Sleep disorder

A sleep disorder is a disorder in the sleep patterns of a person or animal. Some sleep disorders can interfere with mental and emotional function, due to their interference with REM sleep.

The most common sleep disorders include:

• Bruxism: The sufferer involentarily grinds his or her teeth while sleeping
• Delayed sleep phase syndrome[?] (DSPS): a sleep disorder of circadian rhythm
• Insomnia: Inability to fall asleep at will or at normal times
• Jet lag or desynchronosis: Temporary condition resulting in out of sync sleep patterns as a result of rapidly travelling across multiple time zones
• Narcolepsy: The condition of falling asleep spontaneously and unwillfully
• Night terror[?] or Pavor nocturnus or sleep terror disorder: abrupt awakening from sleep with behavior consistent with terror
• Parasomnias[?]: Include a variety of disruptive sleep-related events
• Periodic limb movement disorder[?] (PLMD): Involuntary movement of arms and/or legs during sleep
• Rapid eye movement behavior disorder[?] (RBD): Acting out violent or dramatic dreams while in REM sleep
• Restless leg syndrome[?] (RLS): An irresistible urge to move legs while sleeping. Often accompanies PLMD.
• Sleep apnea: The obstruction of the airway during sleep
• Sleep paralysis: Conscious paralysis upon waking or falling asleep
• Sleepwalking or somnambulism: Engaging in activities that are normally associated with wakefulness (such as eating or dressing), which may include walking, without the conscious knowledge of the subject
• Snoring: Loud breathing patterns while sleeping, sometimes accompanying sleep apnea

Changes in life style, such as shift work change (SWC), can contribute to sleep disorders.

External Links

• http://www.sleepdisorderchannel.com/: SleepChannel's sleep disorder site
• http://www.sleepnet.com/disorder.htm: SleepNet.com's sleep disorder infomation
• http://www.aasmnet.org/: American Academy of Sleep Medicine
• http://www.nightterrors.org/: Night Terror Resource Center