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What are sleep disorders?

Sleep disorders are conditions that impair your sleep or prevent you
from getting restful sleep and, as a result, can cause daytime
sleepiness and other symptoms.
Everyone can experience problems with sleep from time to time.
However, you might have a sleep disorder if:
 You regularly experience difficulty sleeping.
 You are often tired during the day even though you slept for at
least seven hours the night before.
 You have a reduced or impaired ability to perform regular
daytime activities.

Sleep is very important. Not getting enough sleep can have

untoward consequences on school and work performance,
interpersonal relationships, health and safety.
How common are sleep disorders?

How many types of sleep disorders are there?

 There are approximately 80 different types of sleep disorders.
The top ones are:

Circadian Rhythm Disorders

Insomnia
Narcolepsy
Periodic Limb Movement Disorder
Restless Legs Syndrome
 Shift Work Sleep Disorder
Sleep and Aging
Sleep Apnea

How much sleep is necessary? The amount of sleep you need depends on
various factors — especially your age. While sleep needs vary significantly among
individuals, consider these general guidelines for different age groups:

Age group Recommended amount of sleep

Newborns 14 to 17 hours a day

12 months About 10 hours at night, plus 4

hours of naps

2 years About 11 to 12 hours at night, plus

a 1- to 2-hour afternoon nap

3 to 5 years 10 to 13 hours

6 to 13 years 9 to 11 hours

14 to 17 years 8 to 10 hours

Adults 7 to 9 hours

In addition to age, other factors can affect how many hours of sleep you need. For
example:
 Pregnancy. Changes in the body during early pregnancy can increase the
need for sleep.
 Aging. Older adults need about the same amount of sleep as younger
adults. As you get older, however, your sleeping patterns might change.
Older adults tend to sleep more lightly and for shorter time spans than do
younger adults.
  Previous sleep deprivation. If you're sleep deprived, the amount of sleep
you need increases.
 Sleep quality. If your sleep is frequently interrupted, you're not getting
quality sleep. The quality of your sleep is just as important as the quantity

What happens when a person doesn’t get enough sleep?

Not getting the proper amount or quality of sleep leads to more than
just feeling tired. Sleepiness interferes with cognitive function, which
can lead to learning disabilities in children, memory impairment in
people of all ages, personality changes and depression.
People who are deprived of sleep experience difficulty making
decisions, irritability, have problems with performance, and slower
reaction times, placing them at risk for automobile and work-related
accidents. Sleep loss can also adversely affect life by contributing
to the development of obesity, diabetes and heart disease.
Who is more likely to have a sleep disorder?
Disorders associated with daytime sleepiness affect females more
than males.
What causes sleep disorders?
Sleep problems can be caused by various factors. Although causes
might differ, the end result of all sleep disorders is that the body's
natural cycle of slumber and daytime wakefulness is disrupted or
exaggerated. Eight factors include:
 Physical (such as ulcers).
 Medical (such as asthma).
 Psychiatric (such as depression and anxiety disorders).
 Environmental (such as alcohol).
 Working the night shift (this work schedule messes up
“biological clocks.”)
 Genetics (narcolepsy is genetic).
 Medications (some interfere with sleep).
 Aging (about half of all adults over the age of 65 have some
sort of sleep disorder. It is not clear if it is a normal part of
aging or a result of medicines that older people commonly
use).
What are the symptoms of sleep disorders?
You might have a sleep disorder if you experience one or more of
the following symptoms. Do you:
 Fall asleep while driving?
 Struggle to stay awake when inactive, such as when watching
television or reading?
 Have difficulty paying attention or concentrating at work,
school, or home?
 Have performance problems at work or school?
  Often get told by others that you look sleepy?
 Have difficulty with your memory?
 Have slowed responses?
 Have difficulty controlling your emotions?
 Need to take naps almost every day?
 daytime fatigue.
 strong urge to take naps during the day.
 unusual breathing patterns.
 unusual or unpleasant urges to move while falling asleep.
 unusual movement or other experiences while asleep.
 unintentional changes to your sleep/wake schedule.

