Sleep Disorder
Sleep Disorder
Sleep disorders are conditions that interfere with a person’s ability to get a good night’s sleep by impacting the amount or quality of sleep. Even though they are common, sleep disorders should be taken seriously because poor sleep can affect your physical and emotional health and even pose serious safety risks.
Driving while sleepy, for example, is sometimes compared to driving drunk because poor sleep can impact your concentration, coordination, and reaction time. Getting behind the wheel after being awake for over 18 hours impairs driving ability to the same degree that a blood alcohol content (BAC) of 0.05% would, and being awake for 24 hours is comparable to getting behind the wheel with a BAC of 0.10%, which is higher than the legal limit in every state.
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Types of Sleep Disorder
“Sleep disorders” is a broad term that includes many distinct conditions that can range in severity from mild to severe. Here are a few of the sleep-wake disorders defined in the DSM-5, the current diagnostic manual that mental health professionals use to identify and diagnose mental disorders.
Insomnia
Insomnia is the most common sleep disorder, affecting as many as 35% of adults. Insomnia is a sleep disorder in which a person has trouble falling asleep or staying asleep, which can either mean waking up throughout the night or waking too early in the morning. Many people who suffer from depression or anxiety disorders such as General Anxiety Disorder suffer from insomnia.
Hypersomnia
Hypersomnia is a sleep disorder in which a person sleeps too much. This can present as extreme daytime drowsiness or sleeping for too much of the day. Many people who suffer from anxiety and depressive disorders like Major Depressive Disorder may also experience hypersomnia.
Narcolepsy
Narcolepsy is a sleep disorder in which a person may fall asleep very suddenly during the day. During a cataplectic attack, a person may lose control of their facial expression, droop their head, or even collapse completely. People with narcolepsy also experience other sleep-related symptoms, such as daytime sleepiness, disrupted nighttime sleep, and sleep paralysis.
Nightmare disorder
Nightmare disorder is a sleep disorder in which a person experiences extended episodes of distressing, extremely dysphoric dreams. These nightmares can be so severe that they impact the individual’s ability to go to work, maintain social relations, or otherwise function normally in their day-to-day life.
People who are suffering from another mental disorder causing nightmares – such as anxiety disorders like Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder – do not meet the criteria for nightmare disorder.
Restless Leg Syndrome (RLS)
As the name suggests, Restless Leg Syndrome (RLS) is a sleep disorder characterized by the urge to move one’s legs, particularly in the evening. This urge can interfere with a person’s ability to fall or stay asleep.