Home » Sleep Disorder A sleep disorder is kind of medical disorder in the sleeping pattern of a person or animal. Some sleep disorders are serious enough to interfere with normal physical, mental and emotional functioning. A test commonly ordered for some sleep disorders is the polysomnogram. A sleep disorder involves the difficulties related to sleeping, including difficulty falling or staying asleep, falling asleep at inappropriate times, excessive total sleep time, or abnormal behaviors associated with sleep.

The common kinds of sleep disorder are :

• Insomnia - a hard time falling or staying asleep
• Sleep apnea - breathing interruptions during sleep
• Restless legs syndrome - a tingling or prickly sensation in the legs
• Narcolepsy - daytime "sleep attacks"

The common symptoms of sleep disorder are Nightmares, night terrors, sleepwalking, sleep talking, head banging, wetting the bed and grinding your teeth. These are kinds of sleep problems called parasomnias. There are treatments for most sleep disorders. Sometimes just having regular sleep habits can help.

Insomnia is not defined by the number of hours of sleep a person gets or how long it takes to fall asleep. Individuals vary normally in their need for, and their satisfaction with, sleep. Insomnia may cause problems during the day, such as tiredness, a lack of energy, difficulty concentrating, and irritability.

Sleep apnea is characterized by Loud, constant snoring. It can indicate a potentially life-threatening disorder called sleep apnea. A person with sleep apnea stops breathing repeatedly while sleeping, anywhere from 10 seconds to 3 minutes.

Restless legs syndrome is marked by an irresistible urge to move legs while sleeping.

Narcolepsy :The main characteristic of narcolepsy is excessive and overwhelming daytime sleepiness, even after adequate nighttime sleep. A person with narcolepsy is likely to become drowsy or to fall asleep, often at inappropriate times and places.

Fibromyalgia is a chronic pain illness characterized by widespread musculoskeletal aches, pain and stiffness, soft tissue tenderness, general fatigue and sleep disturbances. Fibromyalgia patients experience a range of symptoms of varying intensities that wax and wane over time.

Sleepwalking or somnambulism is a kind of sleep disorder in which one engages in activities that are normally associated with wakefulness such as eating or dressing, which may include walking, without the conscious knowledge of the subject.

The common causes of sleep disorder are as follows: The first factor can be changes in life style, such as shift work change (SWC), can contribute to sleep disorders. Other problems that can affect sleep:

• Anxiety
• Back pain
• Chronic pain
• Sciatica
• Neck pain
• Environmental noise
• Incontinence
• Intake of excessive drugs
• Endocrine imbalance mainly due to cortisol but not limited to this hormone. Hormone changes due to impending menstruation or during the menopause transition years.
• Chronobiological disorders, mainly Circadian rhythm disorders

Depression is a very common cause of insomnia and can usually be treated with medication, cognitive behavioral therapy, or interpersonal therapy. Attempts to control environmental and lifestyle factors should be made; these factors include:

• Erratic hours of wakefulness
• Too much light
• Too much noise
• Too much caffeine or other stimulants

You can always maintain a sleep diary to help diagnose this problem and measure improvements in, sleep disorders

Under the guidance of a physician, most people eventually find relief through one or more treatment approaches. Sleep hygiene, stimulus control therapy, sleep restriction therapy and relaxation therapies can help people improve their sleep and fight insomnia causes by changing poor habits. There are cures for snoring which are new generation of sleep medications. These can be effective in bringing people the restorative sleep they need to meet the day rested, refreshed and ready for all the challenges life brings. You just need to practice healthy sleeping habit for sleep disorder. This really helps and is key to a great night's sleep.

There are Treatments for sleep disorders, it can generally can be grouped into three categories: behavioral/ psychotherapeutic treatments medications other somatic treatments. None of these general approaches is sufficient for all patients with sleep disorders. Rather, the choice of a specific treatment depends on the patient's diagnosis, medical and psychiatric history, and preferences, as well as the expertise of the treating clinician.

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