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Sleep Disorders: the Facts
There are many different sleep disorders that around seventy- five percent of the adult population find themselves dealing with each night("Sleep Disorders”)
One of the hardest problems to solve when diagnosing sleep disorders is, "It is impossible to have conscious, experiential knowledge of non dreaming sleep; indeed, one of sleep's defining aspects is that we don't know that we are sleeping while we are doing it...we are less able to identify any problems we have while sleeping"(Dement and Vaughan 1999).
Sleeping Disorders that will be discussed: Insomnia, Sleep Apnea, Restless Legs Syndrome, and Narcolepsy
Insomnia is a disorder in which one has difficulty falling asleep, difficulty staying asleep, wakes up many times during the night, and/or wakes up too early in the morning. Acute Insomnia is insomnia over a brief period of time which could be brought about by stress. On the other hand, Chronic Insomnia is classified as occurring at least three times a week for at least three months and has many different causes. It is usually linked to another medical issue and most Chronic Insomniacs are treated for the condition. Treatment for Insomnia may include various therapies or non- medical treatment meant to figure out the trigger("Treatment for Insomnia"). Medical treatments for Insomnia are often medications known as sleep aids, which can be over the counter or prescribed depending on the individual’s condition(“Insomnia” 2014).
Sleep Apnea is a condition in which breathing is changed or interrupted during sleep. People with Sleep Apnea may stop breathing many times during sleep and could stop the flow of oxygen to the brain. This condition is often genetic and one can be more at risk if they are male, over 40, or overweight. Risks involved with Sleep Apnea are stroke, high blood pressure, headaches, depression, diabetes, and heart failure. The two types of Sleep Apnea are Obstructive Sleep Apnea and Central Sleep Apnea. Obstructive Sleep Apnea is overall more common. This condition occurs when the tissue at back of throat collapses and causes some sort of blockage. Central Sleep Apnea occurs when the brain does not communicate to the muscles to breathe, making breathing more of a voluntary action for the individual, which is difficult while unconscious. Treatments for Sleep Apnea can range from dental devices designed to keep the airway open to surgeries which reconstruct one’s airway("Sleep Apnea Treatment"). Another treatment option is Continuous Positive Airway Pressure(CPAP). CPAP is a treatment in which an individual with Sleep Apnea sleeps wearing a mask over the nose and/or mouth while sleeping with a constant flow of air. This is the most common treatment for Sleep Apnea(Beckerman 2014).
Restless Legs Syndrome is an uncomfortable sensation in the legs and the urge to move them while sleeping or falling asleep. This condition is usually genetic and is more common in women. Individuals with Restless Legs Syndrome have frequent involuntary twitches in the legs and very interrupted sleep. This sleep disorder could be the dysfunction of the release of dopamine, which is needed to make smooth muscle movements voluntarily. Treatment often involves medication that increases dopamine. Unfortunately, Restless Legs Syndrome is a lifelong condition with no permanent cure(“Restless Legs Syndrome Fact Sheet” 2010).
The following graph is to show the prevalence in the preceding sleep disorders. As you can see, individuals with Insomnia are the most common out of the three, with over 160 million people identifying as Insomniacs("Gaboxadol - Investigational Agent").
One of the hardest problems to solve when diagnosing sleep disorders is, "It is impossible to have conscious, experiential knowledge of non dreaming sleep; indeed, one of sleep's defining aspects is that we don't know that we are sleeping while we are doing it...we are less able to identify any problems we have while sleeping"(Dement and Vaughan 1999).
Sleeping Disorders that will be discussed: Insomnia, Sleep Apnea, Restless Legs Syndrome, and Narcolepsy
Insomnia is a disorder in which one has difficulty falling asleep, difficulty staying asleep, wakes up many times during the night, and/or wakes up too early in the morning. Acute Insomnia is insomnia over a brief period of time which could be brought about by stress. On the other hand, Chronic Insomnia is classified as occurring at least three times a week for at least three months and has many different causes. It is usually linked to another medical issue and most Chronic Insomniacs are treated for the condition. Treatment for Insomnia may include various therapies or non- medical treatment meant to figure out the trigger("Treatment for Insomnia"). Medical treatments for Insomnia are often medications known as sleep aids, which can be over the counter or prescribed depending on the individual’s condition(“Insomnia” 2014).
Sleep Apnea is a condition in which breathing is changed or interrupted during sleep. People with Sleep Apnea may stop breathing many times during sleep and could stop the flow of oxygen to the brain. This condition is often genetic and one can be more at risk if they are male, over 40, or overweight. Risks involved with Sleep Apnea are stroke, high blood pressure, headaches, depression, diabetes, and heart failure. The two types of Sleep Apnea are Obstructive Sleep Apnea and Central Sleep Apnea. Obstructive Sleep Apnea is overall more common. This condition occurs when the tissue at back of throat collapses and causes some sort of blockage. Central Sleep Apnea occurs when the brain does not communicate to the muscles to breathe, making breathing more of a voluntary action for the individual, which is difficult while unconscious. Treatments for Sleep Apnea can range from dental devices designed to keep the airway open to surgeries which reconstruct one’s airway("Sleep Apnea Treatment"). Another treatment option is Continuous Positive Airway Pressure(CPAP). CPAP is a treatment in which an individual with Sleep Apnea sleeps wearing a mask over the nose and/or mouth while sleeping with a constant flow of air. This is the most common treatment for Sleep Apnea(Beckerman 2014).
Restless Legs Syndrome is an uncomfortable sensation in the legs and the urge to move them while sleeping or falling asleep. This condition is usually genetic and is more common in women. Individuals with Restless Legs Syndrome have frequent involuntary twitches in the legs and very interrupted sleep. This sleep disorder could be the dysfunction of the release of dopamine, which is needed to make smooth muscle movements voluntarily. Treatment often involves medication that increases dopamine. Unfortunately, Restless Legs Syndrome is a lifelong condition with no permanent cure(“Restless Legs Syndrome Fact Sheet” 2010).
The following graph is to show the prevalence in the preceding sleep disorders. As you can see, individuals with Insomnia are the most common out of the three, with over 160 million people identifying as Insomniacs("Gaboxadol - Investigational Agent").
Narcolepsy- Narcolepsy is a chronic sleep condition. Narcoleptic individuals often have daytime sleepiness and will fall asleep without warning, random and sudden loss of muscle, cataplexy. Cataplexy is usually started by intense emotions causing the patient to fall involuntarily("Narcolepsy"). The causes of Narcolepsy are unknown, but may have to do with genetics. Sleep Paralysis, another common symptom of Narcolepsy is the inability to move or talk while falling asleep or waking up. In addition, Narcoleptics often experience hallucinations, which occur while semi conscious, making dreams more realistic and scary. There are various treatment options for Narcoleptic individuals including stimulants, medications that stimulate one’s nervous system, to help these individuals stay awake(“Diseases and Conditions Narcolepsy” 2012).
What are the theories behind sleep? Click here to find out.
Ethical Issues
Dr. William C. Dement
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References Cited
What are the theories behind sleep? Click here to find out.
Ethical Issues
Dr. William C. Dement
Home Page
References Cited