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Common Sleep Disorders
Some of the more common sleep disorders include:
Sleep Apnea
Snoring, if light, may be trivial. Heavy snoring may be a symptom of a serious sleep disorder called sleep apnea. People with sleep apnea stop breathing again and again during sleep. These periods of no breathing are called apneas and typically last 10 - 30 seconds and can occur several hundred times each night. The most common symptoms of sleep apnea are loud, disruptive snoring, short periods of no breathing and excessive daytime sleepiness.
Narcolepsy
People, who are sleepy during the day and feel muscular weakness when they are angry, surprised or amused, may have narcolepsy. Sometimes narcoleptics experience terrifying dreams or hallucinations as they are falling asleep. Narcolepsy often emerges in young adulthood and can be a lifelong medical problem.
Restless Leg Syndrome (RLS)
People who have Restless Legs Syndrome complain of disagreeable ("creepy crawling") sensations in their legs when they are sitting or lying still, most commonly at bedtime. These unpleasant feelings occur most often in the calves, the back of the lower legs and are sometimes temporarily relieved by moving or stretching the legs.
Periodic Limb Movement Disorder (PLMD)
PLMD occurs most often when a person is asleep. Usually in the legs, movement occurs at regular intervals 30 - 40 seconds apart. The movements may cause your bed partner to complain of kicking or jerking. People who have PLMD may not get the proper rest they need and feel like they can't sleep and/or may feel excessively sleepy during the day.
Insomnia
Insomnia is the inability to fall asleep or to maintain sleep. Insomnia may be related to other conditions, some of which are psychological (chronic depression or temporary stress), environmental (noise) or physiological (pain or chronic breathing disorder). Another common cause of insomnia is misuse of sleeping pills.
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