Sleep Disorders
One third of all adult Americans, that is approximately 50 million people, complain about their sleep. Some complain that they sleep too little, some sleep fitfully, and some sleep too much. Since one third of our lives are spent in sleep, sleep disorders represent a significant problem.
How long do we need to sleep?
Most adults sleep between 7 and 8 hours a night. No one really knows how much sleep we need. People who are "natural short sleepers" may sleep only 3 to 4 hours a night and feel worse if they sleep any more. "Long sleepers" may need more than 10 hours a night. "Variable sleepers" may need more sleep at times of stress and less sleep during peaceful times.
The amount of sleep we need is often effected by age. Newborn infants often sleep more than 16 hours a day, adolescents may need 9 to 10 hours of sleep, and elderly people may need only 5.
How do I know how much sleep I need?
You should feel sleepy about the same time each day. If you find that you are frequently having trouble staying awake during the daytime, you may not be sleeping long enough. You are sleeping as much as you need if during your waking hours you are alert and have a sense of well-being.
What is insomnia?
Insomnia is a symptom, not an illness. Insomnia is the most common sleep complaint and is characterized as the feeling that you haven't slept well enough or long enough. Most often, insomnia is characterized by difficulty in falling asleep, that is taking more than 30 or 40 minutes to fall asleep. Insomnia can also be characterized as awakening frequently during the night or waking up early and being unable to get back to sleep.
Poor sleep is often a sign of some malfunction, and it may signal either a major or minor medical or psychiatric disorder.
Insomnia can begin at any age and may last anywhere from a few days to indefinitely.
What causes insomnia?
Transient, or short-term insomnia, may be triggered by such things as stress, or by jet travel that involves rapid time-zone changes. Short-term insomnia, which lasts up to 3 weeks, may result from anxiety, nervousness, and physical and mental tension. Long lasting distress over lack of sleep is sometimes caused by the environment, such as living near an airport or on a noisy street. Working a night shift can also cause problems, but most often long-term insomnia stems from such medical conditions as heart disease, arthritis, diabetes, asthma, chronic sinusitis, epilepsy, or ulcers. Long-term impaired sleep can also be brought on by chronic drug or alcohol use, as well as by excessive use of beverages containing caffeine and abuse of sleeping pills. Many persons with long-term insomnia may also be suffering with underlying psychiatric conditions such as depression.
Do sleeping pills help?
Taken for a brief period and under a doctor's guidance, prescription sleeping pills may help you sleep better, but insomnia cannot be corrected with pills. At best, sleeping pills have only limited usefulness. They provide a temporary solution to insomnia.
What other sleep disorders are there?
Snoring:
Snoring is a sign of impaired breathing during sleep. The older you get, the more apt you are to snore. Almost 60 percent of males in their 60's and 45 percent of females are habitual snorers, in all, 1 in 8 Americans. Snoring that is loud, disruptive and accompanied by extreme daytime sleepiness or sleep attacks should be taken seriously. It may be a sign that a person is suffering from a life threatening condition called sleep apnea, a blockage of breathing during sleep.
Sleep Apnea:
Sleep apnea was discovered only recently. It is believed to affect at least 1 out of every 200 Americans. Seventy to 90 percent of those affected are men, mostly middle aged and usually overweight. The condition can afflict both men and women at any age. People with this disorder actually stop breathing while asleep, often hundreds of times, without being aware of the problem. During an apnea attack, the snorer may seem to gasp for breath when the oxygen level in the blood may become abnormally low. In severe cases, a sleep apnea victim may actually spend more time not breathing than breathing and may be at a risk for death.
Sleep apnea can be recognized by a number of symptoms. As mentioned, loud and intermittent snoring is one warning signal. A person who has sleep apnea may experience a choking sensation, early morning headaches, or extreme daytime sleepiness as well. His bed partner or roommate might comment on his excessive body movements or his snorting or gasping for breath during sleep. If the condition is suspected, professional help should be sought.
Narcolepsy:
One out of every 100 Americans is affected by narcolepsy. Between 50 to 80 percent of those people remain undiagnosed, however. People with narcolepsy suffer from sleep apnea more often than the general population, although apnea is not a necessary feature of narcolepsy. During a narcoleptic attack, a person may find it physically impossible to stay awake and sleep for periods ranging from a few seconds to half an hour. Sudden attacks of sleep can strike at any time during any activity. Narcolepsy, which is believed to be caused by a defect in the central nervous system, has no known cure, however, after proper diagnosis the disorder can be effectively managed with medications.
Nocturnal Myoclonus (Unusual movement during sleep):
Nocturnal myoclonus is characterized by episodes of repetitive leg muscle jerks or muscle twitches and is followed throughout the night by hundreds of related awakenings and may involve involuntary movements. People with nocturnal myoclonus may have involuntary movement in their leg in addition to twitches while trying to relax. It's most common in middle aged or older people and may be inherited. Often a bed partner or roommate must call attention to the characteristic repeated muscle jerks in which the big toe extends while the ankle, knee, and occasionally the hip locks. Upon awakening, some people with nocturnal myoclonus complain of an itching, crawling sensation in their legs like "current going through them".
What kinds of treatments are available for sleep disorders?
If your sleep is continually disrupted, you should seek professional help. There are a number of treatments available for sleep disorders, once a disorder is appropriately diagnosed. Treatment is most often provided by mental health specialists such as psychologists or psychiatrists, sleep clinics or sleep disorder centers. Generally, sleep clinics are set up as part of hospitals and sleep disorder centers may be associated with hospitals, medical centers, universities, or neurologic institutes. Special sleep facilities are scattered throughout the country. Your psychologist, physician, or local hospital should be able to help you locate the nearest sleep clinic or center.
How long do we need to sleep?
