what is a sleep disorder and how do people catch it? what is primary insomnia and how does it relate to sleep disorder?
what are some behaviors that indicate someone has a sleeping disorder?
how can they be observed in a experiment setting? Sleep disorders are NOT contagious, you can't catch it. Insomnia is one of several sleep disorders.
Sleep Disorders and there primary symptoms:
"Insomnia is a significant lack of high-quality sleep. It can be short-term or chronic. Insomnia may be caused by stress, a change in time zones or sleep schedule, poor bedtime habits, or an underlying medical or psychiatric condition.
Symptoms include:
Difficulty falling asleep despite being tired
Requiring sleeping pills or alcohol to fall asleep
Awakening frequently during the night or lying awake in the middle of the night
Awakening too early in the morning despite not feeling refreshed
Daytime drowsiness, fatigue, and irritability
In most cases, insomnia can be helped by improving bedtime habits, relieving stress, and relaxation exercises. However, certain medications may be prescribed by your doctor if these alternative treatments do not have the desired effect.
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Sleep apnea is a common disorder that can be very serious, and even life-threatening. In sleep apnea, your breathing stops or gets very shallow while you are sleeping. Each pause in breathing typically lasts 10 to 20 seconds or more. These pauses can occur 20 to 30 times or more an hour.
The most common type of sleep apnea is obstructive sleep apnea. During sleep, enough air cannot flow into your lungs through your mouth and nose, even though you try to breathe. When this happens, the amount of oxygen in your blood may drop. Normal breaths then start again with a loud snort or choking sound.
Symptoms can be quite scary - frequent waking episodes at night, usually accompanied by a feeling of 鈥渃hoking鈥?or gasping for air. Significant others or roommates of those with sleep apnea often report hearing gasping, gagging, or choking sounds from their partners. The severity of this disorder makes treatment essential. Treatment may include behavioral changes, physical and mechanical devices, and in some cases, surgery.
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Restless legs syndrome (RLS) is a sensory disorder causing an almost irresistible urge to move the legs. The urge to move the legs is usually due to uncomfortable, tingly, or creeping sensations that occur when at rest. Movement eases the feelings, but only for a while.
RLS is not necessarily confined to your sleep time. Symptoms most often occur when you are relaxed or lying down. You may also notice small, jerky movements of the toes, feet, and legs as you are trying to fall asleep.
Restless legs syndrome (RLS) is a sensory disorder causing an almost irresistible urge to move the legs. The urge to move the legs is usually due to uncomfortable, tingly, or creeping sensations that occur when at rest. Movement eases the feelings, but only for a while.
RLS is not necessarily confined to your sleep time. Symptoms most often occur when you are relaxed or lying down. You may also notice small, jerky movements of the toes, feet, and legs as you are trying to fall asleep."
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"How sleep centers diagnose sleep disorders
If your physician refers you to a sleep center, a team of sleep specialists will use the latest technology to monitor you while you sleep. You will be given a private room, where a technician will attach a variety of monitoring devices to your body once you are ready for bed. Sleep specialists, who are on premises studying several patients at any given time, will observe your sleep patterns using these devices, which monitor brain waves, heart rate, rapid eye movements, and more. While sleeping with a bunch of wires attached to you might seem difficult, most patients find they fall asleep very easily.
The next morning, the technician will remove all the monitoring devices, and you will be able to go straight to work or on to your daily activities. The sleep specialists will analyze the results from your sleep study, and either they or your referring physician will set up a time with you to go over these results, and design a treatment program if necessary. A sleep center can also provide you with equipment to monitor your activities (awake and asleep) at home."
I think that answers all your questions. The above information came from the link below and there is a lot more information there as well. I hope that helps. I personally have insomnia and restless legs syndrome and take medications for both. |
