Chapter 4: Lesson 4.2 Recognizing Sleep Disorders pg.109

Have you ever spent an hour or more trying and failing to fall asleep? Have you had nightmares or experienced ? Remember the example from Lesson 4.1. Sanjay stays up late watching TV at night and has a hard time falling asleep, which is causing him not to get enough sleep. His is causing him to more often and to struggle to pay attention and work hard in class and at football practice.

Common sleep disorders such as these may cause you to , but they are usually not serious. sleep disorders, however, can cause issues at school and in your life. Most importantly, have health . Fortunately, most sleep disorders can be treated once the person recognizes the condition and seeks help. In this lesson, you will learn about some common sleep disorders, as well as available treatments.

Delayed Sleep Phase Syndrome

A common sleep disorder that affects a person’s sleep-wake cycle is , also called “night owl” syndrome. is a disorder that results in a person being unable to fall asleep until very late at night and naturally not waking up until much later in the morning.

DSPS can affect anyone, but is most common . This is because teens’ bodies are going through many changes as part of the . One of these changes is the body’s release of melatonin later in the night. This means teens are unable to fall asleep earlier in the evening. As a result, teens often do not get enough sleep because they go to , but must still get up early to go to school.

The most common treatment method for DSPS is slowly changing the time a person goes to bed. People with DSPS can try to go to sleep a each night until they reach the desired bedtime. Once they reach the desired time, the next step is to stick to that new time. If a person stays up late just one night, even on the weekend, the sleep-wake cycle can reset.

Insomnia

Almost everyone experiences , which is trouble or staying asleep. Some people with insomnia lay awake for hours at night without being able to fall asleep. Others early and are unable to go back to sleep. Having insomnia can all aspects of a person’s health and well-being (Figure 4.8).

Insomnia may be a , temporary condition that is a result of changes in a person’s normal routine. For example, if you are going on a family vacation tomorrow, you may not be able to fall asleep on time the night before you leave. Insomnia like this usually goes away on its own.

insomnia is more serious than short-term insomnia. Long-term insomnia lasts a month or longer. It is often a symptom or side effect of another issue, such as a , , or a . People with long-term insomnia can get help from a doctor, therapist, or counselor.

The most common cause of insomnia is . This may be a result of issues in a person’s life. The stress could even be about the insomnia. Worrying about being unable to fall asleep or about being tired the next day can make insomnia worse.

Insomnia may be treated in many ways. can include sleeping pills, which are a type of medication that helps people sleep. Long-term use of is discouraged, however, because using them can interfere with good sleeping habits. It is important to talk to a doctor before using or other sleep aids.

Parasomnia

is a term for sleep disorders that occur when people are partially, but not completely, aroused from sleep. Parasomnia occurs more commonly in because their brains are still developing. These disorders can occur when people first fall asleep, between sleep stages, or aroused from sleep. There are five common types of parasomnia. These types include , , , (RLS), and . Figure 4.9 describes the five common types of parasomnia.

Sleep Apnea

is a potentially serious disorder in which a person for short periods of time during sleep. This disorder is usually associated with , but not everyone who snores has this disorder. Many people have sleep apnea, but do not know it, or have not been diagnosed. Sleep apnea is most common among , and it is more common in males than in females. There are of sleep apnea (Figure 4.10).

People with sleep apnea can suffer numerous side effects due to inadequate sleep and a lack of oxygen in their blood. These side effects include the following:

• high blood pressure

• irregular heartbeats

Once a doctor diagnoses someone with sleep apnea, the doctor will suggest possible treatments. One common treatment for sleep apnea is continuous positive airway pressure . CPAP therapy consists of a special machine that increases air pressure in the throat and keeps the airway open to help a person breathe. Someone with sleep apnea may wear a CPAP machine while sleeping (Figure 4.11).

Narcolepsy

is a disorder that affects the to control the sleep-wake cycle. People with narcolepsy have at various times of the day, even if they have had a normal amount of nighttime sleep.

During a sleep attack, a person or even more than 30 minutes. Strong emotions, such as fear, stress, or excitement, may trigger sleep attacks. These sleep attacks can be embarrassing and dangerous. They may occur when people are walking, driving, or performing other forms of physical activity.

typically appear between the , but diagnosis may not occur right away. The causes of narcolepsy are still unclear. This disorder tends to run in families. People whose parents have narcolepsy are more likely to develop it themselves. Narcolepsy may also be caused by brain damage resulting from a head injury or brain-related disease.

Narcolepsy can be treated with medications that help control the symptoms. People with narcolepsy can also make lifestyle changes to treat their symptoms (Figure 4.12).