Obstructive Sleep Apnea
Sleep Apnea is a condition whereby one stops breathing during sleep. Apnea is derived from the Greek word meaning "want of breath". Sleep Apnea is typically caused by an obstruction in the upper airway. This obstruction can be in the nasal passages (enlarged turbinates, deviated septum, etc) or oral airway (enlarged tonsils, enlarged adenoids, enlarged tongue, soft palate, retrognathia (recessed chin), micrognathia (small chin), or an enlarged uvula). There are various forms of treatment for Sleep Apnea such as CPAP (Continuous Positive Airway Pressure), surgery, dental devices, weight loss, and/or positional therapy.
Read more about Obstructive Sleep Apnea.
Read more about treatments.
Insomnia
There are various forms of insomnia. Some people may experience difficulty initiating sleep while others may experience difficulty maintaining sleep. Some may report difficulty both with initiating and maintaining sleep. Insomnia is defined as difficulty in sleeping that may be acute (lasting 7 days or less), subacute (> 7 days < one month), or chronic (one month or longer).
Read more about Insomnia.
Periodic Limb Movements Disorder (PLMD)
PLMD is classified as a movement disorder that occurs only during sleep. It is characterized by a jerking movement of either the legs and/or arms. These movements are oftentimes subtle jerks lasting anywhere from half a second to no greater than five seconds in duration that may or may not cause arousals during sleep. These arousals may cause interruptions in one’s quality of sleep resulting in excessive daytime sleepiness. Treatment for PLMD usually involves medication.
Read more about PLMD.
Restless Legs Syndrome (RLS)
This movement disorder is similar to PLMD, but only occurs before sleep onset oftentimes causing insomnia. It may be an indescribable feeling, but it has also been characterized by creeping, crawling, aching, twitching and the urge to constantly move one's legs. Some patients who complain of restless legs syndrome, also complain of leg movements in sleep. Generally patients with restless legs have to massage/rub, march or walk the sensations off. These symptoms may also occur during the day and are sometimes described as 'active legs.' Treatment for RLS usually involves medication.
Read more about RLS
Narcolepsy
Narcolepsy is characterized by at least one of the following: (1) excessive sleepiness (2) cataplexy (3) sleep paralysis and (4) hypnagogic/hypnopompic hallucinations. This severity of this sleep disorder ranges from barely noticeable to disabling. The patient would undergo an overnight sleep study in the lab followed by a next day Multiple Sleep Latency Test (MSLT). The MSLT is a series of nap studies. Each nap lasts approximately 15-35 minutes, with approximately 1.5-2 hour breaks in between. Treatment for Narcolepsy always involves medication.
Read more about Narcolepsy.
Parasomnias
Parasomnias are disorders of arousal, partial arousal, or sleep stage transition. They represent episodic disorders such as sleep walking (somnambulism), night terrors, REM sleep behavior disorder, nocturnal seizures and enuresis.
|
|