Sleep-related eating disorder (SRED) or nocturnal sleep-related eating disorder (NSRED) is a sleep illness which belongs to the parasomnia family. It is distinguished by frequent and abnormal eating patterns during the night while in a sleep state. People with this condition usually start by getting out of bed, heading to… Read More »Sleep-related Eating Disorder
Somnambulism – most commonly known as sleepwalking – is a sleep disorder where someone walks and executes abnormal behaviors while he is still asleep. Sleepwalking belongs to a family of sleep disorders called parasomnia. This occurs on the cycles of non-rapid eye movement sleep (NREM sleep) during deep sleep. Although… Read More »Sleepwalking
Aside from the more common REM and Non-REM parasomnias there are several other parasomnias that can affect a person. Parasomnias are undesirable movements that occur while a person is sleeping. Some parasomnias are not serious and are more bothersome to the patient’s sleeping partner. There are some parasomnias though that… Read More »A List of Other Parasomnias
Somniloquy is the formal name for sleep talking. It is a sleep disorder where a person talks during sleep. The person affected is unaware that he or she is talking while asleep. Sleep talking may involve complicated dialogues or monologues. There are also times when a person talks in gibberish… Read More »Somniloquy
Hypnagogia or hypnogogic hallucinations are imaginary sensations. These sensations may seem very real to the person experiencing them. They often occur while a person is falling asleep. Another term for hypnagogia is sleep hallucinations. Hypnopompic is a word that describes the period when a person wakes up. Hypnagogic is a… Read More »Hypnagogia
Exploding Head Syndrome is a type of parasomnia. Parasomnias involve undesirable events that accompany sleep. The exploding head syndrome may sound painful and even gruesome, but it is not. This is a disorder where a person hears a loud noise right before they fall asleep. The noise that the patient… Read More »Exploding Head Syndrome
Nightmares are scary dreams. They often awaken children and can make them afraid to go back to sleep. There is no way to know when a nightmare may occur; although episodes of nightmares sometimes occur after a child sees or hears something upsetting. It may be something real or imaginary.… Read More »Nightmare Disorder
Rapid Eye Movement (REM) sleep is one of the stages of sleep. This is the stage of sleep where a person consolidates memories and a vital stage to learning. REM is also important in balancing an individual’s mood and it is when dreams occur. A dream is a mixture of… Read More »REM Behavior Disorder (RBD)
Sleep and mental health are closely related. If one is disrupted, the other deteriorates as well. It is not uncommon for mental illness to cause sleep problems, but sometimes sleep problems occur first and a mental illness occurs within a few months or years. If a person treats mental illness… Read More »Sleep Disorders And Mental Illness: Causes And Consequences
ADHD is a disorder which has debilitating effects on one’s daily life; causing poor performance at school or work, mood swings, inability to stay still, focus, and sleep well. Its symptoms may appear as early as at two years of age, but many adults live with undiagnosed ADHD or misdiagnosed… Read More »Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) And Sleep
Dementia is not an uncommon problem among the elderly. It can occur as a symptom of a number of diseases, like Alzheimer’s or Parkinson’s, and is usually progressive. People with dementia often suffer from one or more sleep disorders which further aggravate their state. Fortunately sleep problems can be addressed… Read More »Dementia and Sleep Disorders
Parasomnia is a term that refers to an abnormal problem that can happen while a person sleeps. This does not include sleep apnea. Some examples of parasomnia include sleep-related sleeping disorders, sleepwalking, and sleep aggression. Nightmares and sleep paralysis are also examples of parasomnias. Parasomnias can affect a person’s sleep… Read More »REM Parasomnias
Sleep Enuresis is another term for bedwetting or urinary incontinence. This is a common condition in young children and is a sign of a developing bladder. According to estimates it affects 15 percent of children over the age of three. It also affects 10 percent of children over the age… Read More »Sleep Enuresis
Parasomnias are undesirable events that come along with sleep. A parasomnia can make sleeping uncomfortable and can result in unrefreshing sleep. Sleep paralysis is one example of a parasomnia. Sleep paralysis causes a patient to lose the ability to move his or her body while asleep. What is sleep paralysis?… Read More »Sleep Paralysis
