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Approximately 40% of Americans will experience a sleep disorder at some point in their lives, the most common being insomnia, sleep apnea, restless legs syndrome, and narcolepsy.

INSOMNIA

Insomnia is a very prevalent disorder where an individual is unable to sleep for a sufficient amount of time. Short-term insomnia is often due to an excess of caffeine, jet lag, or stress, and can usually be prevented simply by avoiding caffeine, improving sleep habits, or taking sleep-promoting medications. Longer-term insomnia is a more serious problem, that is often a side-effect of a more serious psychiatric disorder such as depression, which should be the focus of treatment.

SLEEP APNEA

Individuals with sleep apnea experience pauses of breathing during sleep, which causes them to wake up many times during the night. As a result of this, less time is spent in REM sleep and loud snoring often occurs. In mild cases, lifestyle changes such as losing weight, quitting smoking, and limiting caffeine consumption can improve symptoms. In more severe situations, sleep apnea can be treated with continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP), where a mask is worn during sleep, oral appliances to keep the throat open in the night, or surgery to remove the apnea-causing throat tissue.

RESTLESS LEGS SYNDROME

Restless legs syndrome is another sleep disorder that is characterized by an unpleasant tingling sensation in one or both legs, causing them to "twitch" to obtain relief. This can occur more often when a person is lying down for a period of time, leading to an interrupted night of sleep. In mild cases, reducing caffeine intake, massaging the legs or soaking them in hot water can help alleviate the problem. In serious cases, medications such as benzodiazepines (or more recently dopamine agonists) may be prescribed.

NARCOLEPSY

Finally, narcolepsy is a serious sleep disorder where individuals have periods during the day in which they enter REM sleep unexpectedly without going through non-REM sleep. Patients with narcolepsy are often treated with stimulants such as Ritalin, amphetamines, or modafanil.

INFANT AND TODDLER SLEEP DISORDERS

Children can experience the same range of sleep disorders as adults, however they are often more difficult to identify because sleep patterns of young children are generally different than adults. For instance, newborns do not have mature REM sleep patterns, and they typically sleep equal amounts in the day and the night, and only as they mature do they start sleeping primarily during the night. This can be disruptive to the parent's sleep schedule and often can cause worry. Consult a doctor to determine whether your child's sleep is normal or a result of a sleep disorder.

SLEEP DISORDER CENTERS

If you or your children are experiencing any of these sleep disorders, there are many resources available to offer information on symptoms and potential treatments. Sleep disorder centers are particularly useful in identifying problems. Visit http://www.sleepcenters.org/ to find an accredited sleep disorder center near you.

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