|
What are some common Sleep Disorders?
• Sleep Apnea or Obstructive Snoring: Loud
snoring is a sign that something is wrong with your breathing during
sleep. Snoring is a result of your airway partially closing and the
noise is a result of your body forcing air through the narrow airway
and causing the tissues lining the passageway to vibrate. Light
snoring in many cases has no serious consequences. However, loud
snoring is the first indication of the potentially life-threatening
disorder known as obstructive sleep apnea syndrome. In those with
obstructive sleep apnea syndrome, the narrowing of the airway is so
great that it becomes difficult or impossible to breathe. The brain
realizes that there is a problem breathing and partially awakens to
open the throat. Breathing then returns to normal. But, as soon as
breathing is re-established the body relaxes and resumes sleeping.
But the airway narrows again, effort increases and the brain is
aroused from sleep again. This cycle repeats over and over,
sometimes hundreds of times each night. Typically these awakenings
are so brief that they are not remembered but they do cause the
person to be tired and sleepy the next day.
• Insomnia (The inability to fall asleep or to remain asleep):
Trouble falling asleep or staying sleep plagues many
adults. The results of insomnia will affect both your wake and the
sleeping hours. During the day you feel sleepy and have trouble
focusing on tasks and goals. At night you cannot easily get to sleep
or stay asleep. You toss and turn and become more stressed and
anxious about not sleeping. As a result you find sleep becoming even
more remote. It is common for adults to suffer insomnia for a night
or two when we are excited, stressed or have other physical
ailments. But if the condition continues over several nights you
need to seek help from a sleep specialist.
• Restless Leg Syndrome / Period Limb Movement Disorder:
Those with restless legs experience them in many
ways, but all describe the feeling as an unpleasant “creepy, crawly”
feeling that occurs when they are sitting or laying still,
especially at bedtime. It is not like the pain of a leg cramp or the
numbness of a leg “falling asleep”. It is just an uncomfortable
feeling that urges you to move the leg. Often the result of these
leg movements will prevent the person from falling asleep. Restless
legs may limit the time the person is able to sit still in a auto,
airplane, or business meetings without standing or moving around.
Another form of restless legs is periodic limb movement disorder (PLMD).
Periodic limb movement disorder causes the limbs, legs or arms to
jerk and move during sleep. It is involuntary and will cause the
person to awaken many times during the night without them being
aware they are awake.
• Narcolepsy: Narcolepsy is defined as
constant sleepiness and the tendency to sleep at inappropriate
times. Its impact on a person’s life can be significant and even
disabling. Typically the person with narcolepsy suffers sleep
attacks as well as continual sleepiness and tiredness that is not
completely relieved by any amount of sleep.
|
