Snoring and Sleep Apnea
Most people, children and adults, have problems with getting a good night's sleep from time to time. To help get a good night's sleep, it is often recommended that you exercise on a regular basis, maintain a regular sleeping schedule, avoid stimulants such as caffeine before bed, avoid alcohol and a large meal before bed and establish a comfortable sleeping environment.
For some people, lack of restful sleep is a constant and potentially dangerous problem. People may have a medical condition known as a sleep disorder. A sleep disorder interferes with the body's ability to sleep normally. For many people, it is a chronic, nightly problem that can influence daytime behavior. Activities at work and school, and relationships with loved ones can be seriously affected. A sleep disorder can worsen already existing medical conditions and lead to new medical problems.
If a patient finds it is disrupting to their life and seek medical help, a sleep study may be ordered to determine the severity of the sleep disorder.
The following are some examples of SLEEP DISORDERS:
- Obstructive Sleep Apnea - Obstructive sleep apnea is a condition in which the airway does not fully open during sleep. This can lead to loud snoring and lapses in breathing that can occur hundreds of times a night. This breathing interruption can lead to irregular heartbeats and high blood pressure. In addition a person may be sleepy enough to fall asleep while driving causing accidents or may have poor memory and unexplained changes in behavior.Though it can be easily diagnosed in a sleep lab, many people with obstructive sleep apnea are not aware that they have a sleep disorder. A family member often informs the health care provider of a person's sleep history or daytime symptoms. This leads to an evaluation of a possible sleep disorder.
- Insomnia - Insomnia refers to the person's inability to "fall asleep" and/or to "stay asleep" long enough to feel rested. It is the most common of all sleep-related complaints and may be the main symptom for a variety of sleep disorders.
- Narcolepsy - Narcolepsy is fortunately relatively uncommon. A person with narcolepsy may experience sleep episodes lasting seconds to minutes that occur at unusual times during the day. These periods of sleep may occur while reading, watching television or driving. Some people with narcolepsy may experience cataplexy as well. Cataplexy is the sudden loss of muscle tone in the face or extremities and is triggered by emotions, such as laughter, anger or surprise.
- Restless Leg Disorder - Restless leg disorder is a condition that usually affects a person during the transition from wakefulness to sleep. It is described as a restless, uncomfortable feeling in the lower legs. Restless leg syndrome can make it very difficult for a person to fall asleep.
- Periodic Limb Movement Disorder - Periodic limb movement disorder is a condition that causes movement of the legs and/or arms during sleep. These movements may cause frequent, brief interruptions of sleep.
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