Tuesday, June 14, 2011

U. Pittsburgh: Sleep Disorders

 

Insomnia

You may have insomnia if you:
-Have difficulty falling asleep
-Have difficulty staying asleep
-Are waking up too early
-Have poor quality sleep
A person with insomnia may also have the following symptoms:
-Feeling tired throughout the day
-Being easily irritated and grumpy
-Lack of concentration or memory
-Unable to stay awake during the day
-Decreased level of energy
-Lack of motivation
-Decrease in level of performance at work or in school
-Frustration about your sleep or about falling asleep
*If you are a military veteran and you think you may have insomnia, call/email us at 412-246-6409 / hakiman@upmc.edu

Links

  • American Academy of Sleep Medicine
  • Sleep Education
  • American Insomnia Association

     

    Nightmares

    *You might be suffering from nightmares if you:
    -Wake up from sleep due to a disturbing dream
    -Wake up in the morning with the memory of disturbing
    dreams
    -Have dreams that make you fearful, angry, sad, or upset
    -Are able to think with a clear head and fully alert upon being
    woken from sleep
    -Remember specific and vivid details of a disturbing dream
    -Have a great deal of difficulty falling back asleep after having
    a dream
    -Have dreams closer to the hours in the morning
    -In veterans with PTSD, bad dreams may occur at all times of
    the night, not only in the morning
    *Nightmares invoke a variety of negative emotions including:
    -Fear
    -Anxiety
    -Terror
    -Anger
    -Embarrassment
    -Disgust
    -Shame
    -Sadness
    *Nightmares can disrupt sleep
    *Nightmares can increase your levels of fear and anxiety when
    awoken and throughout the day.
    *The loss of sleep from being continually woken up can lead to
    more intense nightmares.
    *Nightmares can prevent a person from being able to fall
    asleep from constantly worrying about having nightmares if
    he or she falls asleep.
    *Nightmares not only seem real, but also become more
    distressing as they are being had.
    *If you are a military veteran, you are having bad dreams/nightmares, and you would like to participate in a research study on nightmares, call/email us at 412-246-6409 / hakiman@upmc.edu

    Links

  • American Academy of Sleep Medicine
  • Sleep Education

     

    Sleep Apnea

    *You might be suffering from Obstructive Sleep Apnea if you:
    -Wake from sleep due to choking or gasping for breath
    -Have been told by your bed partner that you snore loudly or
    stop breathing
    -Feel your sleep is not refreshing
    -Are sleepy throughout the day
    -Fall asleep during the day unintentionally
    -Feel fatigued
    *Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a sleep related breathing disorder
    *With OSA, the airway is blocked as tissues collapse in the back of the throat, which prevents airflow to the lungs.
    *While sleeping and the muscles of the throat relax, the tongue falls back due to gravity, blocking the airways.
    *This can happen anywhere from a few times to several hundred times in a night.
    *Sleep apnea is a common disorder affecting both men and women
    -Being overweight increases the risk of sleep apnea
    *If you are a military veteran and you think you may have Sleep apnea, talk to your doctor about being evaluated/tested in a sleep clinic.

    Links

  • American Association of Sleep Medicine
  • Sleep Education

     

    Sleep Walking

    *You might be suffering from Sleep walking if you:
    -Walk around while you are sleeping
    -Get up from your bed and perform task while you are still
    sleeping
    -Behave in a dangerous manner
    -Confused upon be woken up from a sleep walking episode
    -Lack memory of what happened
    *Sleep walking is a parasomnia, meaning certain physiological
    systems are activated when they should not be while asleep,
    and cause undesired events to occur.
    *Sleepwalking occurs while you are asleep, but get up and
    wander around.
    *Before walking, a person might sit in bed as he or she stares
    around the room in a confused manner.
    *Sometimes, the individual might dart up out of bed quickly.
    *This could be from a distressing dream that occurred, but
    typically people do not remember detailed, vivid dreams.
    *You could even talk or scream loudly while sleep walking.
    *Your eyes look glassy or clouded over.
    *Activities that are typically done in the day light hours could be
    conducted while asleep as well.
    *Memory of events that occur when sleep walking rarely exist.
    *Upon awakening from a sleep walking episode, extreme
    confusion can occur.
    If you think you may be sleep walking at night- talk to your doctor about it.

    Links

  • American Association of Sleep Medicine
  • Sleep Education

     

    Sleep terrors

    *You might be suffering from sleep terrors if you:
    -Wake up at night with a loud scream from fear
    -Are sweating and have a change in breathing while asleep
    -Are difficult to wake up from sleep
    -Are confused upon being woken up
    -Lack memory of what has occurred
    *Also referred to as night terrors, sleep terrors is an event that
    occurs during sleep that is not desired.
    *In a typical episode, you will sit up in bed screaming or
    shouting. You also may be kicking and thrashing. Things that
    are shouted may be difficult for others to understand.
    *There can be a look of sheer terror on your face, can be
    sweating, breathing heavily, and be very tense.
    *During a sleep terror episode, a person can be difficult to
    wake up and fail to respond to voices. Upon waking, confusion
    is quite common, as well as no memory of what has occurred.
    *If you think you may be having sleep terrors- talk to your doctor about it.

    Links

  • American Association of Medicine
  • Sleep Education

     

    Other Sleep Disorders

    Click on the following links for more information

    Links

  • Narcolepsy
  • Periodic leg movements
  • Restless legs syndrome
  • Delayed Sleep phase

     

    Clinical Sleep Labs

    Locate a Sleep Center near you.

    Links

  • Sleep Centers

     

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    http://www.veteranssleep.pitt.edu/content.asp?id=1655

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