When a person acts in a strange or confused way as they wake up or just after waking up, that person may have a condition known as confusional arousal. This is a sleep disorder wherein a person appears as if he or she doesn’t know what he or she is… Read More »Confusional Arousal
Sleep hallucinations belong to a classification of sleep disorders called parasomnias. They are vivid experiences, either sensory or visual, that occur between the state of waking up and falling asleep. These are imagined incidents that appear very realistic, causing immense fear and anxiety for the person experiencing them. Sleep hallucinations… Read More »Sleep Hallucinations
A sleep disorder is a problem that affects a person’s ability to sleep or causes sleepiness throughout the day. There are also disorders that prevent a person from staying asleep. A sleep disorder may be a result of a physical or psychological problem. It can affect anyone; a person of… Read More »What To Do If You Think You Have a Sleep Disorder
Sleep deficiency is unlike other conditions of the human body. It is not easy to measure. There are physical characteristics associated with sleep deficiency. These are signs indicating that a person is sleep-deprived. A common sign of sleep-deficiency is eyebags. A person is also sleeping deprived or even just sleepy… Read More »Attempting to Measure Sleep Deficiency and Sleepiness
Sleep disorders can have a physical toll on the human body just like any other disorder. There are multiple sleep disorders; each of which has different symptoms. These symptoms are what differentiate one sleep disorder from another. However, there are symptoms shared by almost all sleep disorders. These symptoms can… Read More »The Physical Stress of Sleep Disorders
Delayed sleep-wake phase disorder (DSP) is a sleep disorder. It belongs to the group called Circadian Rhythm Disorders. When a person has DSP, there is a delay in their sleep pattern by two or more hours. The delay is not just when a person tries to go to sleep. There… Read More »Delayed Sleep Phase Syndrome and Actigraphy
The majority of sleep disorders result in excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS). ES is measured by sleep clinics using questionnaires to screen patients. These questionnaires ask patients about the symptoms that they’re experiencing. There are many questionnaires and scales available to health care providers. They hope to isolate a particular symptom… Read More »Epworth Sleepiness Scale
Fatigue is a common symptom of a sleep disorder. One of the benefits of sleep is its restorative properties. Sleep heals the body. It also restores energy spent during the day. This explains fatigue. A person who hasn’t recovered from the previous day’s work will feel fatigued. This means that… Read More »Fatigue Severity Scale
Insomnia is a sleep disorder that affects millions of people around the world. Insomnia is a disorder that affects not just an individual person but society as a whole. A person with insomnia is often unable to properly function at work. This is due to excessive daytime sleepiness, a common… Read More »Insomnia Impact Scale
The Multiple Sleep Latency Test (MSLT) is a diagnostic tool for excessive daytime sleepiness. This is less common compared to a polysomnogram. It works by measuring the time elapsed from the start of a daytime nap period to the first signs of sleepiness. This is sleep latency. The basic premise… Read More »The Multiple Sleep Latency Test
Polysomnography is one of the most common tests that doctors use to diagnose a sleep disorder. It is also called a sleep study. During polysomnography, a doctor or a medical technician records a patient’s brain waves and the oxygen level in the patient’s blood. They also take records of the… Read More »Learn About Polysomnograms
Just like you take care of your personal hygiene in order to be physically healthy, you should practice good sleep hygiene so that you can be both physically and mentally healthy. Minding your sleep schedule and duration, sleep environment, and your bedtime routine can help your brain to work better… Read More »Sleep Hygiene – Good Sleep Practices
Mold grows in moist places and in almost every home the kitchen sink and bathroom are exposed to water and moisture every day. It can be recognized as greenish, grayish, or (most commonly) black spots in dark wet corners. When mold develops you can feel a musty smell coming from… Read More »Dampness, Mold, And Sleep
Bipolar disorder is a type of mental illness. Scientists believe it occurs after traumatic events or as a genetic problem. People with bipolar disorder have periods of mania (extremely active, indulging in pleasurable activities, sometimes not sleeping for days) followed by periods of depression (continuous sadness, hopelessness, lack of activity).… Read More »Sleeping With Bipolar Disorder
