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A-Z of sleeping disorders

Dead man (or woman) walking? If a sleep disorder is disrupting your life, read on.

In Australia, sleeping disorders is a large, under-recognised problem – one that has a significant impact on people’s productivity and quality of life.

In 2010 an estimated 1.5 million Australians suffered from a sleep disorder, according to the 2011 Deloitte Access Economics report. What this means is that 8.9% of the population are affected – mostly by obstructive sleep apnoea, primary insomnia and restless leg syndrome.

Are you affected by a sleep disorder? Brush up on the facts.

1. Sleeplessness
Sleeplessness (insomnia) is the most common sleeping disorder and most people suffer from it at some point in their lives, says psychiatrist Dr Frans Hugo.

Stress, poor diet, hormonal changes, underlying illness and jet lag are the most common causes. Age also plays a role. and more women than men struggle with sleeplessness after middle age.

According to Dr Hugo, 90% of sleeplessness can be treated without medication. “I always tell my patients Randy Gardner’s record is 11 days, so you know you’re going to sleep after two weeks because, at some stage, your sleep debt will be so huge you’ll simply drift off.”

Good sleep habits are as good as any pill when it comes to conquering insomnia, he says. Sleeping pills are a temporary solution at best because, within a few days, the brain “unlearns” how to sleep.

“When you’re on medication, your sleep ‘architecture’ is different. You have less REM sleep and your memory patterns are less firmly fixed,” Dr Hugo says.

Before popping a sleeping pill, ask yourself how long you’re planning to take them because some medications – especially benzodiazepam sleeping pills such as Valium – are addictive.

2. Sleep apnoea
If you believe snoring isn’t dangerous, think again. In some cases it’s a symptom of sleep apnoea, which can be life-threatening.

Sleep apnoea (when you stop breathing for short periods while sleeping) is one of the most undiagnosed medical conditions. If you sleep badly, snore heavily and are overweight, you should consult your doctor.

Sleep apnoea occurs when fat accumulated around the neck, such as a double chin or slackened muscle tissue, flattens the oesophagus during sleep and blocks the flow of air for 10 to 60 seconds.

The brain registers a shortage of oxygen, you gasp for air and start breathing again normally. This can happen up to 100 times a night, leaving you tired, irritable and unhappy the next day. You also get headaches because of oxygen deprivation.

People joke about being woken by their partner’s snoring, but sleep apnoea can be lethal. It can cause serious diseases such as diabetes, heart attacks, kidney damage and depression. When you read about people dying peacefully in their sleep, it’s often as a result of sleep apnoea.

New research shows a second type of sleep apnoea that has nothing to do with obesity and obstruction, but which is caused by a fault in the breathing control centre of the brain. Although it can be dangerous, it can be treated effectively.

Some people stop breathing at night because signals from this centre in the brain don’t reach the muscles used to breathe, neurophysiologist Bernard Tjallinks says.

Sleep clinic experts are able to diagnose both types of sleep apnoea and treat them with an apparatus that blows air into the mouth, ensuring continuous oxygen intake.

Doctors warn sleep apnoea sufferers not to use pills or tranquillisers because these drugs could stop them breathing completely.

3. Sleepwalking
Sleepwalking (somnambulism) happens during phase four of deep sleep. You get out of bed and do things in your sleep that you’d normally do when you’re awake. It’s difficult to wake you at the time and you can’t remember what happened after the event.

Sleepwalkers can injure themselves or others. In America, police pulled a driver off the road only to discover the woman had loaded her dogs into the car and driven 40km – in her sleep!

4. Sleep terror disorder
Sleep terror disorder (night terrors) typically occur in children and make nightmares seem tame. Parents shouldn’t touch or pick up the child. Switch on a dim light and soothe them in a soft voice until the episode has passed.

5. Restless leg syndrome Restless leg syndrome runs in families. It’s an unpleasant itching, prickling or tingling in your legs or feet and you have to move around to get rid of the sensation. Older people especially are affected.

It causes sleeplessness and is also linked to anaemia, pregnancy and diabetes. Medicine specifically targeting the neurotransmitter dopamine is effective.

6. Periodic limb movement disorder (PLMD)
Have you ever been woken in the middle of the night because your bed mate suddenly pulls up both legs, moves his feet or throws his arms and legs wide? It’s tell-tale behaviour of someone suffering from PLMD.

It’s the only movement disorder that occurs only during sleep and which can vary from repetitive cramps or jerking of the knees, ankles and toes to large movements of all four limbs. Many people who have PLMD don’t realise their legs and feet move suddenly at night and disrupt their sleep; they just feel tired the next day. The occurrence of PLMD increases with age: almost 50% of people over 65 have it. Treatment with dopamine or sleeping pills can help.

7. Narcolepsy People with narcolepsy have “nap attacks” during the day, irrespective of how they sleep at night. The attacks occur suddenly and can last from a few seconds to about 30 minutes. Narcolepsy sufferers can also experience catalepsy (loss of muscle control during emotional situations such as a violent argument), hallucinations and temporary paralysis when they wake up. The condition is serious because it can lead to a fatal injury or accident. Narcolepsy usually runs in families but is sometimes linked to brain injury. It’s usually treated with stimulants or antidepressants.

8. REM behaviour disorder
It sounds like something from a Halloween horror film but REM behaviour disorder develops when the brain fails to temporarily paralyse the muscles during REM sleep. The result is that you literally act out your dreams. One doctor tells of a patient who knocked herself unconscious by running into a wall at a sleep clinic because she was “trying to catch a ball”. In America there have been controversial cases in which sufferers have committed murder or other violent acts because of the disorder. Doctors link it with conditions such as Parkinson’s and brain-stem damage.

Need help?
Get in touch with Sleep Disorders Australia. Visit www.sleepoz.org.au for the contact details of a branch in your area.

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