Common Sleep Disorders
For many people sleep can be a problem. Your night’s sleep directly affects the quality of your life. Most sleep disorders can be treated. This may make the difference between you suffering needlessly and may improve the quality of your life.
| Did you know? your daytime performance is directly affected by the quality of your sleep. |
Some people realize they have a sleep disorder because they remember waking up at night. Others can have a sleep disturbance but not be aware of it. Not all sleep disorders awaken people, or awaken them enough for the disturbance to be remembered.
Some people may feel tired much of the time, and may doze off easily during the day. They may even think their daytime sleepiness is normal, that everyone feels that way, despite the concerns of friends, family and co-workers.
Sleep Apnea
A condition in which an obstruction of the airway results in pauses in breathing during sleep. Sleep apnea is a serious medical condition, if not treated it can lead to many life threatening illnesses such as high blood pressure, stroke, and heart attacks.
Insomnia
A condition in which the ability to fall asleep and stay asleep is impaired. It is one of the most common sleep problems. Insomnia can be caused by a variety of physical and/or psychological problems.
Restless Leg Syndrome
This condition is characterized by an uncomfortable crawling sensations felt inside the person’s legs when at rest. Often the person has to get up and walk around to obtain relief.
Narcolepsy
A condition in which excessive daytime sleepiness occurs regardless of the amount of sleep a person received the previous night. Persons with narcolepsy can also suffer from other sleep problems. They can experience sleep paralysis, terrifying dreams or hallucinations just before falling asleep or upon awakening.