persons with RLS also experience periodic limb movement disorder (PLMD). PLMD is associated with involuntary leg twitching or jerking movements occurring every 10 to 60 seconds throughout the night. The causes of RLS and PLMD are unknown, however, they can be treated.

Mild to moderate cases of RLS can be treated with lifestyle adjustments including reduction of caffeine intake, alcohol consumption, and tobacco. Taking a hot bath, taking vitamin supplements, using a heating pad and maintaining a regular bedtime routine can also relieve some symptoms of RLS. Dopaminergics, benzodiazepines (central nervous system depressants), opioids, and anticonvulsants are the types of drugs physicians prescribe to treat the disorder since there is no one drug to help everyone with RLS. RLS is a lifelong condition that can be managed but usually gets worse with age.

If you experience lack of sleep, too much sleep, non-breathing spells during sleep, or exhaustion is interfering with your daily life, contact your health care provider for assistance.