Common Sleep Disturbances
Insomnia
Difficulty in falling asleep or staying asleep
Insomnia is symptomatic of a large number of possible conditions. Some of these are psychological (chronic depression or temporary stress), environmental (noise), or physiological (chronic breathing disorders or temporary pain). Another common cause of insomnia is misuse and overuse of sleeping pills.
Insomnia is treated by addressing the underlying cause through counseling, elimination of poor sleep habits, stress reduction, psychotherapy, or supervised drug withdrawal.
Narcolepsy
Uncontrollable sleep attacks
People who are too sleepy during the day and fall asleep while talking, eating or driving may have narcolepsy. They frequently experience the sudden onset of weakness and may fall down, especially when they experience strong emotions such as laughing or crying. Narcolepsy often emerges in young adulthood and is a lifelong medical disorder. It is easily managed with the careful use of medications.
Sleep Apnea and Snoring
Pauses in breathing
People with sleep apnea
stop breathing many times during sleep. These apneas commonly last from 15
to 30 seconds, up to 90 seconds. A patient may have several hundred of
these events during each night’s sleep. Because of this disorder, the
patient’s sleep is very disturbed and daytime sleepiness is common. Loud
snoring is a definite sign of this disorder. If untreated, sleep apnea
contributes to high blood pressure and heart disease.
Once diagnosed, sleep apnea is easily treated, allowing a rapid return of daytime alertness and health. Moderate to severe sleep apnea is most often treated with nasal CPAP. CPAP is a devise that keeps the air passages open by using a small, quiet air blower connected to a soft nasal mask that is worn while sleeping. Various surgical procedures, as well as dental mouthpieces that open the airway, may also be used for snoring and mild sleep apnea.
Nocturnal Myoclonus
Periodic leg or arm movements
Some people experience periodic leg or arm jerks during sleep, leading to many short awakenings that disturb the quality of their sleep. Patients suffering from nocturnal myoclonus frequently complain of insomnia or excessive daytime sleepiness. This disorder is easily treated with various medications.
Parasomnias
Things that go bump in the night
People may experience abnormal behavior during sleep that ranges from minor inconvenience to dangerous, such as sleep walking, sleep talking, nightmares, night terrors, asthma, chest discomfort, or violent behavior during sleep.
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