et up out of bed. Some talk, shout, sing, hit or punch others.
- Non-24-hour sleep wake disorder
People who are diagnosed with this have cyclic insomnia and/or daytime sleepiness. The problem appears to be related to the lack of synchronicity between the 24-hour day-night cycle and the internal body clock. This is referred to as a circadian rhythms disorder. Circadian rhythms are what regulate our natural sleep and wake patterns.
- Shift work disorder
Many of us know or have even experienced this – our body clock getting mixed up due to changes in our shifts at work. Switching from sleeping at night to sleeping during the day can be difficult. This is also a circadian rhythm disorder.
- Excessive daytime sleep disorders
This group of disorders includes narcolepsy, which is a neurological disorder caused by the brain’s inability to regulate sleep-wake cycles, as well as obstructive sleep apnea which causes breathing to be briefly and repeatedly interrupted during sleep. Extreme sleepiness during the day can occur for other reasons aside from narcolepsy and sleep apnea.
This is considered a sleep disorder because for some people it can cause fragmented sleep, thus causing sleepiness during the daytime.
How sleep disorders affect your health
Over the last decade a lot of research has been conducted on the impact of sleeplessness, and while some are considered observational, few medical experts will deny that sleep disorders affect health.
The Institute of Medicine (U.S.) Committee on Sleep Medicine and Research analyzed a number of sleep studies a few years back and concluded that sleep disorders were a real “public health” problem. They indicated that less than seven hours of sleep per night could have wide-ranging effects on the cardiovascular, immune, nervous and endocrine systems. Here are some problems they have been able to link to lack of sleep:
- Diabetes and impaired glucose tolerance
- Cardiovascular disease and hypertension
- Alcohol use
Although studies have looked at all aspects of sleep and health, a great deal of data has been collected in relation to sleep and weight. One study showed that by age 27 people with less than six hours of sleep were 7.5 times more likely to have a higher body mass index (BMI) than those who got much better sleep. Family history, diet and levels of physical activity were taken into consideration.
Sleep disorders don’t just impact the people who are having trouble sleeping. For example, lack of sleep could lead to an innocent person being killed in a car accident, if a sleep deprived person gets behind the wheel. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration estimates that each year drowsy drivers are responsible for about 100,000 automobile accidents, 70,000 injuries and 1,550 fatalities.
Poor quality sleep can result in a poor quality of life. Psychologists report that many people who suffer from sleep disorders are unable to participate in physical activities or maintain their attention, such as watching a movie or seeing their child play in a soccer game.
Symptoms of sleep disorders and how to spot them
It would be hard to find anyone who has not had trouble sleeping at some point in their life, but chronic sleep problems and constant sleepiness during the day could mean you have a sleep disorder. Because we live in such a fast-paced society – where we are rushing to meet personal goals and demands from others – we can miss the early symptoms of sleep disorders.
The following are some of the signs that mean you could have a sleep disorder.
- Constantly taking more than 30 minutes to fall asleep
- Having to take frequent naps during the day
- Waking up in the middle of the night and remaining awake for hours
- Fatigue and irritability during the day
- Difficulty concentrating at work or school
- Falling asleep at inappropriate times, including when sitting up
- Loud snoring, breathing and/or gasping noises while sleeping
- Waking up too early
- Needing a stimulant like coffee to keep you awake during the day
- The urge to move your legs or tingling and crawling feeling in l