Archive for the 'Sleep Related Disorders' Category

Some people with epilepsy get seizures when they are awake, some get while asleep and some of them have mixture of both.

Forty different types of seizures are present and some of them occur in certain sleep stages.

Therefore, it is important to discuss with your doctor and give complete information as possible.

Take your partner along with you to the doctor so that they can also explain about the symptoms of seizures and when they occur.

Partners can observe the seizures rather than you and their information can help to prescribe correct medications and treatment.

Seizures and stages of sleep:

In NREM sleep, your breathing will be regular and there will be only little body movement. This usually accounts for 75 percent of your sleeping time. During NREM sleep, generalized seizures are more likely to occur.

In REM sleep, there will be eye movement, frequent twitching of face, arms and legs, and increased and irregular breathing. REM sleep can last from few minutes to half an hour. Partial seizures are more likely to occur in REM sleep.

People suffer from sleep problems frequently, especially in people who have experienced traumatic events, natural disasters or violence.

People exposed to physical or psychological traumatic events develop a condition known as post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

Sleep is one of the many problems of PTSD. Sleep problems, such as frequent waking, difficulty in falling asleep, distressing dreams and nightmares are common in people with PTSD.

Severe trauma physically and psychologically can cause changes in basic biological functioning of a person. As a result of trauma, the person may look out for protection from danger. Therefore, it will become difficult to have a restful sleep when you feel the need to be always alert.

Sleep problems associated with post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD):

Difficulty falling asleep:

As a result of trauma, biological changes occur, making it difficult for you to fall asleep. Watchfulness or hyper-arousal will be always present making it hard to sleep. You will always be awake to protect yourself from danger.

Some medical conditions associated with post traumatic stress disorder can make it difficult for you to sleep. The conditions can be pelvic problems, chronic pain, stomach and digestive problems. Using drugs and alcohol are also associated with difficulty in sleeping.

Sleep related breathing disorder is a major problem affecting children and adults.

Pauses during sleep can cause sleep related breathing disorder, which include sleep apnea [Sleep apnea information], snoring, central hypoventilation, and periodic breathing.

The usual cause for the obstruction of breathing is large tonsils and adenoids. Removal of these tissues is essential if the patient is having sleep related breathing disorders. Tonsillectomy and adenoidectomy are the two surgeries that remove the tissues of tonsils and adenoids.

These surgeries help to treat sleep apnea in children and adults, snoring and other breathing disorders. The surgeries take about sixty minutes and are performed under general anesthesia.

Children with sleep related breathing disorders:

If the child is diagnosed with sleep related breathing disorders, his/her tonsils and adenoids should be removed with surgery to sleep better. If the disorders are not treated in children, it can lead to hyperactive behavior, learning problems, bed wetting, headaches and daytime sleepiness.

The surgeon removes the tonsils in the child through open mouth without cutting the child’s skin. With series of incisions, tonsils can be removed and then blood vessels are cauterized. If the child has bleeding, he will be taken immediately to the operating room.

SAD (seasonal affective disorder) is a disorder that occurs to changing seasons with changing moods and behavior. People sleep less in winter and dislike the dark mornings and short days. In some people, the symptoms may be severe enough to disrupt their lives.

The main problem of SAD is lack of bright light in winter. People who live or work in basements or poorly lighted environments are the main persons to be affected.

Effects of seasonal affective disorder:

• People with SAD oversleep, but not refreshed, not able to get out of bed and need an afternoon nap.
• They have cravings on carbohydrates, which leads to weight gain.
• They become too lethargic and tired to cope.

Getting too little sleep or poor quality sleep leads to have worse blood sugar control. Whether sleep deprivation makes diabetes worse or diabetes interferes with sleep, diabetes patients should get enough sleep.

Diabetes linked to sleep problems and vice-versa:

People with diabetes have problems in controlling their blood sugar levels if they get insufficient sleep. Mostly, in type 2 diabetes the sleep problems are common.

ype 2 diabetes is characterized by poor blood sugar control that does not result from low levels of insulin, but results from lack of sensitivity of cells to receive glucose.

Most people do not concentrate on allergies they suffer which cause sleep problems.

Children and adults who have allergies experience fragmented sleep rather than continuous sleep.

As a result, these people suffer from sleep problems as their quantity and quality of sleep is reduced.

Allergies can be seasonal allergy or occupational allergy. Hay fever and allergic rhinitis are the allergies that make harder to get good night sleep.

If you suffer from these allergies, you are twice likely to suffer from sleep problems.

Allergies occur when you are exposed to pollen, dust mites, pet dander, and other house hold dust. These allergy factors cause irritation in the nasal passages and symptoms such as runny nose, sneezing and watery eyes occur.

In some people, inhaling allergens can cause sleep disturbed wheezing. The reason is constriction of bronchioles that carry air to your lungs. Due to the constriction, air flow is reduced and results in wheezing as air moves through these tubes.

While allergies cause sleep problems, the medications you take for allergies cause grogginess or fatigue. According to the latest research, patients who took sedating anti-histamines have more problems while driving the vehicle than when they consume alcohol.

Suffering with nocturnal asthma? Nocturnal asthma occurs at night when you are sleeping.

You will get asthma attacks between midnight and early morning.

The pulmonary lung functions will be at lowest level in between these timings.

The reason is cortisol and epinephrine circulating blood levels, which protect you against asthma, will be at lowest levels.

Nocturnal asthma occurs due to your body’s circadian rhythms (Circadian Rhythm Disorders). If you have heartburn, lying down can make heartburn and asthma symptoms worse.

If you get nocturnal asthma regularly, it indicates that you have severe asthma condition. When you have nocturnal asthma, you will be awakening during the night. Once you are awakened, your sleep will be disturbed and can result in daytime sleepiness.

Causes of nocturnal asthma! One of the causes of nocturnal asthma is if a person works at night and sleeps during the day, he suffers more likely nocturnal asthma in daytime.

The other reason is melatonin, which enhances the allergic airway inflammation making nocturnal asthma attacks more likely.

The other causes of asthma at nighttime include pollen, dust mites, pet dander, and cockroach debris. Exposing to dust mites in the bedroom during nighttime is one of the main causes of nocturnal asthma.