Did you ever experience a long tiring day at school or work? Your body may have been aching with pain and you laid down for a relaxing sleep. What a wonderful feeling that was! Most people enjoy the luxury of sleep without realizing that it isn't always possible for many people to achieve this. Sleep helps us in more ways than we can imagine but it sometimes eludes people who don't even know what they were missing.
Sometimes we take for granted the great benefits that are afforded to us from a restful nights sleep and we begin to abuse the privilege by staying up too late or "burning the midnight oil" a bit too much. The more we use our body, the more that we must load up on sleep. If we don't catch up, our body starts to get confused and this can eventually lead to a sleep disorder. First we find ourselves irritable and slow. Then we lose our ability to fully relax and we are in for a much bigger problem down the road.
Common sleeping disorders often begin unnoticed. We might just be having signs of some minor problems but we don't think too much of it. Then we may begin to have difficulty falling or staying asleep but think this is only a "passing phase". Little do we know, we are already experiencing, what doctors would diagnose as insomnia, a sleep disorder that results to sleepiness at other times of the day. Insomnia is the most well-known sleep disorder but it is still undiagnosed in thousands of people. It causes slow reactions in our nervous system and poor mental concentration. These factors might just lead to accidents and lesser productivity throughout the day. Stress is also considered one of the major reasons why one out of three adults experiences some degree of insomnia at one time or another.
A less common but quite alarming case of insomnia is the chronic insomnia. This is known as a severe case of insomnia which is caused by too much stress and by our body's chemistry and medical condition. This second case of insomnia is less common than the first but still quite common overall. It also tends to go undiagnosed in many people.
Sleepy people who experience a gradual loss of muscle tone (called cataplexy) may be experiencing another type of sleep disorder known as Narcolepsy. This is a sleep related disease that affects the NREM or "Non Rapid Eye Movement" sleep. Narcoleptic patients experience sudden muscle weakening which sometimes causes them to fall. They may fall into a NREM sleep phase almost instantly and this can be extremely dangerous. A simple act of happiness or laughter may trigger what is called a cataplectic attack where the person just falls asleep and tips over! A related disease called sleep paralysis is also alarming and can occur in narcoleptics where they lose control of their muscles especially when lying down before they go to bed.
Children commonly experience a sleep disorder familiarly known as "bedwetting" which is actually called Nocturnal Enursis. This ordinarily happens during NREM sleep as does talking in your sleep and sleep walking. These disorders are also common amongst children.
Sleep Apnea is a breathing disorder which is not understood by many people and which is therefore undiagnosed in many people. It is still quite common however and is caused by the muscle and tongue relaxation on the soft palate at the throat's base. This is the part of the throat which allows an individuals air passage to collapse especially those with narrow airways. It creates a sleeping disorder somewhat similar to snoring but it is actually a lot more serious than just snoring. Sleep apnea causes a person to lose the much needed REM phase of their sleep and thereby depletes their energy and dangerously affects their brain chemistry. A person with sleep apnea is more prone to accidents and poor health as well as poor performance at work or school.
Sleeping disorders can be avoided if we raise our awareness about them and take preventive measures to stop them. We must make sleeping a daily habit and try to get a better night's sleep all the time. If we make sure and do this, we will surely reap the benefits soon!
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Frequently Asked Questions
What can i drink with candida
By: carolyn kennard | 02-09-2008
hi. i have been diagnoised with candida and i would like to know what i can drink. is soya milk ok? what about skimmed milk? is decaf coffee ok? what about alcohol? spirits i suppose but with what mixers? i have several major celebrations coming up and wonder if i can indulge! many thanks for any help.
Strange episodes during sleep
By: Theresa | 21-07-2008
My daughter and myself need to understand more about these episodes she experiences on a weekly basis, here goes...she falls asleep but a some point she is aware that she is awake..her eyes can open but she can't move..she trembles and experiences a overwhelming loudness as if she was strapped to a train...she has to focus and "fight" to wake herself up out of the stage she is in. Just the other night she felt as if someone was pressing her down into her bed..she couldn't move her arms or yell..she want to yell but couldn't. I have had a similiar sort of episode myself but only once. She almost feels as if she is having a near death experience. She tries to explain to me that she sometimes feels as if she's spinning wildly. The key points however seem to be the loud almost train like noises and the heart pounding and the feeling of having to beat this and fight herself to wake up...all while her eyes are open and she can see her surroundings. My daughter is 21 and has this going on weekly. It upsets her so so much. I would assume she is stuck between two stages of a sleep pattern. As I'm trying here to explain these strange circumstances I can't help but to compare it to the horrow stories we may have all herard of of when someone is being operated on and the doctors think they are anesticized and asleep but they feel and hear everthing but their cant move or yell out for help. Please share any thoughts or comments that may help or at least make her feel better.
Help diagnose these symptoms, very scared and worried, need help
By: SimplyMe | 18-07-2008
My symptoms include:-40 pound weight loss, w/o dieting, in only 2 months.-Bouts of extreme diaphoresis (HOT/COLD same time, w/no fever, rolling sweat), lasting 48 hours or more, leading to severe dehydration.-Extremely vesicular pompholyx, never had allergies or eczema before. -Horrible insomnia. -Muscle fatigue, weakness, bone and joint pain. -Hands are very swollen upon waking. Somedays they stay numb for several hours. Not carpal tunnel, had that w/pregnancy, and carpal has more 'electric' feeling to it. I have been in and out of the hospital in the last 2 months several times. Had every test you can imagine from the neck down, all negative. The docs just scratch their heads and say its probably a virus, puh-lease. Obviously something fairly serious is going on here, and I'm not getting any answers. I'm only 37, and have a life and family. I just want to live it. I'm scared this problem could kill me before the docs figure out what the heck is going on. Please help!
I am a social worker. i recently had some medical ...
By: connie | 09-07-2008
i am a social worker. i recently had some medical tests and have been diagnosed with having cognitive decline & dementia and started on aricept. I am having trouble and work and need extra help with filing, smaller case load, etc.Question: should i disclose this medical condition to my employer or will my job be at risk. or should i just ask for extra help without disclosing the medical condition. i've been there 8 yrs. and i had brain surgery for a begnign tumor on my pituary 5 years ago. that may be the cause.
How long does it take to get off of Ambien before ...
By: Pat | 27-06-2008
How long does it take to get off of Ambien before you have normal sleep?
Help me!!!
By: Daniel in Canada | 19-06-2008
How can I prevent snoring is there medicine or treatments available
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