Sleep Disorder

What is a Sleep Disorder?

A Sleep Disorder involves any difficulty related to sleeping, including problems falling or staying asleep, falling asleep at wrong times, too much total sleep time, or atypical behaviors connected with sleep.

It is important to recognize that though the symptoms of Sleep Disorder may be similar, including excessive daytime sleepiness and fatigue, the causes may be quite different.

Let’s take a look at a list of Sleep Disorder and learn some of the basic symptoms for each. 

• Snoring    
• Sleep Apnea  
• Insomnia   
• Chronic Fatigue Syndrome   
• Sleep Paralysis   
• Narcolepsy  
• Parasomnias 
• Restless legs syndrome 

Snoring, one of the Sleep Disorders that we are all aware of, is sometimes confused with sleep apnea, and can be a considerable cause of lack of quality sleep for both for yourself and your partner. Many a man has woken with bruised ribs, as a consequence of his snoring, but not as an actual symptom.

Snoring is caused by a contraction of your airway, either from poor sleep position, excess weight or physical abnormalities of your throat. A narrow airway obstructs smooth breathing and creates the sound of snoring. The snoring noise doesn’t necessarily mean that the airway is totally obstructed, as it is in sleep apnea. Snoring may accompany sleep apnea, but not always.

Sleep apnea is a chronic Sleep Disorder, in which one frequently stops breathing during the night. Apnea literally means “no breath.” These episodes can last 10 seconds or longer, and may happen hundreds of times during a night. Someone with sleep apnea may be conscious of snorting, gasping, or waking up short of breath. However, because they are asleep, many may not realize anything unusual is happening at all.

Insomnia is a failure to obtain an adequate amount of sleep to feel rested and can be characterized either by trouble falling or staying asleep. It is the most common Sleep Disorder, with many potential causes. Most people will be affected by insomnia at some time during their life; it can be caused by stress, change in time zones when travelling overseas or poor bedtime habits.

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) is a Sleep Disorder characterized by mysterious prolonged fatigue that is not overcome by rest, and may be worsened by physical or mental activity. This fatigue can be severe and debilitating, causing a considerable decrease in normal daily behavior. This impairment interferes with a person’s activities of daily living.

Sleep paralysis is a momentary failure to move while transitioning between sleep and wakefulness, such as when falling asleep or waking up. It may be alarming as one may seem to be awake, but not capable of moving. It is a common Sleep Disorder, but may also be a symptom of narcolepsy.

Narcolepsy is a neurological disorder that causes severe sleepiness and may even make a person fall asleep abruptly and without forewarning. The precise causes of narcolepsy aren’t known but people with narcolepsy are lacking the brain chemical which regulates sleep and wakefulness.

• Insomnia
  
  Almost everyone will be affected by Insomnia at some point during life. Insomnia is a short term or chronic failure to get high quality sleep.
• Insomnia Cause
  
  What is the cause of your insomnia? Is it your husband/partner snoring?
• Insomnia Symptoms
  
  Problems in sleep onset, sleeplessness and tiredness are all words that describe Insomnia Symptoms, describing how we feel without a good night’s sleep.
• Insomnia Treatment
  
  Insomnia Treatments do they work? Take a look at our list of suggestions.
• Sleep Disorder Book - Recommendations
  
  A couple of recommended books for helping with understanding and dealing with Sleep Disorders.

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