Most adults sleep between 7 and 8 hours a night. No one really knows how much sleep we need. People who are "natural short sleepers" may sleep only 3 to 4 hours a night and feel worse if they sleep any more. "Long sleepers" may need more than 10 hours a night. "Variable sleepers" may need more sleep at times of stress and less sleep during peaceful times.
The amount of sleep we need is often effected by age. Newborn infants often sleep more than 16 hours a day, adolescents may need 9 to 10 hours of sleep, and elderly people may need only 5.
How do I know how much sleep I need?
You should feel sleepy about the same time each day. If you find that you are frequently having trouble staying awake during the daytime, you may not be sleeping long enough. You are sleeping as much as you need if during your waking hours you are alert and have a sense of well-being.
What is insomnia?
Insomnia is a symptom, not an illness. Insomnia is the most common sleep complaint and is characterized as the feeling that you haven't slept well enough or long enough. Most often, insomnia is characterized by difficulty in falling asleep, that is taking more than 30 or 40 minutes to fall asleep. Insomnia can also be characterized as awakening frequently during the night or waking up early and being unable to get back to sleep.
Poor sleep is often a sign of some malfunction, and it may signal either a major or minor medical or psychiatric disorder.
Insomnia can begin at any age and may last anywhere from a few days to indefinitely.
What causes insomnia?
Transient, or short-term insomnia, may be triggered by such things as stress, or by jet travel that involves rapid time-zone changes. Short-term insomnia, which lasts up to 3 weeks, may result from anxiety, nervousness, and physical and mental tension. Long lasting distress over lack of sleep is sometimes caused by the environment, such as living near an airport or on a noisy street. Working a night shift can also cause problems, but most often long-term insomnia stems from such medical conditions as heart disease, arthritis, diabetes, asthma, chronic sinusitis, epilepsy, or ulcers. Long-term impaired sleep can also be brought on by chronic drug or alcohol use, as well as by excessive use of beverages containing caffeine and abuse of sleeping pills. Many persons with long-term insomnia may also be suffering with underlying psychiatric conditions such as depression.
Do sleeping pills help?
Taken for a brief period and under a doctor's guidance, prescription sleeping pills may help you sleep better, but insomnia cannot be corrected with pills. At best, sleeping pills have only limited usefulness. They provide a temporary solution to insomnia.
What other sleep disorders are there?
Snoring:
Snoring is a sign of impaired breathing during sleep. The older you get, the more apt you are to snore. Almost 60 percent of males in their 60's and 45 percent of females are habitual snorers, in all, 1 in 8 Americans. Snoring that is loud, disruptive and accompanied by extreme daytime sleepiness or sleep attacks should be taken seriously. It may be a sign that a person is suffering from a life threatening condition called sleep apnea, a blockage of breathing during sleep.
Sleep Apnea:
Sleep apnea was discovered only recently. It is believed to affect at least 1 out of every 200 Americans. Seventy to 90 percent of those affected are men, mostly middle aged and usually overweight. The condition can afflict both men and women at any age. People with this disorder actually stop breathing while asleep, often hundreds of times, without being aware of the problem. During an apnea attack, the snorer may seem to gasp for breath when the oxygen level in the blood may become abnormally low. In severe cases, a sleep apnea victim may actually spend more time not breathing than breathing and may be at a risk for death.
Sleep apnea can be recognized by a number of symptoms. As mentioned, loud and intermittent snoring is one warning signal. A person who has sleep apnea may experience a choking sensation, early morning headaches, or extreme daytime sleepiness as well. His bed partner or roommate might comment on his excessive body movements or his snorting or gasping for breath during sleep. If the condition is suspected, professional help should be sought.
Narcolepsy:
One out of every 100 Americans is affected by narcolepsy. Between 50 to 80 percent of those people remain undiagnosed, however. People with narcolepsy suffer from sleep apnea more often than the general population, although apnea is not a necessary feature of narcolepsy. During a narcoleptic attack, a person may find it physically impossible to stay awake and sleep for periods ranging from a few seconds to half an hour. Sudden attacks of sleep can strike at any time during any activity. Narcolepsy, which is believed to be caused by a defect in the central nervous system, has no known cure, however, after proper diagnosis the disorder can be effectively managed with medications.
Nocturnal Myoclonus (Unusual movement during sleep):
Nocturnal myoclonus is characterized by episodes of repetitive leg muscle jerks or muscle twitches and is followed throughout the night by hundreds of related awakenings and may involve involuntary movements. People with nocturnal myoclonus may have involuntary movement in their leg in addition to twitches while trying to relax. It's most common in middle aged or older people and may be inherited. Often a bed partner or roommate must call attention to the characteristic repeated muscle jerks in which the big toe extends while the ankle, knee, and occasionally the hip locks. Upon awakening, some people with nocturnal myoclonus complain of an itching, crawling sensation in their legs like "current going through them".
What kinds of treatments are available for sleep disorders?
If your sleep is continually disrupted, you should seek professional help. There are a number of treatments available for sleep disorders, once a disorder is appropriately diagnosed. Treatment is most often provided by mental health specialists such as psychologists or psychiatrists, sleep clinics or sleep disorder centers. Generally, sleep clinics are set up as part of hospitals and sleep disorder centers may be associated with hospitals, medical centers, universities, or neurologic institutes. Special sleep facilities are scattered throughout the country. Your psychologist, physician, or local hospital should be able to help you locate the nearest sleep clinic or center.
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Where can I get more information?
The Association of Professional Sleep Society 604 2nd Street SW Rochester, MN 55902 |
The American Narcolepsy Association P.O. Box 1187 San Carlos, CA 94070 |
Narcolepsy Network 155 Van Brackle Rd. Aberdeen, NJ 07747 |