Sleep Disorders – Types of Sleep Disorders

by mets | Posted under Sleep Disorders Info.

What is sleep?

Sleep is a natural and recurring period of rest, characterized by inactive almost all muscle. During sleep, our response to the world around us will be reduced.

Sleep is a time of growth and rejuvenation for our immune system, nerves, skeleton and muscles. Sleep is also considered a situation where everything just slows down or stops. In general, people just need a regular sleep to maintain a healthy body.

Why do we sleep?

Previously, scientists believed that sleep occurs when the body and brain are tired and stopped working. This belief is refuted by proven several key functions to sleep:

Restoration – sleep proved to affect the healing process. Research shows that sleep deprivation slows wound healing and affect the immune system.
Growth – while sleeping immune system, nerve, muscle and skeletal (with some exceptions) experienced growth and rejuvenation. This is also called anabolic conditions.
Ontogenesis – activities that occur when we enter the active stage of sleep (also called sleep brake) are important for brain development. Being active sleep deprivation in early life can cause behavioral problems, permanent sleep disruption and decreased brain size.
Memory processing – all forms of enhanced memory during sleep. During the memorization and study, the nerve cells send information to the cell body, and a new connection is formed. This process requires that no other disturbing information, so that sleep is an opportunity for memories to be dense and organized.

Infants and children need to sleep on the most, newborns sleep up to 18 hours a day. Children aged 4 years usually sleep for 12-15 hours, while adults sleep for 7-8 hours (on average). The number of sleep a person needs depends on the internal biological clock or circadian rhythm. Ideally, we should sleep at least six hours prior to the lowest temperature of our body. However, age and other factors that affect the amount of sleep individual needs. Generally, you can assume you sleep enough when you do not have daytime sleepiness or dysfunction.

Sleep disorders are a very common medical problems affecting millions of Americans every year. While some people suffer from mild sleep problems, such as the occasional nightmare, others have very severe sleep disorders that can negatively affect their health if left untreated.

According to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, more than 40 million Americans Missing Verb years suffer from some sort or sleep disturbances.

Sleep disorders commonly found in people of all ages and because of the lifestyle of people today. Lack of sleep can make you, tired, have less focus, irritability, low frustration level and can lead to demonstrate behavior that is more emotional and impulsive. Sleep disturbance is a kind of disease, the most common forms prevailing these days are:

Sleep Apnea
Snoring
Bruxism
Narcolepsy
Delayed sleep phase syndrome
Night terror
Hypopnea
Night sweats
Insomnia
Rest less leg syndrome
Periodic limb movement disorder
Sleepwalking

Sleep Apnea

Sleep apnea is a sleeping disorder where the person will stop breathing, or the breathing becomes very shallow. Sleep Apnea is a serious, potentially life-threatening breathing disorder which affects 20 million Americans. Apnea is where a person stops breathing during sleep, often hundreds of times each night, causing a lack of blood oxygen and resulting in poor quality sleep. Sleep apnea is interrupted breathing during sleep. It usually occurs because of a mechanical problem in the windpipe, but it also can indicate a neurological disorder involving nerve cells (neurons). As people age, muscle tone relaxes, which may cause the windpipe to collapse. This condition, called obstructive sleep apnea, results in loud snoring and blocked air flow through the windpipe that lasts from 10 to 60 seconds. It may appear that the person is gasping or snorting.

Snoring

Snoring is a breathing noise that occurs when the airway is partially blocked by the tongue. The noise comes from a vibration of the tissues in the throat.

90 million people in North America have breathing problems leading to snoring and sleep apnea. Snoring occurs in all age groups and genders, but it is twice as common in men. The likelihood of developing a snoring condition also increases with age.

Snoring occurs when the tongue partially blocks the airway. Sleep apnea happens when the tongue completely blocks the airway. Both situations are harmful because the person is deprived of oxygen. The noisy sounds of snoring occur when there is an obstruction to the free flow of air through the passages at the back of the mouth and nose. This area is the collapsible part of the airway (see illustration) where the tongue and upper throat meet the soft palate and uvula. Snoring occurs when these structures strike each other and vibrate during breathing.

Bruxism

Bruxism is the unconscious clenching of teeth, done by jaw. This is an oral activity that is most of the people suffer from when they are highly in depressed condition or are feeling rest less in night and can’t sleep properly. It is the major cause of bruxism.

Narcolepsy

Narcolepsy is a sleep disorder causing excessive sleepiness with a tendency for the sufferer to fall asleep at inappropriate times. These “sleep attacks” and the constant sleepiness that goes along with it is usually not relieved by any amount of sleep. This condition is defined by frequent attacks of drowsiness and sleep throughout the day. These “sleeping spells” are uncontrollable. Narcolepsy, if not diagnosed and properly managed, can severely impact the person’s quality of life.

DSPS

Delayed Sleep Phase Syndrome is also known as sleep phase disorder this happens at sleeping time. It is usually known as body timing system, if you are not waking up at proper time and feels uncomfortable in the morning or feels sleepy at work, and then you may be having symptoms of DSPS.

Night terror

Night terror used to fall in children basically of 5 to 10 years, horrible dreams and faces fear while alone are the symptoms of night terror. Some times young people also prone from this night terror.

Hypopnea

Hypopnea is an case from sleep disorder which is also described as abnormal shallow breathing when human transfers oxygen to the body and carbon dioxide out of the body. This is related with the flow of air. This happens because of excessive sleepiness.

Night sweats

Sweating or night sweat is also a cause of skin disorder, when some somebody have excessive sweating in night, clammy and dump beds absorb them and when you wake up in the morning. Find that your bed soaked to them. Sweating is a natural body task but this is the cause of many problems, diabetes, anemia, bed injuries and many more

Insomnia

Insomnia is a condition in which a person either gets too little sleep (has difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep) or poor-quality sleep. A common problem, it affects approximately half of American adults at some point in their lives. Many reasons include physiological factors which could include difficulty in

breathing or physical pain.

Restless Leg Syndrome

RLS is fragmented sleep caused by frequent leg movements throughout the night. Restless legs syndrome (RLS) is a common yet under-diagnosed movement disorder that is characterized by unpleasant limb sensations occurring at rest and is associated with an irresistible urge to move. Restless legs syndrome is the inability to keep one’s legs still when sitting or lying down for extended periods. Symptoms may include a “creepy crawling” sensation in the calves. RLS can be associated with iron deficiency.

Periodic Limb Movement Disorder

PLMD is the continual, periodic twitching of the legs or arms during sleep. Some people with PLMD experience interruptions in their sleep caused by the involuntary movement during sleep. These people often complain of lack of restful sleep. The diagnosis of PLMD can only be made following an overnight sleep study.