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Common Sleep Disorders
Insomnia
Insomnia can be defined as difficulty going to sleep or remaining asleep. Insomnia is a complex issue, frequently caused by or accompanied by by psychological disorders such as anxiety or depression. A variety of medical issues may cause insomnia including restless leg syndrome, chronic pain, poorly controlled asthma and others.
Obstructive Sleep Apnea
Obstructive Sleep Apnea happens when a patient "stops breathing" multiple times during the night. The pauses in respiration are caused by repeated obstruction of the upper airway. Prime suspects are sleepy snorers with high blood pressure and a large neck cirumference. It can occur in children and adults.
Narcolepsy
Narcolepsy is a disorder causing persistent sleepiness and episodes of weakness during the daytime.
Parasomnia
Parasomnias have been described as "things that go bump in the night." They include sleep walking, sleep terrors, certain epileptic conditions, rhythmic movement disorder (nocturnal head banging) and the REM sleep behavior disorder (a condition in which persons, usually elderly males, "act our their dreams").
Restless Leg Syndrome
RLS is a common condition in which unusual feelings in the legs and the need to move occur, particularly at rest and usually at night.
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