Running head: Sleep Disorders

What do you know about Sleep Disorders? Emily Maze College of DuPage Composition I Elizabeth Anderson December 18, 2013

Sleep Disorders What do you know about sleep disorders?

Introduction: Sleep disorders are classified as disturbances of the normal sleep patterns. This includes having trouble falling asleep, waking up or staying asleep. Accordingly to health communities.com, nearly 40 million people in the United States suffer from a long term sleep disorder. There are over 70 different known sleep disorders in the United States which are classified into 3 categories (sleep foundation). These three categories are lack of sleep, disturbed sleep, and excessive sleep. Most sleep disorders can be managed with proper diagnosis and medication from your primary care physician.

Insomnia People with insomnia have difficulty falling asleep; they often wake up throughout the night and have trouble getting back to sleep. Insomnia causes people to wake up too early in the morning and still feel unrested. (WebMD). An existing health condition can sometimes be the cause. There are two variations of Insomnia, acute and chronic. Acute Insomnia means that it last just a short while and it can come and go as it pleases. Chronic Insomnia occurs when a person has insomnia for at least three nights a week for a month or longer (WebMD). Treatment options for insomnia are often be prevented or cure by practicing good sleep habits or your health care provider may give a limited amount of sleeping pills out. Chronic insomnia treatment involves first treating any underlying health conditions such as stress, anxiety or depression. You may also benefit from behavioral therapy or relaxation exercises.

Sleep Disorders Sleep Apnea

Sleep Apnea is a common disorder in which you have one or more pauses in breathing or shallow breaths while you sleep. It is the leading most cause of excessive daytime drowsiness, due to the disruption of your sleep cycle. The most common type of sleep apnea is obstructive sleep apnea, which occurs when there are repeated episodes of complete or partial blockage of the airway. It often goes undiagnosed and family members are usually the first to see the signs of sleep apnea. Treatments for sleep apnea are breathing devices (CPAP), mouth pieces, lifestyle changes and surgery. No alcohol or medicines, lose weight, sleep on your side, and dont smoke.

Narcolepsy Chronic neurological disorder caused by the brains inability to regulate sleep/wake cycles normally (WebMD). Excessive daytime sleepiness followed by uncontrollable episodes of falling asleep during the daytime, happen during any time of the time. A typical person takes 90 to enter REM but narcoleptics only take 5 minutes to enter the REM stage of sleep. Narcolepsy can occur at any stage in your life but usually begins between the ages 15 and 25. There has been recent evidence that states that most cases of narcolepsy are a misguided immune system attack. (Health Day 2013) Symptoms of narcolepsy include excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS), cataplexy which is the sudden loss of

Sleep Disorders muscle tone, hallucinations or sleep paralysis. Cataplexy occurs in 70% of people affected by Narcolepsy. (health day 2013) Narcolepsy is a chronic condition for which there is not cure but medications and life

style changes make it more manageable. Some medications used to treat narcolepsy are stimulant drugs, SSRIs, and tricyclic antidepressants.

Sleep Walking Sleep walking is also known as somnambulism. Sleep walking usually occurs in children but it does occur in adults just not as well known. While sleep walking is occurring a lot of other things are also going on. The person actually gets up and does stuff that they would usually do during waking hours, such as shower, make food, drive a car, move furniture. Some people say that you should not wake a sleep walker but this is not true. In very rare cases a person will become aggressive but studies show that most times they will awake confused and unaware of what is going on around them. If left alone, the sleepwalker will eventually go back to sleep but usually an odd location unlike their bed. (sleep foundation) There are no known cures for sleep walking it is just something you grow out of as you get older. A rare form of treatment is hypnosis but there is no proof that it actually works to cure sleep walking. Going to bed on time and making sure that you have a comfortable and safe environment is a good start.

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Night Terrors Sleep Terrors tend to be generalized by episodes of fear, failing, and or screaming while asleep (Mayo Clinic). These are more commonly found in child but it is a very small percentage that actually suffers from night terrors. People who are diagnosed with night terrors tend to grow out of it by their teen years. Some symptoms of night terrors may include sitting up in bed, kicking and screaming inconsolably, and troublesome. Accordingly to Mayo Clinic.com, some underlying causes maybe me fatigue, stress or anxiety. Sleep terrors tend to run in the family. Although sleep terrors are sometimes self diagnosed, a sleep study needs to be completed before an accurate diagnosis can be given. Medication is not needed to control this; it is simply just something that you grow out of.

Definitions (dictionary.com) Sleep Disorders a disturbance of the normal sleep pattern. Insomnia inability to obtain sufficient sleep, especially when chronic; difficulty in falling or staying asleep; sleeplessness. Apnea a temporary suspension of breathing CPAP Machine Continuous Positive Airway Pressure; used to keep the nasal airway open during sleep. Narcolepsy a condition characterized by frequent and uncontrollable periods of deep sleep.

Sleep Disorders Cataplexy a condition characterized by sudden, brief attacks of muscle weakness sometimes causing the body to fall helplessly, that is usually triggered by strong emotion:

Hallucinations a sensory experience of something that does not exist outside the mind, caused by various physical and mental disorders, or by reaction to certain toxic substances, and usually manifested as visual or auditory images. Sleep Paralysis A condition in which, upon waking, a person is aware of the surroundings but is unable to move. Stimulant Drugs are drugs that stimulate the nervous system. Stimulants affect your metabolism to help you stay awake and curb hunger. SSRIs Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitor. Any of a class of drugs that inhibit the uptake of serotonin in the central nervous system Tricyclic Antidepressants any of a group of pharmacologically active substances, as imipramine, that share a common three-ring structure, Somnambulism a condition that is characterized by walking while asleep or in a hypnotic trance Hypnosis an artificially induced state of relaxation and concentration in which deeper parts of the mind become more accessible.

Looking to the Future: Sleep disorders are becoming better known and researchers are always looking for new answers. The search continues for answers to some of these newer disorders. And the hope for future treatments is imminent.

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Additional Resources: www.sleepeducation.com www.sleepfoundation.com www.cdc.gov/sleep/

Sleep Disorders References

Dictionary. Dictionary.com, LLC, 2013. Web. 18 Dec. 2013. <http://dictionary.reference.com/>. Health Day. HealthDay, 2013. Web. 17 Dec. 2013. <http://www.healthday.com/>. Mayo Clinic. Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research., 2001. Web. 20 Dec. 2013. <http://www.mayoclinic.org/sleep-disorders/>. National Sleep Foundation. World Sleep Foundation, 2011. Web. 16 Dec. 2013. <http://worldsleepfoundation.org/>. Web MD. WebMD, LLC, 2013. Web. 16 Dec. 2013. <http://www.webmd.com/sleepdisorders/default.htm>.