Sleeping disorders are characterized as marked difficulty in falling asleep or unusual sleeping patterns over a persistent time period. While some people may face difficulty falling asleep at regular intervals, this cannot entirely amount to sleeping disorders. There are a number of factors that amalgamate to form a sleeping disorder. These include lifestyle choices, diet, and other habits. Sleep disorders can be dangerous if they are not tackled head-on. Sleep is essential to the proper functioning of the human body. A healthy adult needs about 7-8 hours of sleep every night. People who suffer from sleep disorders fail to get even a few hours of sleep hence their bodies start to break down. When we sleep, our body is essentially repairing itself and carrying out the many processes which it can’t when we are awake.
Insomnia
Insomnia is of two types, one type is situational which may be related to stressful situations such as ill health or emotionally stressful situations in a person’s life. Another type is chronic insomnia which can last a long time. The numbers for both the types vary; about 1 in 10 people experience acute or situational insomnia. Acute insomnia is characterized by sleepless nights that last from one to several weeks. In contrast, chronic insomnia is when a person is unable to fall asleep for more than 3 nights a week for more than a month.
Apnea
Another type of serious sleep disorder is sleep apnea. This occurs when a person has breathing problems which either does not let him sleep at all or the person suddenly wakes up trying to grasp his breath.
Narcolepsy is a neurological disorder of sleep regulation that affects the control of sleep and wakefulness. People with narcolepsy experience excessive daytime sleepiness and intermittent, uncontrollable episodes of falling asleep during the daytime
