The Woodlands Sleep Evaluation Center:
Sleep Disorders
Quick Links: [Sleep Apnea] - [Periodic Leg Movements] - [Narcolepsy] - [Insomnia]
Common Sleep Disorders
An adequate amount of sleep should leave you feeling refreshed. Sometimes people find themselves drowsy or sleepy throughout the day. This may be a problem and can have a variety of causes:
Sleep Apnea
If you snore loudly, awaken short of breath, or find it hard to stay awake during the day, you may be suffering from Sleep Apnea Syndrome. Sleep Apnea Syndrome is characterized by recurrent pauses in breathing during sleep. The number of times these pauses occur varies with the severity of the disorder. A person with a severe case of sleep apnea could stop breathing 40 times per hour or 300 times per night. Sleep Apnea is most prevalent in males between 35 to 60 and females 45 to 55. Symptoms may include daytime sleepiness, morning headaches, and memory problems.
Periodic Leg Movements
Periodic leg movements during sleep are involuntary movements (or jerks of your legs) that occur at intervals during the night. This may disturb a restful sleep and results in daytime sleepiness.
Narcolepsy
People with narcolepsy have uncontrollable urges to sleep at inappropriate times. These sleep attacks can be accompanied by muscular weakness. Strong emotions (laughter, anger, surprise, sadness) may trigger these attacks.
Insomnia
If you have trouble falling asleep or staying asleep, or waking up too early in the morning, you could be experiencing insomnia. An irregular sleep schedule, depression, medications, caffeine, anxiety, and stress may contribute to the insomnia, which may also be symptom of an undiagnosed medical problem.
Other Sleep Disorders
Other sleep disorders that may cause excessive daytime drowsiness or sleepiness are sleepwalking, night terrors, teeth grinding, bed wetting, and shift work.