The causes and treatment of sleep disorders
I am going to start by telling you what a
sleeping disorder is. A
sleeping disorder is a problem that affects something to do with sleep. Not all
sleeping disorders have symptoms that are obvious to a person or their family
and friends, here are some common sleep disorders.
· Insomnia
· Sleep Apnea
· Narcolepsy
· Restless Leg Syndrome
· Parasomnia
· Bruxism
· Jet Lag
· Shiftwork
I will be discussing the sleeping
disorders listed above and what symptoms they can cause.
Insomnia is a chronic sleeping disorder in
which it is very difficult to start and continue sleeping. One of the other symptoms of insomnia that is
most recognized is waking up repeatedly in the middle of the night. Lack of sleep leads to two other things, daytime
fatigue and restlessness. These are bad
on the job and at school while doing tests or other important work.
The amount of sleep that each person needs
to feel alert during the day varies. If
you have a night of sleep which is much less than the amount of sleep you need,
then you will more than likely feel quite sleepy the next day. Thirty-three percent of adults in America
have a case of insomnia at least once in their life. Most cases only last one or two nights, but
insomnia can continue for weeks or
possibly even months.
There have only been three standard types
of insomnia that have been identified by doctors. They are as follows:
· Transient insomnia is considered a few
sleepless nights that is usually brought
on by stress, excitement, or environmental changes. A person could have trouble sleeping the
evening before a big meeting or shortly after a breakup or a fight with his
girlfriend.
· Short-term
insomnia is usually two or three weeks of poor sleep caused by continual stress
at work or at home, as well as medical and psychiatric illnesses. Eliminating the source of the stress usually
takes care of the irregular sleep patterns
· Chronic insomnia is considered poor sleep
that lasts two weeks or longer. It can
possibly be related to medical, behavioral, or psychiatric problems. Usually poor sleep leads to decreased
feelings of well-being. Chronic insomnia
can usually recur.
If difficulty sleeping was the only
problem with insomnia, then it wouldn't be so bad. Some of the other problems it can cause is
anxiety in noticeably impaired concentration and memory. To keep episodes of insomnia at a minimum,
sleep specialists recumbent practicing good sleep hygiene.
There is another sleeping disorder called
Sleep Apnea. Sleep Apnea is not really
problems with going to sleep, it is more dealing with problems while you are
sleeping. Some of the symptoms of sleep
apnea include
· loud or
irregular snoring
· excessive
daytime sleepiness
· repeated
nightly arousals
· non-refreshing
sleep
· morning
headache
· nightly
periodic absent breathing
Loud snoring at night can be more than
just a nuisance. It can actually signal
to you that something could be wrong with breathing during sleep. In most cases, there are no serious medical
consequences associated with snoring.
But for about 20 million Americans, this loud, habitual snoring can
indicate a life-threatening disorder know as sleep apnea. An apnea is actually a lack of breath.
For most people during sleep, it is normal
for the breathing muscles to relax. The
problem is, for some people, excessive muscle relaxation occurs which disrupts
breathing. Disordered breathing during
sleep also can occur if the brain stops sending the needed messages to the
breathing muscles. In either case, the
presence of apnea should be taken seriously.
Sleep apnea is more common in middle-aged
men and overweight people. People with
sleep apnea often complain of insomnia or excessive daytime sleepiness. Waking up with headaches is another symptom
of sleep apnea. So is impaired memory and concentration. Problems
arising from sleep apnea can include heart and lung disease, and can
also cause heart failure in severe cases.
There are three typical forms of sleep
apnea, with varying degrees of respiratory movements.
· Obstructive
Apnea is the most common and severe form.
It is associated with an upper airway obstruction and a loss of airflow
even though the respiratory muscles are active.
When muscles of the soft palate at the base of the tongue and uvula
relax and sag, the block the airway and cause loud, labored breathing. When breathing stops, pressure builds up
until the sleeper lets out a gasp for air. Each gasp causes a mini-awakening.
People with obstructive apnea can stop breathing for 10 seconds or more,
several hundred times a night. Snoring is present.
· Central Apnea
is when the airway remains open but the diaphragm and chest muscles stop
working. As oxygen levels in the blood stream decrease, the sleeper will awaken
and resume breathing. Several awakenings during the course of a night usually
occur, sometimes accompanied by gasps or choking sounds. Complaints of insomnia
and an inability to maintain sleep are common. Snoring will not necessarily be
present.
· Mixed apnea
occurs when the sleeper experiences a brief period of central apnea normally
followed by a longer period of obstructive apnea. For this reason people with
mixed apnea often snore. Mixed apnea is common among people with sleep apnea.
Treatment for sleep apnea varies depending
on the type of apnea and the individual patient needs. Sleep apnea syndrome caused by the soft
tissue of the throat collapsing during sleep is often treated with a device
known as CPAP (Continuous Positive Airway Pressure). The compressor creates air pressure that is
sent through the airway of the sleep apnea patient, keeping it open to allow
the patient to sleep and breathe normally.
Parasomnias are a type of sleep disorder
that can intrude into or interrupt the sleep process. The are disorders of arousal, partial arousal
and sleep-stage transition. The
following are common examples of parasomnias.
Sleepwalking
Episodes of sleepwalking can range from a
person sitting up in bed to more complex activities like preparing a meal.
Although the sleepwalker may be unaware of their environment, they often show
an ability to navigate through their house or wherever they may be without
serious harm. However, there is a danger of the sleeper falling or walking outside.
Trying to stop a sleepwalker is often met with resistance. Sleepwalkers can
experience emotional distress and embarrassment because of their nighttime
activities, keeping them from staying with friends or vacationing. Sleepwalking
is most common in children and normally disappears with the coming of puberty.
Sleep Talking
While sleeping, a person may begin talking
without reason. The sleeper may say a comprehensible speech, single words or
other sounds. Typically, the sleep talker is not aware of what they are saying.
The talking is often said without emotion, but can be associated with stressful
shouting. Other than the irritation or distress it may cause loved ones, sleep
talking is harmless. It is often a temporary phenomenon brought on by stress or
illness, but it can continue for many years. Sleep talking frequently occurs
with other sleep disorders, such as obstructive sleep apnea and sleep terrors.
Sleep Eating
The causes of sleep-related eating are
many. Most of them arise from a background of more conventional sleepwalking.
In some cases, the sleep-related eating was brought on by medications
prescribed for depression or insomnia. It may be a display of other sleep
disorders, such as obstructive sleep apnea or periodic limb movements.
The
"sleep-related eating disorder" has only recently been described.
Common concerns about this disorder are excessive weight gain, choking while
eating, potential injury from starting fires while cooking or cutting oneself
while preparing food, and sleep disruption.
Approximately
two-thirds of those afflicted with this disorder are women and the symptoms
typically begin in the late 20s. The overwhelming majority do not suffer from a
waking eating disorder.
Sleeping disorders can be very weird, I
did not know that until I wrote this paper.
I was not aware that people could eat in their sleep, I thought that
only happened in TV I have learned a
great deal from this paper and I hope you did also.
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