Guide

The commonly seen sleep disorders include

Insomnia – is inability to sleep or unable to get enough sleep.

Narcolepsy – characterized by excessive sleep.

Sleep Apnea - characterized by brief interruption of breathing during sleep

Circardian Rhythm Sleep Disorder – characteristics include difficulty in falling asleep or waking at the desired time, difficulty in staying awake in the evening or waking too early in the morning and trouble in getting enough sleep during available sleep times.

Restless Leg Syndrome(RLS) and Periodic Limb Movement Disorder (PLMS) – generally occurs in the elderly. RLS is characterized by unpleasant feelings in the feet or legs. PLMS is indicated by repeated jerking or twitching motions of the legs and less frequently the arms.

Insomnia: Insomnia is not a disease but common, usually temporary, sense of not having had enough sleep to feel refreshed; it may be experienced as an inability to sleep despite being tired, or as a light, fitful sleep that leaves one fatigued upon awakening.

Insomnia affects 20% population at any given time. The incidence and prevalence of insomnia increases with age.

Insomnia is 1.5 times more prevalent in adults over 65 years of age than in adults less than 65 years.

Women are 1.3 times more likely to report insomnia than men.

Insomnia characterized depending on the duration as

Short term Insomnia – refers to periods of sleep difficulty lasting between one day to few weeks. It generally occurs in people who are temporarily experiencing either stress or environmental change, jet lag, side effects of medication or change in life style.

Long term Insomnia – refers to poor sleep that occurs for at least three nights per week and lasts for more than 3 weeks. It is more complex and often results from a combination of factors, including underlying physical or mental disorders. Depression is one of the most common causes of chronic insomnia. Other causes could include arthritis, kidney disease, heart disease, asthma, Parkinson’s disease, sleep apnea, restless leg syndrome, hypothyroidism etc.