Sleep Deprivation  Article Reprint

Original Article: http://www.sleep-deprivation.com/articles/types-of-sleep-disorder/disrupted-sleep/index.php

 

Causes of Disrupted Sleep

Disrupted sleep is a general term that refers to any condition in which sleep doesn’t follow its normal cycle and/or a particular cycle doesn’t last as long as it should. Because of the general nature of the term "disrupted sleep," the causes of disorders that fall into this category are varied. Some of the common risk factors associated with disrupted sleep include:
  • diet
  • drug and alcohol use
  • exercise patterns
  • mood disorders, such as depression
  • sleep environment
  • snoring
  • use of prescription medication

As a result, identifying the underlying cause of disrupted sleep is key to finding the proper treatment and getting sleep patterns back on track. Without treatment, disrupted sleep can cause people to suffer from:

  • blurry vision
  • exhaustion
  • irritability
  • mood swings
  • poor memory
  • trouble learning.

Over time, if disrupted sleep persists, patients can develop more serious conditions that include hypertension and heart disease.

In this section, we will discuss the various types of disrupted sleep disorders. Our articles explain the causes, symptoms and treatments for each type of disrupted sleep.

Sleep Apnea

Sleep apnea is a type of sleep disorder in which a person periodically stops breathing (skipping at least one breath or more) while they sleep. Apnea, a term that literally translates to "without breath," is medically defined as a period of at least 10 seconds without breathing that is accompanied by a specific EEG (electroencephalography, a test of electric brain activity) reading and/or desaturation of oxygen in the blood.

Each case of sleep apnea is categorized as either central or obstructive. While central sleep apnea is characterized by patients who stop breathing because they aren’t making an effort to breath, obstructive sleep apnea refers to cases in which patients are making an effort to breathe, but breathing is disrupted due to some physical blockage of airflow.

Daytime drowsiness and fatigue are the most common symptoms of sleep apnea. Because these symptoms are so general, cases of sleep apnea are frequently undiagnosed or misdiagnosed. Keep reading to learn more about how sleep is disrupted with sleep apnea.

RLS & PLMD

Restless leg syndrome (RLS) and periodic limb movement disorder (PLMD) are two conditions that cause disrupted sleep. While RLS causes discomfort throughout the legs that prevents a person from falling asleep, PLMD is characterized by involuntary movements during sleep that affect the sleep cycle.
 
Although people who suffer from RLS tend to also have PLMD, those with PLMD typically don’t also have RLS. Read on to learn more about the relationship between disrupted sleep, RLS and PLMD.

DSPS

Delayed sleep phase syndrome (DSPS) refers to sleep disorders that revolve around the timing of sleep. DSPS patients tend to go to sleep extremely late and then experience difficulty waking up. Although those with DSPS tend to fall asleep in the wee hours of the morning, no matter when they lie down, they consistently fall asleep at the same time.

DSPS tends to start in adolescence and may correct itself as a person reaches adulthood. Treatment options for DSPS that tend to involve changing the sleep environment, altering diet and exercise habits and examining and adjusting other aspects of one’s lifestyle, such as a medication regimen and caffeine intake. While these treatments can help DSPS, the condition itself is not curable. Keep reading to learn more about DSPS.

Resources

Periodic Limb Movement Disorder (2007). Retrieved July 3, 2007 from Web site: http://www.sleepscene.com/plmd.htm.