The Sleep Disorders

Insomnia is the most common sleep disorder. It can have a devastating impact on one’s emotion, physical, occupation and social life. While it occasionally can be seen in the clinical setting as a primary diagnosis, it most often presents as a comorbidity to a medical or psychiatric issue;

Sleep disorders alter ones sleep pattern and often results in the inability to either sleep or sleep soundly. They often cause you to feel restless, tired, fatigued, and irritable. It is estimated that nearly 75 percent of adult Americans experience sleep disorder symptoms at least a few nights per week. At the same time, sleep disturbances in some form are seen in as many as 25 to 30 percent of infants and children (“Sleep Disorders” 2013). Clearly a huge conundrum in the world, sleep disorders affect an inordinate amount of people. Millions of people suffer or have suffered from a sleep disorder at one point in their lives and if mistreated can impact organ systems functioning negatively. Physical disturbances, medical issues,

Sleep deprivation is a serious concern among college students, who are "among the most sleep-deprived age group in the United States," (Central Michigan University, 2008). It is important to study the causes of sleep deprivation, or sleep disorders, among college students. According to Park (2009), "dozens of studies have linked an increase in nightly sleep to better cognition and alertness." A study by Central Michigan University (2008) found that sleep deprivation can lead to poor academic performance, impaired driving, depression, and behavioral problems. There are several variables that may affect sleeping patterns among college students. One is genetics or biological issues. It is highly

Universal to every human from birth to death, sleep is a necessary function to survival, productivity, and happiness. While most fall asleep at night with ease, it is estimated that 50-70 million Americans battle sleep or wakefulness disorders. Although sleep disorders do not immediately present with a threat comparable to other common disorders such as depression, bipolar, or schizophrenia, sleep disorders prove very disruptive to one’s quality of life. Insufficient sleep may result in difficulty concentrating, difficulty with memory, trouble with personal care such as hygiene, driving, or managing finances, and poor performance in the workplace. While there is a wide array of sleep related illnesses that may plague any given individual,

I have always been enchanted by the idea of sleep. As a child, I laid in bed attempting to understand why I was unable to fall asleep. I knew I wasn’t the only one, but the snoring of my family convinced me otherwise. Biology taught me to understand genetics and environmental cues, but they were unable to explain to me how my sleep pattern was different. Unable to figure the cause of my sleep problems, I delved into self-treatments instead. Curiosity for knowledge in sleep therapy prompted my interest in understanding sleep consequences and health.

Sleep has a major function in the physical and mental health of an individual. It is important to assess elements of sleep disorders when evaluating for any mental health condition. According to Perese (2012), “Psychiatric disorders characterized by sleep disturbances include anxiety disorders, depression, bipolar disorders, schizophrenia, and Alzheimer’s disease” (pp 222-223). Normal sleep length should be at least 7 or 7.5 hours per night and when poor sleep pattern exists, it could affect alertness, memory, cognition, creativity and quality of life (Perese, 2012). Sleep-wake disorders can be described as any problem with sleeping including; difficulty falling or staying asleep, sleeping too much, sleeping at the wrong time and abnormal behaviors during sleep (MedlinePlus, 2015). According to DSM-5 (2013), “Sleep-wake disorders encompasses 10 disorders or disorder groups: insomnia disorder, hypersomnolence disorder, narcolepsy, breathing-related sleep disorders, circadian rhythm sleep-wake disorders, non-rapid eye movement (NREM) sleep arousal disorders, nightmare disorder, rapid eye movement (REM) sleep behavior disorder, restless leg syndrome, and substance/medication-induced sleep disorder” (p. 361).

The sleeping disorder called Narcolepsy is defined as a neurological condition marked by uncontrollable sleep attacks, excessive daytime sleepiness, and cataplexy ( an abrupt loss of muscle tone) (Brandt and Laberge). It is the second most leading cause of daytime sleepiness and is a chronic brain disorder (Brandt and Laberge). The disorder affects over 200,000 Americans and is recognized when the individual experiences a sudden, uncontrollable need to sleep at any moment (“Sleep and Sleep Disorders”). Narcolepsy can occur in people who are born with it but most often seen sporadically. There are other factors that can cause the disorder like an infection, immune system deficiencies, stress, and change in hormones (Brandt and Laberge). Symptoms

Sleep apnea is common in most people. It may briefly stop your breathing since there is blockage in the upper airways. This may cause pauses in breathing throughout the night and interrupt your sleep, leaving you waking up each hour. Often times people with these issues do not remember waking up each hour and feel exhausted during the day.(Smith) The most common sleeping disorder is Insomnia. Insomnia is a condition where you are unable to wake up feeling rested and refreshed. Often times Insomnia is a symptom of another problem such as stress, anxiety, and depression. Insomnia can also be caused by your medications or lack of exercise. This disorder can be cured with some lifestyle changes that you make on your own.(Smith) A few symptoms you may encounter if you have a sleep disorder may be feeling tired while driving, trouble controlling your emotions, or slow reactions.(Smith)

Alterations in sleep neurophysiology have been found associated with premature loss of slow- wave sleep, increased REM sleep, reduction in sleep time and other abnormal sleep parameters. Immunological disturbances have also been implicated. Imaging has revealed increased frequency of abnormal hyperintensities in sub-cortical regions. Hereditary factors and genes have also been implicated. Psychosocial factors include life events and environmental stress, personality, cognitive processing and learned helplessness

Sleep is one of the unavoidable daily-living activities and it is one of the most important factors contributing to a person’s health. A quality sleep is essential for the physical, cognitive and psychological well-being of a person. Learning, memory processing and maintenance of the brain are among the most important functions of sleep. In addition to maintaining the brain, sleep has important roles in controlling the

Sleeping problems is known to have countless psychological effects on women, but a new study links negative mood swings coming from bipolar disorder to a lack of sleep.

One of the sleep disorder Insomnia is a sleep disorder that makes many people have difficult time with sleeping throughout the night. Insomnia can make a person life chance in a totally different way like making them unable to perform well at work. Many of the Insomnia symptoms that could be easily detected is fatigue, low energy, hard time concentrating, mood disturbing, and the lack of good performance at work, school or any other places. Insomnia comes in two different type of form

Do you ever have problems sleeping at night? If so, you may suffer from one of the many sleep disorders. Sleep disorders are changes in the way you sleep that can negatively affect your health. A sleep disorder can affect not only your health, but your safety as well. There are many different types of sleep disorders but the more common ones are insomnia, parasomnias, hypersomnia, periodic limb movement disorder, restless leg syndrome, sleep apnea, and narcolepsy.

Some typical sleep disorders include narcolepsy, insomnia, obstructive sleep apnea, and restless-leg syndrome. Lack of sleep can lead to serious health issues, including stress, a weakened immune system, and weight gain. By using cutting-edge sleep-study technology, the experts at Island Hospital can identify what’s causing your sleep issues so that you can seek treatment and finally enjoy a restful night.

Insomnia is one of the sleep-wake disorders and affects millions on a daily basis. Individuals affected by insomnia can have trouble falling asleep, staying asleep, and/or having non-restorative sleep. According to the American Psychiatric Association, insomnia symptoms are reported by one-third of all adults and 10-15% of those adults experience daytime impairments related to insomnia while 6-10% of them actually meet the criteria for insomnia disorder (2013, p. 364-365). The occurrence of insomnia is more prevalent in women, older adults, shift workers, those of lower socioeconomic status, and “those with poor physical and mental” (Morin, 2010). It can result from several causes, some of which include life stressors such as divorce and job loss, other psychological or medical disorders, environmental changes, and age. Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), medication, or a combination of the two is used in treating insomnia.