Sleep disorders

Editor-In-Chief: Prab R Tumpati, MD
Obesity, Sleep & Internal medicine
Founder, WikiMD Wellnesspedia &
W8MD medical weight loss and sleep centers

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Sleep disorders, also known as somnipathy, refer to a range of conditions that affect the regular sleep patterns of both humans and animals. They can have profound impacts on a person's daily life, influencing their mental and emotional well-being. This article delves into the nature of sleep disorders, their causes, and their potential effects on psychological health.

What is a Sleep Disorder?

A sleep disorder or somnipathy is a condition that disrupts the normal sleep-wake cycle of an individual. These disorders can range from mild disturbances to severe conditions that significantly impede daily function.

Common sleep disorders

The most common sleep disorders include:

• Bruxism: The sufferer involuntarily grinds his or her teeth while sleeping
• Delayed sleep phase syndrome (DSPS): a sleep disorder of circadian rhythm
• Hypopnea syndrome
• Insomnia: While not considered a sleep disorder in its own right, Insomnia is characterized by the inability to fall asleep and/or remain asleep for a reasonable amount of time.
• Jet lag or desynchronosis: Temporary condition resulting in out of sync sleep patterns as a result of rapidly travelling across multiple time zones
• Narcolepsy: The condition of falling asleep spontaneously and unwillingly
• Night terror or Pavor nocturnus or sleep terror disorder: abrupt awakening from sleep with behavior consistent with terror
• Parasomnias: Include a variety of disruptive sleep-related events
• Periodic limb movement disorder (PLMD): Involuntary movement of arms and/or legs during sleep. 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 while sleeping. Often accompanies PLMD.
• Shift work sleep disorder (SWSD)
• Sleep apnea: The obstruction of the airway during sleep
• Sleep paralysis: Conscious paralysis upon waking or falling asleep
• 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
• Snoring: Loud breathing patterns while sleeping, sometimes accompanying sleep apnea

Broad classifications of sleep disorders

• Dysomnias - 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)
  • Tooth-grinding
  • Bedwetting or sleep enuresis.
  • Sudden infant death syndrome (or SIDS)
  • Sleep talking (or Somniloquy)
• Medical or Psychiatric Conditions that may produce sleep disorders
  • Psychoses (like Schizophrenia)
  • Mood disorders
  • Depression
  • Anxiety
  • Panic
  • Alcoholism
• Sleeping sickness - can be carried by the Tsetse fly
• Snoring - Not a disorder in and of itself, but it can be the symptoms of deeper problems, and may result in damaging retribution against snorer by bed partner.

Common causes of sleep disorders

Changes in life style, such as shift work change (SWC), can contribute to sleep disorders. Other problems that can affect sleep:

• Back problems
• Environmental noise
• Neck problems
• Sciatica
• Incontinence
• Various drugs - Many drugs can affect the ratio of the various stages of sleep, thus affecting the overall quality of sleep. Poor sleep can lead to accumulation of Sleep debt.

A sleep diary can be used to help diagnose, and measure improvements in sleep disorders. The Epworth Sleepiness Scale is another useful diagnostic tool. According to Dr. William Dement, of the Stanford Sleep Center, anyone who snores and has daytime drowsiness should be evaluated for sleep disorders.

See also

• Glossary of sleep medicine
• Environmental noise health effects
• Reversed vegetative symptoms
• Sleep hygiene
• White noise machine
• American Academy of Sleep Medicine

External links

• SleepNet.com's sleep disorder information
• American Academy of Sleep Medicine, a practitioner-oriented web site
  • SleepEducation.com, patient-oriented web site from the American Academy of Sleep Medicine
• Your Guide to Sleep Disorders
• The Sleep Library
• Sleep Disorders: Types, Diagnosis, Risk Factors, and Prevention
• Getting the Sleep You Need: Sleep Stages, Sleep Tips and Aids
• Alertness Matters Sleep Disorder site
• Talk About Sleep: Authoratative sleep disorder information
• Talk to a fellow sleep disorder patient - Advocates for Sleep Patient to Patient Mentoring