MAJOR SLEEP DISORDERS
Some sleep disorders can be so debilitating that they affect a person's entire life. These disorders are narcolepsy, sleep apnea, and insomnia.
Narcolepsy: sudden attacks of REM sleep
Narcolepsy is an incurable sleep disorder characterized by excessive daytime sleepiness and uncontrollable attacks of REM sleep, usually lasting 10 to 20 minutes. REM sleep is a sleep characterized by rapid eye movement, paralysis of large muscle, fast and irregular heart rate and respiration rate, increased brain-wave activity, and vivid dreams. REM sleep constitutes 20 to 25% of a normal night's sleep in adults. People with narcolepsy are often unfairly stigmatized as lazy, depressed, and uninterested in their work. Anything that causes an ordinary person to be tired can trigger a sleep attack in a narcoleptic; a heavy meal, sunbathing at the beach, or a boring lecture. A sleep attack can also be brought on by any situation that is exciting (narcoleptic attacks often occur during lovemaking) or that causes a strong emotion, such as anger or laughter. Narcolepsy is a physiological disorder caused by an abnormality in the part of the brain that regulates sleep, and it appears to have a strong genetic component. Although there is no cure for narcolepsy, stimulant medications improve daytime alertness in most patients. Many experts also recommend scheduled naps to relieve sleepiness.
Sleep Apnea: can't sleep and breathe at the same time
Sleep apnea consists of periods during sleep when breathing stops and the individual must awaken briefly to breathe. The major symptoms of sleep apnea are excessive daytime sleepiness and extremely loud snoring, often acconpanied by snorts, gasps, and choking noises. In very severe cases, apnea, may last throughout the night, with as many as 800 partial awakenings to gasp for air. Alcohol and sedative drugs aggravate the condition. Severe sleep apnea can lead to chronic high blood pressure, heart problems, and even death. Physicians sometimes treat sleep apnea by surgically modifying the upper airway. When this surgery is effective, patients not only sleep better, they also exhibit higher levels of performance on tests of verbal learning and memory.
Insomnia: when you can't fall asleep
People with insomnia suffer distress and impairment in daytime functioning owing to difficulty falling or staying asleep or to experiencing sleep that is light, restless, or of poor quality. The rates of insomnia in Canada are quite alarming, with more than 3.3 million Canadians (13.4% of the population aged 15 or older) dealing with insomnia. Temporary insomnia, lasting three weeks or less, can result from jet lag, emotional highs or lows, or a brief illness or injury that interferes with sleep. Much more serious is chronic insomnia, which lasts for months or even years. Chronic insomnia may begin as a reaction to a psychological or medical problem but persist long after the problem has been resolved.