What is insomnia?
Insomnia is a sleep disorder where people have difficulty falling or
staying asleep. People with insomnia have one or more of the
following symptoms:
 Difficulty falling asleep.
 Waking up often during the night and having trouble going
back to sleep.
 Waking up too early in the morning.
 Having unrefreshing sleep.
 Having at least one daytime problem such as fatigue,
sleepiness, problems with mood, concentration, accidents at
work or while driving, etc. due to poor sleep.
Insomnia varies in how long it lasts and how often it occurs. About
50% of adults experience occasional bouts of insomnia and one in
10 suffer from chronic insomnia. Insomnia can occur by itself or can
be associated with medical or psychiatric conditions. Insomnia can
be short-term (acute or adjustment insomnia) or can last a long
time (chronic insomnia). It can also come and go, with periods of
time when a person has no sleep problems. Acute or adjustment
insomnia can last from one night to a few weeks. Insomnia is called
chronic when a person has insomnia at least three nights a week
for a month or longer.
Short-term or acute insomnia can be caused by life stresses (such
as job loss or change, death of a loved one, or moving), an illness,
or environmental factors such as light, noise, or extreme
temperatures.
Long-term or chronic insomnia (insomnia that occurs at least three
nights a week for at least three months or longer) can be caused by
factors such as depression, chronic stress and pain or discomfort at
night.
A common cause of chronic insomnia is a conditioned emotional
response. Thoughts about the sleep problem (e.g., "What if I don’t
fall asleep tonight?") and behaviors that develop around the sleep
problem (e.g., sleeping in and napping, ruminating in bed) tend to
prolong insomnia symptoms.
What is sleep apnea?
Sleep apnea is a potentially serious sleep disorder that occurs
when a person's breathing is interrupted during sleep. People with
untreated sleep apnea stop breathing repeatedly during their sleep.
There are two types of sleep apnea: obstructive and central.
 Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is the more common of the
two. It is caused by a blockage of the airway, usually when the
soft tissue in the back of the throat collapses during sleep.
Symptoms of OSA may include snoring, daytime sleepiness,
fatigue, restlessness during sleep, gasping for air while
sleeping and trouble concentrating.
 In central sleep apnea (CSA), the airway is not blocked, but
the brain fails to tell the body to breathe. This type is called
central apnea because it is related to the function of the
central nervous system. People with CSA may gasp for air but
mostly report recurrent awakenings during night.
What is restless legs syndrome?
Restless legs syndrome (RLS) is a sleep disorder that causes an
intense, often irresistible urge to move the legs. This sensation is
brought on by resting such as lying down in bed, sitting for
prolonged periods such as while driving or at a theatre. RLS
typically occurs in the evening, making it difficult to fall asleep and
stay asleep. It can be associated with problems with daytime
sleepiness, irritability and concentration. Often, people with RLS
want to walk around and shake their legs to help relieve the
uncomfortable sensation.
What is narcolepsy?
Narcolepsy is a neurological disorder of sleep regulation that affects
the control of sleep and wakefulness. People with narcolepsy
experience excessive daytime sleepiness and intermittent,
uncontrollable episodes of falling asleep during the daytime. These
sudden sleep attacks may occur during any type of activity at any
time of the day. Some patients with narcolepsy experience sudden
muscle weakness with laughter or other emotions.
Narcolepsy usually begins between the ages of 15 and 25, but it
can become apparent at any age. In many cases, narcolepsy is
undiagnosed and, therefore, untreated.

Tips for Better Sleep

Good sleep habits (sometimes referred to as “sleep hygiene”) can help you .

Some habits that can improve your sleep health:

1. Don’t go to bed unless you are sleepy. If you are not sleepy at bedtime, then do something else.
Read a book, listen to soft music or browse through a magazine. Find something relaxing, but not
stimulating, to take your mind off of worries about sleep. This will relax your body and distract your
mind.

2. If you are not asleep after 20 minutes, then get out of the bed. Find something else to do that will
make you feel relaxed. If you can, do this in another room. Your bedroom should be where you go to
sleep. It is not a place to go when you are bored. Once you feel sleepy again, go back to bed.

3. Begin rituals that help you relax each night before bed. This can include such things as a warm
bath, light snack or a few minutes of reading.

4. Get up at the same time every morning. Do this even on weekends and holidays.

5. Get a full night’s sleep on a regular basis. Get enough sleep so that you feel well-rested nearly
every day.

6. Avoid taking naps if you can. If you must take a nap, try to keep it short (less than one hour).
Never take a nap after 3 p.m.

7. Keep a regular schedule. Regular times for meals, medications, chores, and other activities help
keep the inner body clock running smoothly. 2

8. Don’t read, write, eat, watch TV, talk on the phone, or play cards in bed.

9. Do not have any caffeine after lunch.

10. Do not have a beer, a glass of wine, or any other alcohol within six hours of your bedtime

. 11. Do not have a cigarette or any other source of nicotine before bedtime.
12. Do not go to bed hungry, but don’t eat a big meal near bedtime either

. 13. Avoid any tough exercise within six hours of your bedtime. You should exercise on a regular
basis, but do it earlier in the day. (Talk to your doctor before you begin an exercise program.)

14. Avoid sleeping pills, or use them cautiously. Most doctors do not prescribe sleeping pills for
periods of more than three weeks. Do not drink alcohol while taking sleeping pills.

15. Try to get rid of or deal with things that make you worry. If you are unable to do this, then find a
time during the day to get all of your worries out of your system. Your bed is a place to rest, not a
place to worry. Make your bedroom quiet, dark, and a little bit cool. An easy way to remember this:
it should remind you of a cave. While this may not sound romantic, it seems to work for bats. Bats
are champion sleepers. They get about

Treatments & Service

 Sleep Testing
 PAP Therapy
 Sleep Skills Group


Sleep disorder treatment guide

 In patients with poor quality sleep or daytime sleepiness, the first step toward a better
night's sleep is a comprehensive evaluation by a Sleep Disorders specialist. Your
physician may recommend testing with an overnight and/or daytime sleep study.
Once your disorder is diagnosed, a treatment plan will be designed specifically for
you. Your sleep study reports will be analysed by a qualified sleep technician and a
sleep medicine specialist for diagnosing your disorder

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