Sleep disorders are defined as any condition that regularly interferes with or disrupts our regular sleeping habits including our ability to fall asleep, stay asleep or stay awake. For millions of us, sleep disorders regularly interfere with a good night’s rest. Sleep is an important activity for our body. For many years, people thought of sleep as a passive activity but we now know that this is not true. When we are sleeping, there are a many things that are happening in our bodies. During sleep, we undergo several stages of non-REM sleep from 1 to 4 as well as REM sleep cycles. Generally NREM stages 1 and 2 are the beginning of sleep during which people are easily woken up. When later questioned they may not even believe they were in fact asleep.  In NREM stage 3 and stage 4, commonly known as deep sleep, people need a lot more effort to wake up. It is during stages 3 and 4 that people usually are groggy when they awake and may need a few moments before they can get oriented to where they are. During REM sleep, people experience rapid eye movement and the body is very relaxed as a process called REM atonia or paralysis takes place immobilizing the body’s muscles. This prevents us from acting out our dreams which occur during REM. We spend about 20%-30% of our sleep time in REM sleep.

Types of Sleep Disorders

There are many types of sleep disorders. Some people suffer from sleep deprivation while others oversleep. Sleep disorders can be caused by the body’s chemical malfunctioning, some physiologic disorders, external factors or disturbances in our circadian rhythm. Some sleep disorders have been categorized into groups such as dyssomnias and parasomnias.

Dyssomnias are a large group of sleeping disorders with a range from hypersomnolence to insomnia. Hypersomnolence means excessive sleeping whereas insomnia means an inability or difficulty of falling asleep. Dyssomnias are divided into three main types:  intrinsic, extrinsic and circadian rhythm abnormalities.  Intrinsic or “internal” dyssomnias include narcolepsy, sleep apnea, restless leg syndrome and hypersomnia. As the name implies, they are caused by internal factors. Extrinsic or “outside” sleep disorders include problems such as drug related sleep disorders like alcohol or stimulant dependent sleep disorders, food allergy insomnia, poor sleep hygiene and altitude insomnia. Circadian rhythm disorders such as jet lag, delayed sleep phase syndrome and shift work sleep disorder occur when our bodies’ internal clock is out of sync so we are not prepared to fall asleep when bedtime arrives.

Parasomnias on the other hand are disorders that involve abnormal and unnatural movements, behaviors, emotions, perceptions and dreams. This could include nightmares, sleep walking, teeth grinding or bruxism, bed wetting, sleep talking, sleep terror, or REM sleep behavior disorder where normal REM atonia is absent and the person acts out his dreams.

Whether it’s insomnia or another sleep disorder that prevents a person from falling and staying asleep or narcolepsy symptoms or other causes of hypersomnolence (medication, hypothyroidism), the quality of one’s sleep greatly impacts a person’s ability to function and lead a productive life. Sleep disorders can also place a great deal of stress on a relationship if left untreated. Repeated studies verify our need for 7-8 hours of quality sleep every night. Very few of us can consistently get by with less.

Cost of Sleep Disorders

Most of us tend to take a good night’s sleep for granted. We shouldn’t.  Over 60% of Americans report having some sleep problems at least once per week.  Daytime sleepiness affects about 40% of adults. Over 100,000 car accidents occur every year due to sleepy drivers. The estimated annual direct cost in the U.S. for sleep disorders is over $16 Billion with up to $100 Billion in additional indirect costs for things such as accidents, hospitalizations and damage to property.

There are currently over 80 different, distinct sleep disorders that are recognized by medical professionals. Sleep disorders affect people of all age groups and about 95% of people with sleep disorders are undiagnosed. In addition to the steep economic cost of lost productivity, accidents, property damage and medical care, sleep disorders extract a large human toll as well in broken relationships. If you or your partner is not sleeping well or you suspect you have a sleep disorder, see your doctor and ask to be referred to a sleep apnea clinic so you can be tested.  Fortunately, most sleep disorders are treatable so get tested and get help.

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