Diagnosing a sleep disorder is at least as important as its treatment. It is arguably even more important since the success of a treatment hinges on an accurately diagnosed sleep disorder. A sleep specialist will be unable to properly treat a disorder if he has no idea what he is… Read More »Polysomnography in the Diagnosis of Sleep Disorders
Sleepiness is one of the hardest things to measure. This is because it is a feeling and is subjective by nature. What others consider as drowsiness can be a feeling of extreme sleepiness to others. However, there are still situations when sleepiness is worth measuring. Quantifying sleepiness depends on the… Read More »Quantifying Sleepiness – Diagnostic Scales
When a person suffers from a sleep disorder, that person often relies on a sleep specialist for help. Sleep specialists use several tools in diagnosing a sleep disorder. They use tools that can help gauge the effects of a sleep disorder on a person. However, there are also tools that… Read More »Stanford Sleepiness Scale
Millions of Americans have sleep disorders. These disorders can result in symptoms like excessive daytime sleepiness, migraines, lack of focus and fatigue. Sleep disorders can have debilitating effects. They can even affect one’s productivity in the workplace. Sleep disorders can also result in vehicular accidents or workplace injuries. Getting a… Read More »Talking to Your Doctor About Sleep Problems
An Electroencephalography (EEG) is a test that can detect abnormalities in the brain waves or the electrical activity of the brain. This test uses electrodes made of small metal discs that get pasted on the scalp of the patient. These electrodes have wires connected to a computer. The electrodes then… Read More »Electroencephalography (EEG) in the Diagnosis of Sleep Disorders
The Maintenance of Wakefulness Test (MWT) is a way of measuring how alert a person is during the day. Through this test, a sleep specialist can determine if a person can stay awake for a defined period of time. This test is a good way of checking if an individual… Read More »Maintenance of Wakefulness Test
What is a biomarker? A biomarker is short for Biological Marker. It refers to a broad subcategory of medical signs. They are signs of the medical state of a patient. Biomarkers are biological molecules present in the blood, other body fluids, or tissues of a patient. When a medical practitioner… Read More »The Search for Sleep Biomarkers
There are many sleep disorders. Each with distinct characteristics that distinguish them from one another. However, there are some characteristics that sleep disorders share. Most sleep disorders have one of the following symptoms: Excessive daytime sleepiness Difficulty falling asleep Difficulty staying asleep Abnormal movements, sensations, or behaviors while sleeping There… Read More »How Sleep Disorders are Classified by Doctors
Insomnia in children is just like insomnia in adults. It can prevent a child from falling asleep or staying asleep. When this happens the child’s quality of sleep suffers. This can affect the mood or behavior of a child the following day. It can lead to school or discipline problems.… Read More »Treating Children with Insomnia
Insomnia is a common sleep disorder. An individual with insomnia experiences difficulties in falling or staying asleep. This happens even if the said person has the chance to get adequate sleep. Insomnia can be short term or long term. Long term insomnia or chronic insomnia can last for a month… Read More »Prevention of Insomnia
Insomnia is a sleep disorder that affects millions of Americans. The main symptom of insomnia is the inability to fall asleep or to stay asleep. This results in a feeling of dissatisfaction with the amount and quality of sleep. As a consequence his or her productivity both at home and… Read More »The Pathophysiology of Insomnia
Sadness is a part of human life. It is natural for a person to feel sad from time to time. This feeling might be a result of an unpleasant experience or a problem that an individual is facing. However, there are instances when this feeling of sadness is persistent. Anxiety… Read More »Depression and Sleep Disorders
What is menopause? By definition, menopause is the final menstrual period. Menopause marks the end of the reproductive period of a woman. Women can no longer bear children upon reaching menopause. A woman can confirm that she has reached menopause if she missed her menstrual period for 12 consecutive months… Read More »Menopause and Insomnia
Insomnia is a sleep disorder that results in the inability to fall asleep or stay asleep. It is one of the most common sleep problems in the country. It can affect any person regardless of age or gender. However, women are more at risk of having insomnia compared to men.… Read More »Is Insomnia More Common in Women?
