Sleep is present with human beings but its investigation starts at year around 1960 scientifically.
In USA over 120 million people suffer from restless sleep, obstructive sleep apnea syndrome, restless leg syndrome, narcolepsia-calalepisa and other sleep disorders.
Difficulty in sleeping
It is the most common sleep disorder. Reasons are complex but the main reason seems to be depression. Other reasons are restless leg syndrome, heart failure, rheumatologic diseases, kidney problems, Parkinson disease and hypertyroiditis. Caffeine and alcohol misuse, changes in working hours can be other reasons. Treatment is according to the reasons.
Restless leg syndrome
It is a disease characterisied by twingling or other annoying feelings seen mostly in legs, rarely in arms. It occurs during rest and disappears while moving.
Obstructive sleep apnea sydrome
It is a rather common sleep disease seen in 5-9% of men and 2-4% of women over 40 years old. Most patients have a characteristic snoring pattern and all have apneas during sleep. Patients have snoring, wake up with air hunger, tiredness in the morning, headache, frequently waking up for urination, sweating at night, sleepiness during the day. Obesity, hypertension, coronary heart disease, decrease in sexual potence, depression mostly accompany to the disease. Treatment can be surgical or non surgical.
Parasomnia
It includes night mares, walking and talking during sleep, enuresis (ssen mostly in children). It also includes a disease called “REM behavioral disorder” seen in adults that can cause harm to other people mostly associated with Alzheimer and Parkinson disease.
Narcolepsia-catalepsia syndrome
It is a disease characterisied by unbearable sleep attacks during the day, muscle paralysis seen after emotional stresses, hallusinations while starting sleep, paralysis during sleep.
Epilepsy
Sleep study is a valuable diagnostic tool in epileptic patients whose EEG findings are normal during the day.