Sleep Disorders

Sleep disorders involve any difficulties related to sleeping. More than 100 different disorders of sleeping and waking have been identified. There are four main categories: problems with falling and staying asleep problems with staying awake problems with adhering to a regular sleep schedule and sleep-disruptive behaviors. Insomnia includes any combination of difficulty with falling asleep, staying asleep, intermittent wakefulness and early-morning awakening. Episodes may come and go, be short-term or long-lasting. Sometimes insomnia results from an internal clock out of synch, from building tolerance to or stopping certain sleep medications, from depending on or stopping certain stimulants or from learned sleeping patterns.

Other disorders result from excessive sleepiness, including narcolepsy, sleep apnea and restless leg syndrome. Problems related to maintaining a consistent sleep and wake schedule are common when traveling between times zones and with rotating schedule shift work. Abnormal behaviors during sleep are called parasomnias. While fairly common in children, this may also affect adults as sleep walking, or sleep terror disorder, which is an abrupt awakening from sleep with fear, sweating, rapid heart rate, and confusion. In adults, sleepwalking may also be caused by an organic brain syndrome, reactions to drugs, psychological disorders, and certain medical conditions. Sleep disorder treatment is related to determining the cause and controlling environmental and lifestyle factors. Sleeping drugs should be used only when prescribed by a health care provider.

For answers to your questions about sleep disorders, call us at (407) 646-7466 or contact us online.