Sleep Dissorders

Abstract

Sleep is one of the most important things we as humans can do. It controls about twenty-five years of our lives. If you try and stay awake for a couple of days you'll probably start to deteriorate, you can feel extremely drowsy, you will become emotionally disturbed and you won't be able to think straight. According to Myers (2004) one-third of all adult Americans complain about their sleep. Some people say they sleep to little, some restlessly, and other sleep too much. Sleep problems profoundly affect both sleeping and waking life. In this paper I hope to explain several of the most common sleeping disorders in order to better understand them.

Insomnia

One of the most common sleeping disorders is insomnia. About ten to fifteen percent of adults complain of insomnia. They have difficulties falling asleep, staying asleep, waking up to early, and sleep state misperceptions. Many things could cause insomnia, for example they say age. People over sixty are more likely to complain of insomnia. Also a history of depression, stress, and anxiety are the more frequent reasons for insomnia.

There are three basic types of insomnia, first of all there's transient insomnia that usually only lasts for a few nights. Also there is short-term insomnia, which lasts about two or four weeks of poor sleep. Last on the list is chronic insomnia, which continues for a month or longer. Transient and short-term normally happens to people who are temporarily experiencing some sort of stress in their life at that time. Difficulty sleeping is only one of the symptoms, there are also daytime symptoms that include: sleepiness, anxiety, impaired concentration, impaired memory, and irritability.

Treatment for insomnia is fairly basic. More times then not for transient and short-term insomnia no treatment is required, considering the episodes only last for a few days or a few weeks. For example, if insomnia is due to change in your sleeping schedule then once you start back on your usual schedule things should go back to normal. Now for chronic insomnia a person should go to a doctor and try to find out what the underlying cause is. They need to identify the behavior that worsens the insomnia and try to cut them out of their routine. Also there's always the option of a sleeping pill, but you need to watch this so you don't become dependant.

Narcolepsy

The next sleeping disorder I'd like to discuss is narcolepsy. Narcolepsy is a sleeping disorder that no matter how much sleep you need, you always feel an irresistible need to snooze. It affects the part of your brain where the control of sleep and wakefulness takes place. With this disorder you could be having an interesting conversation with a friend and fall asleep halfway through. These "sleep attacks" can last thirty seconds to more then thirty minutes. Narcolepsy can occur anytime through out your life, but normally comes out between the ages of fifteen and thirty.

One of the four most common symptoms of narcolepsy is excessive daytime sleepiness; secondly there are sudden or brief episodes of muscle weakness. Third there is sleep paralysis, which in most cases leaves you unable to move or talk for a few minutes after waking up. The fourth and final symptom is vivid dream like images that occur when you're drifting off to sleep. The number and severity of symptoms vary widely among the people with the disorder and even can be found to be hereditary.

Although narcolepsy is a rare disorder, it is often misdiagnosed or diagnosed years after symptoms first appear. Early diagnosis and treatment are important to the physical and mental well being of the affected individual. So far there is no cure for narcolepsy, but the symptoms can be controlled with behavioral and medical therapy. The excessive daytime sleepiness can be treated with stimulant drugs; also antidepressants can control some of the other symptoms. In the best circumstances medication will reduce the symptoms but not entirely eliminate them.

Sleep Apnea

Another interesting sleeping disorder is sleep apnea. According to Sleepnet (2005) about one in twenty people are affected by this illness most of them are overweight men. This disorder was unknown until sleep studies were started (source). It is a potentially life threatening condition that may require immediate medical attention. Sleep apnea is a disorder of breathing during sleep and typically it's accompanied by loud snoring. The risk of undiagnosed sleep apnea includes heart attacks, strokes, impotence, irregular heartbeat, high blood pressure, and heart disease. It also causes daytime sleepiness; the seriousness of the symptoms may be mild, moderate, or severe.

A simple way to describe sleep apnea is it's a disorder that relaxes and collapses your airway while your asleep, and you stop breathing from time to time. According to Myers (2004) this can happen more then four hundred times a night, leaving the individual tired the next morning. Mild sleep apnea is usually treated by some behavioral changes, for example losing weight and sleeping on your side are often recommended. There are also devices that help alleviate the symptoms by fitting in you mouth to help keep your airway open. More severe sleep apnea is usually treated with a machine that blows air into your nose; it also holds your airway open at the same time when you sleep. Sleep apnea gets worse as you get older and should not be taken lightly.

Sleepwalking

There is also a couple sleeping disorders found more in children, for example sleepwalking. Sleepwalking is a series of complex behaviors that are initiated during slow wave sleep resulting in someone walking when they're sleeping. It is estimated that about