Msmiline - Sleep Disorders

Sleep Disorders

A sleep disorder (somnipathy) is a medical disorder of thesleep patterns 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.

Common sleep disorders

The most common sleep disorders include:

Primary insomnia: Chronic difficulty in falling asleep and/or maintaining sleep when no other cause is found for these symptoms.
Bruxism: Involuntarily grinding or clenching of the teeth while sleeping
Delayed sleep phase syndrome (DSPS): inability to awaken and fall asleep at socially acceptable times but no problem with sleep maintenance, a disorder of circadian rhythms. Other such disorders are advanced sleep phase syndrome (ASPS) and Non-24-hour sleep-wake syndrome (Non-24), both much less common than DSPS.
Hypopnea syndrome: Abnormally shallow breathing or slow respiratory rate while sleeping
Narcolepsy: Excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS) often culminating in falling asleep spontaneously but unwillingly at inappropriate times.
Cataplexy, a sudden weakness in the motor muscles that can result in collapse to the floor.
Night terror, Pavor nocturnus, sleep terror disorder: abrupt awakening from sleep with behavior consistent with terror
Parasomnias: Disruptive sleep-related events involving inappropriate actions during sleep stages - sleep walking and night-terrors are examples.
Periodic limb movement disorder (PLMD): Sudden involuntary movement of arms and/or legs during sleep, for example kicking the legs. Also known as nocturnal myoclonus. See also Hypnic jerk, which is not a disorder.
Rapid eye movement behavior disorder (RBD): Acting out violent or dramatic dreams while in REM sleep
Restless legs syndrome (RLS): An irresistible urge to move legs. RLS sufferers often also have PLMD.
Situational circadian rhythm sleep disorders: shift work sleep disorder (SWSD) and jet lag
Obstructive sleep apnea: Obstruction of the airway during sleep, causing lack of sufficient deep sleep; often accompanied by snoring. Central sleep apnea is less common.
Sleep paralysis is characterized by temporary paralysis of the body shortly before or after sleep. Sleep paralysis may be accompanied by visual, auditory or tactile hallucinations. Not a disorder unless severe. Often seen as part of Narcolepsy.
Sleepwalking or somnambulism: Engaging in activities that are normally associated with wakefulness (such as eating or dressing), which may include walking, without the conscious knowledge of the subject.
Nocturia: A frequent need to get up and go to the bathroom to urinate at night. It differs from Enuresis, or bed-wetting, in which the person does not arouse from sleep, but the bladder empties anyway.

Broad classifications of sleep disorders

Dyssomnias - A broad category of sleep disorders characterized by either hypersomnolence or insomnia. The three major subcategories include intrinsic (i.e., arising from within the body), extrinsic (secondary to environmental conditions or various pathologic conditions), and disturbances of circadian rhythm. MeSH
- Insomnia
- Narcolepsy
- Obstructive sleep apnea
- Restless leg syndrome
- Periodic limb movement disorder
- Hypersomnia
  - Recurrent hypersomnia - including Kleine-Levin syndrome
  - Posttraumatic hypersomnia
  - "Healthy" hypersomnia
- Circadian rhythm sleep disorders
  - Delayed sleep phase syndrome
  - Advanced sleep phase syndrome
  - Non-24-hour sleep-wake syndrome
Parasomnias
- REM sleep behaviour disorder
- Sleep terror
- Sleepwalking (or somnambulism)
- Bruxism (Tooth-grinding)
- Bedwetting or sleep enuresis.
- Sleep talking (or somniloquy)
- Sleep sex (or sexsomnia)
- Exploding head syndrome - Waking up in the night hearing loud noises.
Medical or Psychiatric Conditions that may produce sleep disorders
- Psychoses (such as Schizophrenia)
- Mood disorders
  - Depression
  - Anxiety
- Panic
- Alcoholism
Sleeping sickness - a parasitic disease which can be transmitted by the Tsetse fly
Snoring - Not a disorder in and of itself, but it can be a symptom of deeper problems.
Sudden infant death syndrome (or SIDS)

Common causes of sleep disorders

Changes in life style, such as shift work change (SWC), can contribute to sleep disorders.