Sleep disorders can affect anyone. This includes children. Research by the National Sleep Foundation found that around 65 percent of children ages 10 years old and below suffer from a sleep disorder. According to a study at the Northwestern University Medical Center, lack of sleep is one of the leading… Read More »Helping Children Fall Asleep: Sleep Onset Problems in Children
Insufficient sleep syndrome is a voluntary sleep disorder and is a type of hypersomnia. This means that this disorder is a result of unintentional actions by the patient. It affects nearly 30 percent of adults. This disorder stems from getting less than 6 hours of sleep per night. According to… Read More »Insufficient Sleep Syndrome
In a world where sleep deprivation is one the biggest sleep problems, a small number of people manage thrive on short sleep. A genetic mutation seems to be responsible for the fact that they can live perfectly fine on about 6 hours of sleep. For the majority of people this… Read More »Is There a Genetic Mutation That Causes Less Need For Sleep?
Marijuana is the most popular recreational drug across the country even though it is illegal in many states. As the stigma fades and marijuana is legalized in more states; it is essential to know how it affects certain aspects of our health, both positively and negatively. It is widely used… Read More »How Does Marijuana Affect Your Sleep?
Sleep and our daily performance are closely related. If we don’t get enough sleep, we react and move slower and have a hard time remembering facts and coming up with new ideas. Many tired people take their work home because they were not productive enough to do it in the… Read More »Sleep And Productivity – Rest More, Work Better
Idiopathic Hypersomnia (IH) is a type of rare sleep disorder. Individuals with IH feel excessively sleepy during the day. A person with IH feels sleepy even after getting a full night’s sleep. A person with IH also has difficulty waking up after sleeping. The difficulty in waking up happens even… Read More »Idiopathic Hypersomnia
What is Kleine-Levin Syndrome? Kleine-Levin Syndrome (KLS) is a rare sleep disorder. This disorder is characterized by persistent episodic hypersomnia. A patient with KLS might also experience cognitive or behavioral changes. When an individual has KLS, he may sleep for up to 20 hours per day during an episode. Because… Read More »Kleine-Levin Syndrome
Narcolepsy is a neurological disorder. It causes a disruption in the sleep and wakefulness state of the affected person. As a result someone with narcolepsy experiences excessive sleepiness and sleep paralysis. This sleep disorder is also characterized by hallucinations. In rare cases, a patient suffering from narcolepsy might experience episodes… Read More »Narcolepsy
Sleep-related hypoxemia is a type of sleep-related breathing disorder. Its main characteristic is an abnormally low oxygen level in the blood. This disorder is also referred to as sleep-related hypoxia or nocturnal hypoxemia. Hypoxemia is dangerous and can cause hypoxia. This happens when blood is unable to carry enough oxygen… Read More »Sleep-related Hypoxemia
Central Sleep Apnea is a disorder wherein breathing repeatedly stops and starts during sleep. This type of sleep apnea is less common compared to Obstructive Sleep Apnea. Central sleep apnea is a result of the brain’s inability to send proper signals to the muscles that control breathing. This breathing-related sleep… Read More »Central Sleep Apnea
Sleep-related hypoventilation is a breathing-related sleeping disorder. In most cases, this disorder appears simultaneously with other sleep disorders. This disorder restricts a patient’s breathing. This leads to low levels of oxygen in the blood. It can also cause increased levels of carbon dioxide in the blood. Sleep-related hypoventilation can occur… Read More »Sleep-related Hypoventilation
Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) is also referred to as Obstructive Sleep Apnea-hypopnea. It is a sleep disorder characterized by the cessation or significant decrease in airflow while a person sleeps. This is a common type of sleep-disordered breathing. Those who suffer from OSA often experience recurrent episodes of upper airway… Read More »Obstructive Sleep Apnea
Snoring is a common sleeping disorder. Although anyone can get affected by snoring, it’s a condition that is more common among men and overweight individuals. Snoring can also worsen with age. Snoring from time to time is nothing to worry about. It is often more bothersome to the sleeping partner… Read More »Chronic Snoring
When a person is overly stressed they are likely to have poor sleep and even develop insomnia. It can be the other way round as well. An individual with no signs of stress could be sleep-depriving himself or herself which leads to an increase in stress hormones. This may or… Read More »The Relationship Between Stress And Insomnia
Coffee and other caffeinated drinks are widely used to fight sleepiness and drowsiness, primarily in the morning but also at some other times of the day. For most people drinking coffee in the evening will make them go to bed a lot later than usual but having coffee at, say,… Read More »The Effect Of Coffee On Your Sleep
We all know that short naps can make us feel refreshed and that coffee can give us an energy boost when we need it. Research shows that it is a lot more effective if you combine the two – consume some caffeine and take a short nap straight away. You’ll… Read More »Caffeine Naps – Are They The Most Energizing Naps?
