Sleep disorders

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Irregular sleep

Sleep patterns in the young and aged

Narcolepsy is a condition of daytime sleep attacks as well as other features that may include sleep paralysis and hypnagogic hallucinations (hallucinations that happen at the time between wakefullness and sleep). Sleep attacks occur despite adequate sleep at night. A person with narcolepsy may suddenly fall asleep in any situation, without warning.

Restless leg syndrome is characterized by an uncomfortable sensation, usually in the legs, that occurs primarily at night and when a person is relaxed. The uncomfortable sensation diminishes when the legs are moved. This is commonly associated with periodic limb movement disorder, in which a patient has limb movements during sleep. It usually causes insomnia and may cause daytime sleepiness.

PROBLEMS WITH ADHERING TO A REGULAR SLEEP SCHEDULE

Problems may also occur when maintaining a consistent sleep and wake schedule is disrupted. This occurs when traveling between times zones and with shift workers on rotating schedules, particularly nighttime workers.

Sleep disruption disorders include:

• Sleep state misperception (the person actually sleeps a different amount than they think they do)
• Shift work sleep disorder
• Natural short sleeper (the person sleeps less hours than normal but suffers no ill effects)
• Chronic time-zone-change syndrome
• Irregular sleep-wake syndrome

SLEEP-DISRUPTIVE BEHAVIORS

Abnormal behaviors during sleep are called parasomnias and are fairly common in children. They include:

• Sleep terror disorder
• Sleep walking
• REM behavior disorder (a type of psychosis related to lack of REM sleep and lack of dreaming)

Sleep terror disorder is an abrupt awakening from sleep with fear, sweating, rapid heart rate, and confusion. Sleepwalking is usually not remembered by the person doing it, and usually affects children 2 to 12 years old.

In adults, sleepwalking may also be caused by an organic brain syndrome, reactions to drugs, psychological disorders, and certain medical conditions.

Review Date: 07/25/2006
Reviewed By: Paul Ballas, D.O., Department of Psychiatry, Thomas Jefferson University Hospital, Philadelphia, PA. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.