Sleep Center | Sleep Disorders | Self-Quiz

Sleep Center

Common Sleep Disorders

For many people, sleep can be a problem. Your night’s sleep directly affects the quality of your life. Most sleep disorders can be treated. This may make the difference between you suffering needlessly and may improve the quality of your life. Some examples of common sleep disorders are:

• Sleep Apnea
• Insomnia
• Restless Leg Syndrome
• Narcolepsy
• Periodic Leg Movements

Sleep Apnea
This is a condition in which an obstruction of the airway results in pauses in breathing during sleep. Sleep apnea is a serious medical condition, if not treated it can lead to many life threatening illnesses such as high blood pressure, stroke, or heart attack.

Insomnia
This is a condition in which the ability to fall asleep and stay asleep is impaired. It is one of the most common sleep problems. Insomnia can be cause by a variety of physical and/or psychological problems.

Restless Leg Syndrome
This condition is characterized by uncomfortable crawling sensations felt inside the person’s legs when at rest. Often the person has to get up and walk around to obtain relief.

Narcolepsy
This is a condition in which excessive daytime sleepiness occurs regardless of the amount of sleep a person received the previous night. Persons with narcolepsy can also suffer from the other sleep conditions. They can experience sleep paralysis, terrifying dreams or hallucinations just before falling asleep or upon awakening.

Periodic Leg Movements
This condition is characterized by movements that are often subtle but can be violent. A person is rarely aware of their own nightly leg movements. Most people who suffer from this disorder complain of excessive daytime sleepiness and awaken feeling un-refreshed.