Sleep Disorders
About 20% of Americans suffer from sleep disorders. At any given time, about 50 million Americans suffer from chronic, long-term sleep disorders. Twenty million experience occasional sleep problems. Research has found a link between sleep and both asthma and stroke.
Sleepwalking
We don't always think of sleepwalking as a disorder. It is more common among children than adults. People generally cannot be easily awakened from sleepwalking. They usually do not remember the next morning. Because sleepwalking occurs during non-REM sleep, the sleepwalker is probably not acting out a dream.
Nightmares and Night Terrors
Nightmares and night terrors are more common in children than adults. A child who is very tired is more likely to experience a night terror. These terrors usually occur in non-REM sleep. Night terrors occur in fewer than ten percent of children. Neither nightmares nor night terrors are evidence of psychological problems.
Insomnia
Insomnia is a sleep disorder characterized by difficulty in falling asleep or remaining asleep throughout the night and affects as many as 35 million Americans. Most episodes of insomnia are temporary and stem from stressful events. Insomnia is sometimes the result of a larger psychological problem such as depression. Loneliness can also contribute to insomnia.
Sleep Apnea
Sleep apnea is a disorder characterized by difficulties in breathing while asleep and affects 20 to 22 million Americans. The difference between insomnia and apnea is that insomnia is characterized by sleeplessness while apnea is characterized by breathing difficulties. Apnea can leave the person feeling exhausted during the day. It has been associated with depression, sexual dysfunction, difficulty concentrating, and headaches in adults, and hyperactivity, conduct disorder, and aggressiveness among children and adolescents. If apnea is severe, it can double or triple a person's risk of having a stroke or dying.
Narcolepsy
Narcolepsy is characterized by unexpected periods of sleep during the day. The person may suddenly nod off or lose muscle tone following moments of emotional excitement. The individual may suddenly fall asleep without warning even during alert activities during the day. People with narcolepsy fall immediately into REM sleep. Narcolepsy is believed to be caused by a defect in the central nervous system.
Hypersomnia
When a person sleeps more than 10 hours a day for two weeks or more, he or she is said to have hypersomnia. Hypersomnia involves urges to nap throughout the day, often during meals or conversations, and can be caused by other sleep disorders, brain injury, or depression.
