Multiple: Sleep Disorders

Sleep disorders are a group of health problems that include difficulty falling or staying asleep, falling asleep at inappropriate times, excessive total sleep time, or abnormal behaviors associated with sleep. Doctors generally classify sleep disorders into three broad categories: those that involve either sleeping too much or not getting enough sleep; those that involve sleepwalking, nightmares, and other forms of arousal from sleep; and those related to medical or psychiatric conditions that affect sleep.

The first category—disturbances in the amount of sleep—include narcolepsy, sleep apnea, and restless legs syndrome. Another type of sleep disorder in this category is jet lag, which is caused by changes in the person's normal sleep/wake cycle resulting from travel across several time zones. Older adults sometimes have trouble getting enough sleep because their sleep/wake cycle does not work as well as it did when they were younger.

Medical and psychiatric conditions that are associated with sleep disorders include alcoholism, depression, panic disorder, schizophrenia, and posttraumatic stress disorder.

Most adults need about eight hours of sleep to feel fully alert during their waking hours. Teenagers need even more—8.5–9 hours of sleep per night. Getting help for a sleep disorder is important because lost sleep can affect physical coordination (including safe driving) as well as emotions and the ability to pay attention and think clearly.

SEE ALSO Alcoholism; Depression; Narcolepsy; Panic disorder; Posttraumatic stress disorder; Restless legs syndrome; Schizophrenia; Sleep apnea