Shift Work Sleep Disorder (SWSD) is a sleep disorder that causes insomnia and excessive sleepiness. This disorder belongs to the group of Circadian Rhythm Sleep Disorders. It affects people whose working hours overlap with their usual sleeping hours. What are the symptoms of SWSD? A person who has SWSD may… Read More »Shift Work Sleep Disorder
Nocturnal leg cramps, also known as night leg cramps, are spasms that occur in the lower extremities, particularly the legs, during nighttime. These cramps are painful, involuntary and usually short-lived. They are characterized by tight and persistent muscle contraction commonly in the calves. Sometimes it also involves the feet and… Read More »Nocturnal Leg Cramps
Just like any other living organisms, humans have various biological rhythms. One of these is the Circadian Rhythm. The Circadian Rhythm is often called the body clock or the biological clock. The Circadian Rhythm controls sleep timing, among other things. Because of the Circadian Rhythm, a person’s sleepiness doesn’t continuously… Read More »Sleep-Wake Rhythm Disorders
Sleep-Wake Phase Disorders are medical conditions wherein the human body’s natural sleep-wake cycle or Circadian Rhythm gets affected. A normal Circadian Rhythm is one where a person sleeps or wakes at roughly the same each day. This cycle depends on a lot of factors like hormone levels and light exposure.… Read More »Sleep-Wake Phase Disorders
Advanced Sleep-Wake Phase Disorder (ASP) is a disorder that belongs to a group called Circadian Rhythm Sleep Disorders. When a person has this disorder, he sleeps at a time that is earlier than what is “normal” for others. This is the exact opposite of what Delayed Sleep-Wake Phase Disorder (DSP)… Read More »Advanced Sleep-Wake Phase Disorder
Delayed Sleep-Wake Phase Disorder (DSP) is a condition that belongs to the group of Circadian Rhythm Disorders. As its name implies, when a person has this disorder, their sleep gets delayed by two or more hours. This delay is a result of the normal sleep pattern shifting to a later… Read More »Delayed Sleep-Wake Phase Disorder
A hypnagogic jerk/myoclonic jerk, or most commonly known as hypnic jerk, is an involuntary twitch of a muscle. This happens just when a person is transitioning from wakeful state to a sleeping state. To put simply a hypnic jerk is when you suddenly feel like you’re falling off a building… Read More »Sleep Starts – Hypnic Jerks
Irregular Sleep-Wake Rhythm Disorder is a circadian rhythm sleep disorder. Unlike other disorders that belong to this group, this one is rare. Most people go to bed at night and stay asleep until the morning. People afflicted with this disorder have disrupted sleep. They often achieve just a few hours… Read More »Irregular Sleep-Wake Rhythm Disorder
If you’ve traveled to another country or continent and found yourself feeling irritable and unable to sleep, you may have jet lag. It can also cause you to have unexplained headaches. Jet lag is also known as time zone change syndrome or desynchronosis. This is a physiological condition that a… Read More »Jet Lag: Symptoms, Risk Factors, and More