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Sleep Disorders Paper

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Have you ever considered the importance of sleep and the impact it can have on your health? It is likely that most of us have experienced trouble sleeping at some point in our lives. This is typical and usually lasts for a short period of time due to stress or other various factors. However, if it becomes a regular occurrence then perhaps you may be suffering from some type of sleeping disorder. Sleep disorders can be detrimental to one’s physical and mental health disrupting the actions of your daily life. Sleep disorders are known as changes in sleeping patterns or habits. Of about seventy diagnosed sleep disorders, the most common types are insomnia, sleep apnea, and narcolepsy. Insomnia is a condition that prevents a person from getting …show more content…

This is defined as a reduction or cessation of breathing during sleep (Nabili, 2015). The two major types of sleep apnea are central and obstructive as well as having a mixture of both. Central sleep apnea is caused by a failure of the brain to activate the muscles of breathing during sleep. It can be reduced through a process known as Continuous Positive Airway Pressure. With CPAP, patients wear a mask over their nose and mouth while a blower forces air pressure to prevent upper airway tissues from collapsing during sleep. This treatment is good for obstructive sleep apnea as well which is caused by the collapse of the airway during sleep. The breathing device allows for the airway to be regulated avoiding a collapse during sleep. However, obstructive sleep apnea can be more serious and require surgical treatments including nasal surgery, palate surgery, and tongue reduction surgery. Typical health implications associated with these types of sleep apnea are high blood pressure, strokes, and heart disease; daytime sleepiness is also normal as well as difficulties in thinking or remembering (Nabili, …show more content…

Perhaps this is due to sleep apnea taking place during your sleep as opposed to having trouble sleeping so it is likely that it gets reported less often. Of the 40 million people with chronic sleep disorders, 18 million are affected by sleep apnea. Although women are more likely to acquire a sleeping disorder men are more likely to suffer from sleep apnea. This is mostly because men have longer airways putting them at a greater risk for a collapse of the airway. It is also believed that women have a type of hormone that offers protection against sleep apnea. With regards to the three main sleeping disorders narcolepsy is reported considerably less as only 200,000 Americans report having the disorder. Although this many report having the disorder roughly 50,000 people are actually diagnosed (Schoenstadt,

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