List of Sleep Disorders That Can Affect Mental and Physical Health

Sleep is a major part of our lives, an activity in which we spend one third of our lives doing. It is important for our health, however, there are a list of sleep disorders including insomnia that can have significant consequences on both our mental and physical health. This pages provides some facts about sleep and lists signs of insomnia and other sleep disorders.

Sleep Facts

Although there continues to be debate about its function, studies indicate that sleep has an impact on a large array of physiological processes in our body. In fact it plays a crucial role in all our physiological systems, enhancing the growth and repair of our immune, nervous, muscular, cardiovascular, endocrine and skeletal system. It is the body's antidote to the damage done to our bodies during the course of the day, replenishing our immune system, eliminating harmful free radicals, and warding off heart disease and mood problems. Research also suggests that sleep is involved in memory processing, the consolidation of learning, mental relaxation, and the regulation of important hormones. When someone experiences one of the problems listed in the list of sleep disorders below, ill-health often results.

How Much Sleep Do We Need?

Studies show that the average person sleeps approximately 6.8 hours per night on weeknights and 7.4 hours per night on weekends. Although most experts recommend approximately 8 hours of sleep per day some people can function with less while others require more. The level of sleep required to maintain good health usually varies from 5 to 10 hours.

All things considered, 7 to 9 hours is the target optimal level for most people, however, a person's physical and mental health status should be the primary indicator for how much sleep someone needs. Another good indicator is the length of time it takes to fall asleep. Generally people getting enough sleep fall asleep in 10 to 20 minutes while those who are sleep deprived fall asleep in less than 5 minutes (that's if they don't have a sleep disorder preventing them from falling asleep). If someone regularly falls asleep while sitting, reading, watching TV, travelling in the car or during other daily activities, sleep deprivation may also be a problem.

List of Sleep Disorders

Sleep disorders are a common problem experienced by children through to adults, with prevalence rates varying from 10 to 40%.

A list of sleep disorders can be placed into two categories: dyssomnias and parasomnias. Dyssomnias are conditions characterised by difficulty in falling asleep, maintaining sleep, or by excessive sleepiness during the day. Parasomnias are behavioural abnormalities that occur during sleep. A brief description of the various sleep disorders are outlined below:

Dyssomnias

Insomnia- the inability either to fall asleep or to remain asleep during the course of the night. Insomnia can be further classified into:

o        Sleep onset insomnia- taking more than 30 minutes to fall asleep, followed by a relatively normal night of sleep.

o        Sleep maintenance insomnia- waking up one or more times during the course of the night and taking more than 30 minutes to fall back asleep after each awakening.

o        Early-morning awakening insomnia- waking up before sunrise and not getting back to sleep.

Sleep Apnoea- this is the experience of the intermittent cessation of breathing. The most common form of this condition is obstructive sleep apnoea, in which the air passages become blocked, causing respiratory distress.

Restless Legs Syndrome- the feeling of creeping, crawling, prickling, burning, itching, or tugging sensations in the legs while resting or sitting for extended periods of time. Sometimes the arms may be affected as well.

Periodic Limb Movement Disorder- This often coexists with restless legs syndrome and is characterised by sudden, involuntary, and repetitive leg jerking that occurs at the onset of sleep as well as during the course of sleep.

Narcolepsy- a chronic sleep disorder in which patients experience daytime sleepiness so extreme that they fall asleep at inappropriate times for anywhere from a few seconds to 30 minutes.

Delayed Sleep Phase Syndrome- a condition in which the person chronically stays up quite late, usually until 3 to 4am, and then sleeps all morning, getting up at 10 to 11am.

Advanced Sleep Phase Syndrome- a condition in which the person falls asleep very early in the evening, usually between 6 and 9pm, and wakes up before sunrise, sometimes as early as 1am.

Hypersomnia- a collection of sleep disorders in which someone sleeps too much, either for prolonged periods at night or during the day.

Parasomnias

Sleepwalking- involves the action of walking during the night (usually during stage 4 sleep), typically lasting between 5 and 15 minutes.

Night Terrors- the experience of suddenly letting out a piercing scream or cry during sleep. Some people can even leap out of bed, run out of the house, or do harm to themselves or others. The sufferer usually has no recollection of the event.

REM Behaviour Disorder- during REM sleep (when our muscles normally become paralysed) the sufferer physically engages in their dream without being actively conscious of their behaviour.

Rhythmic Movement Disorder- this involves the actions of head banging, head rolling, body rocking, body rolling or other repetitive movements during sleep.

Bruxism- this consists of the grinding of teeth during sleep. 

Sleep is important for our health, however problems with sleep is common. This page provides a list of sleep disorders, along with some facts about sleep. If you are suffering from sleep problems, do seek professional support.

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