Do You have a

The word Insomnia comes from latin word in(no) and somnus(sleep). It literally means ‘no sleep’ or inability to sleep. Insomnia is an experience of inadequate or poor quality of sleep usually seen with one or more of the following complaints:

Impact

This affects general well-being, health and decreases the quality of life. It can increase risk for serious medical diseases such as:

Main Causes

Insomnia is caused by number of factors:

How to Identify Insomnia Symptoms

Possible Treatment

This is an interruption in breathing during sleep. There is narrowing of the breathing passage leading to partial or complete closure.

Common Symptoms

Impact on Health if left untreated

How can one diagnose if they have Sleep Apnea

Ans- A Sleep study is performed while one sleeps; it requires 7-8 hours of monitoring and recording body functions while sleeping. Various sensors are applied to collect information about breathing, snoring, heart rate, oxygen in the blood, brain activity. The data that is collected is analysed to understand the sleep pattern and breathing pattern.

Possible Treatment

For severe Obstructive Sleep Apnea, it requires specific treatment which consists of following measures

Parasomnias are a class of sleep disorders that cause abnormal movements and behaviors during sleep. The Symptoms include:

Causes

Parasomnias often run in families, so there may be a genetic factor. Brain disorders may also be responsible for some parasomnias, such as some cases of REM sleep behavior disorder. Parasomnias can also be triggered by other sleep disorders, such as obstructive sleep apnea and various medications.

Diagnosis

The sleep medicine specialist may want to examine your sleep using an in-lab sleep study. Also known as a  polysomnogram , a sleep study charts your brain waves, heart beat and breathing as you sleep. It also looks at how your arms and legs move and records your behavior during sleep on video. This will help show if you get out of bed and do anything unusual during your sleep study.

Desire to walk around or massage legs or get someone to press them or tie a cloth around your legs to relive the symptoms.

Cause

RLS can be causes by certain medical conditions and medications.

Treatment

RLS can be improved by changes in behaviour or treated with medication.

Narcolepsy is characterized by “sleep attacks” that occur during the day. This means that you will suddenly feel extremely tired and fall asleep without warning. The disorder can also cause sleep paralysis, which may make you physically unable to move right after waking up. Although narcolepsy may occur on its own, it is also associated with certain neurological disorders, such as multiple sclerosis.

Causes

The exact cause is unknown, but narcolepsy may be an inherited autoimmune disease that leads to a deficiency in hypocretin, or orexin, a chemical the brain needs to stay awake. There may be a genetic disposition, which means it runs in families.

Diagnosis

To determine if a person has narcolepsy, a thorough medical and sleep history, physical exam, and sleep studies, such as a polysomnography and multiple sleep latency test, need to be done.

Ans-  If your sleep/day has been disturbed for more than a month and interferes with the way you feel or function during the day you should consult the sleep specialist.

Tips to Improve Your Sleep