• Sleeping Stages and Need
• Airway Pressure Advantages
• Sleep Apnea Diagnosing
• Sleep Apnea Causes & treatment
• Sleep Apnea Treatment
• Causes of Excessive Sleepiness
• Child Settling Problems
• Sleep Disorders
• Sleep Disturbances
• Dreams Psychology
• What Happens During Sleep
• Excessive Sleepiness Trouble Shooting
• Common Factors Producing Insomnia
• Family Bed-Sleeping with Baby
• Teach Child Good Sleep Habits
• Know about How Babies Sleep
• How Long to Sleep and Need
• Idiopathic Hypersomnia Reasons
• Insomnia Causes
• Insomnia Treatment
• Insomnia Definition and Cause
• International Health Problem
• Medications Helps Child Sleep Better
• Medications Improves Sleep Cycle
• Hard to Get up in the Morning
• First Move Against Insomnia
• Narcolepsy Sleep Attacks
• How Narcolepsy is Diagnosed
• Know About Night Waking
• Nightmares & Terrors
• Nightmares to Frightened
• Nocturnal Myoclonus Movement
• Restore Normal Breathing During Sleep
• Oral Appliances Treatment Options
• Overcome Common Aging Sleep Problems
• Parasomnia Exam and Tests
• Pre-School Children Problem
• Factors Reducing Treatments Effects
• Restless Legs Syndrome
• School Age Children Sleep Problems
• Sleep Problems for Elders
• Sleep and Aging Problems
• Relief Social Stress by Insomnia
• Sleep Disorder FAQ
• Sleeping Related Glossary

Sleep Disorder FAQ

Q. Sleep disorders can be evaluated and treated.

Ans : Yes, Sleep disorders include many different and some serious medical problems. Serious sleep disorders are evaluated by in-home sleep monitors or occasionally in a sleep disorder lab. Treatments for sleep disorders vary with the cause and can include oxygen at night, changing sleep or work patterns, medications, and rarely, surgery.

Q. Snoring is a sleep disorder.

Ans . Yes, Snoring can cause many problems, not the least of which is stress for the person sleeping with you. Snoring can reflect underlying medical problems. If you feel that your snoring is a problem, see your healthcare provider

Q. Narcolepsy means a person is addicted to narcotics.

Ans . No, Narcolepsy is a serious sleep disorder characterized by sudden and uncontrollable attacks of deep sleep. People with narcolepsy must take extreme care with driving, operating machinery, and water sports.

Q. Sleep apnea is associated with snoring.

Ans . Yes, Sleep apnea is a disorder that occurs while sleeping. It is associated with frequent awakening and snoring. While sleeping, episodes occur where the respiratory muscles stop working for a few seconds. Sleep apnea is a problem that needs proper evaluation and treatment.

Q. If you are having trouble falling asleep, you should ask your healthcare provider for sleeping pills.

Ans . No, there are many things you can do to help fall asleep. Avoid caffeine, exercise every day in the morning, try warm baths, or warm milk before bed. Do not watch TV or do work in bed. Try soft music or meditation to calm yourself before sleep. If none of these work and you have not been able to sleep soundly for more than a few days, seek medical care. Your healthcare provider may be able to determine why you are not sleeping and provide some help.

Q. Waking up too early with inability to return to sleep. Is this any problem?

Ans . This symptom can be due to depression, which if present should prompt consultation with a mental health professional. However, this type of insomnia also can result from many other possible factors that can remain hidden and escape recognition, due to their occurrence in sleep. Evaluation by a sleep medicine specialist may be needed to get at the underlying cause.

Q. Difficulty falling asleep due to repeated "dozing and arousing", or sleep that is too "light" and/or fragmented by repeated awakenings.

Ans . There are many possible medical and physical causes for this group of problems--and some of these causes are potentially serious. Also, it often is impossible to identify these causes by history alone, since most abnormal sleep events that provoke arousals are "over with" by the time the person is fully awake, leaving no clues as to their nature.

Sleep apnea and other breathing disorders occurring in sleep. These problems are extremely common and can prove dangerous, since their complications include heart failure, heart attacks, high blood pressure and strokes. Also, they are particularly likely to be worsened by sleeping pills. Reflux or regurgitation of stomach acid up into the esophagus--which may not even cause symptoms of heartburn. Seizures occurring in sleep. Periodic limb movement syndrome. (plms, formerly called "nocturnal myoclonus") is quite common, particularly in older individuals and in individuals taking medication for depression. It involves repeated upward jerking movements of the toes, ankle, or entire leg at nearly predictable (usually every 20-40 second) intervals in sleep. Bed partners may complain about being kicked repeatedly! People with PLMS may note repeated awakenings, daytime fatigue, or no symptoms at all: in which no treatment may be necessary.

Patients with histories of panic attacks or chronic tension often appear hyperarousable in sleep. In our experience, many of these individuals experience repeated partial arousals from non-REM sleep--with up to several arousals per minute, and often with abrupt increases in pulse, flushing of the face and clenching of the teeth. These arousals, too brief for the person to recall, can result in light, fragmented sleep, daytime sleepiness or both. Some patients even experience attacks of full-blown panic from sleep: with screaming, frantic behaviors and running with serious risk of self-injury, should the individual fail to awaken during the attack.

Individuals who experience the above often seem to be extremely conscientious--perfectionists in an imperfect world. They typically appear to be striving to achieve the impossible, after which they sleep much as if they had "dragged a load of adrenaline to bed with them". We also have noted that many seem to have "two basic speed: off and way too fast"--a number of them swing between extremes of intense work at high speed, followed by exhaustion and fatigue.

Many of the conditions listed in the first group (difficulty falling asleep with full alertness) can also promote light, fragmented sleep with increased arousability. Sometimes bed partner observations can help pinpoint the source of the problem.

Q. If the problem involves inability to fall asleep initially, particularly with "difficulty turning one's head off" .

Ans . Consider obtaining good stress management and relaxation training. Don't go to bed too late. Keep a regular bedtime. Follow good sleep hygiene (contact us for more details). Ensure that any physical symptoms such as pain or shortness of breath receive prompt medical attention.

Dependence on sleeping pills, other drugs and alcohol may warrant professional assistance in their management. Consultation with a sleep medicine specialist may be needed for restless legs syndrome, delayed sleep phase syndrome, and other problems--particularly if persistent.

Q. If early awakenings are the main problem.

Ans . Treatment for depression may be helpful if it is present. If depression is not responsible for the early awakenings, a sleep medicine consultation should be considered to determine their cause. If instead, repeated awakenings and fragmented sleep are being experienced, assessment by a sleep medicine specialist is usually advisable.

Otherwise, the cause of the problem will be likely to escape detection. Some of the possible underlying causes are medically dangerous, and failure to identify them can render effective treatment impossible.