Sleep is the thing that we need so much to revitalize us. If we sleep at least 9 hours a night, we will not be groggy the next day. We will feel refreshed, have better moods, and perform more efficiently and accurately. If we deprive ourselves from sleep, we begin to feel horrible, and our bodies will yearn for some “sweet” sleep.

There are four different types of sleeping disorders that can cause you to loose sleep. However, before I discuss them, I must explain a little more about how sleep works.

Without sleep, you will be fatigued, drug down, tired, not alert, and a danger to yourself and others if you choose to drive a vehicle. Sleep is a vital part of our lives, in order for us to have healthy and productive existence.

Circadian Rhythm

Our bodies synchronize with the 24-hour cycle of day and night through a biological clock called the circadian rhythm. In the mornings, our body temperatures rise; peaks during the day; dips for a time in the afternoon; and begins to drop again when we go to sleep.

It is important that we follow this rhythm to be healthy physically and mentally. If you work night shift, you may experience some insomnia and your body may have some physical problems as well. You may develop constipation or diarrhea; headaches; or nausea. This is because our biological clock is programmed for us to follow the circadian rhythm

The Stages of Sleep

When we sleep, there is a biological rhythm to our sleep. Every 90-100 minutes we pass through a cycle of five sleep stages.

• Stage One- In stage one of sleep, you may have some hallucinations. Some have a sensation of falling or floating. In this stage, you may incorporate memories from the day into your hallucinations.
• Stage Two- Stage two sleep starts about 20 minutes after you get really relaxed in stage one. In stage two sleeps, you will have rhythmic brain wave activity. In this stage, you can be awakened easily, but you are clearly asleep now. This is a stage when sleep walking and sleep talking can occur.
• Stage Three- Stage three is the transitional stage of sleep. In stage three you are transitioning to stage four (deep sleep). In this stage, your brain starts to release large, slow delta waves. During this stage, you will be hard to awaken.
• Stage Four- In stage four of sleep. The delta waves are released more intensely. This is the stage of sleep when most children wet the bed or sleepwalk. You will remain in stage three and four for about 30 minutes.
• Stage Five- Stage five is when you reach rapid eye movement (REM) sleep. Most of the night you stay in stages two and three of sleep. Then you enter the most intriguing phase of them all; REM. Although REM only last about 10 minutes, this phase of sleep is the best part of sleep. In REM sleep, you have dreams, your heart rate rises, your breathing becomes irregular and rapid, and every half-minute your eyes dart around behind your closed eyes. During this phase of sleep, your genitals become aroused, regardless of any sexual content in your dream.

The sleep cycle repeats itself every 90 minutes. Through the night, stage 4 gets briefer then disappears. The REM period gets longer. By the morning, about 26% of our sleep has been REM sleep.

Sleeping Disorders

As sleep is vitally important to our well being, it is important for those who have sleep disorders to know which one they have and learn how they can treat the disorder. There are four different types of sleeping disorders. The sleep disorders are insomnia, narcolepsy, sleep apnea, and night terrors.

Insomnia

Insomnia is a persistent problem falling or staying asleep. This sleeping disorder affects 10-14% of the adult population. Anxiety and stress can cause insomnia. A lot of people worry unnecessarily about how much they sleep. A lot of insomnia suffers depend on quick fixes to help them sleep, such as; sleeping pills and alcohol. However, the user becomes unaffected by the sleep aids, thus needing bigger doses to achieve sleep. It is best to try some of the following natural remedies to treat insomnia:

· Try to relax an hour before bedtime

· Use dimmer lighting

· Avoid caffeine in the late afternoon hours

· Drink a glass of milk before bed – Milk contains serotonin, which is a neurotransmitter that facilitates sleep.

· Exercise regularly. However, avoid exercise late in the evening.

· Do not stress yourself over your insomnia

· Go to bed later or get up earlier in the mornings

Narcolepsy

Narcolepsy is rarer than insomnia. It is estimated that 1 in 2000 people suffer with narcolepsy. People who suffer with narcolepsy have periodic episodes of excessive sleepiness. It normally lasts for about five minutes. The bad part about narcolepsy is that it can happen at anytime, such as; while driving, during sex, or anywhere. In severe cases, the person may collapse for a brief moment into REM sleep.

The cause of narcolepsy is due to an absence of a hypothalamic neural center in the brain that produces hypocretin.

There are some treatments for narcolepsy. The physician may prescribe stimulants, such as Ritalin, modafinil and pemoline. Also, the narcolepsy suffer can take frequent naps throughout the day and try to go to bed at the same time each night. Lastly, talk to your physician about the epos ides of narcolepsy, so he/she can determine the factors that aggravate or improve the condition.

Sleep Apnea

Sleep apnea is a disorder that causes a person to stop breathing during sleep. When the sleeper goes without oxygen for a minute or so, the sleeper will awaken and breath in air for a few seconds. This process can go on repeatedly throughout the night. The person that suffers with sleep apnea snores a lot. Sleep apnea will leave the sufferer feeling un-rested and irritable the following day.

Below is a list of things to do if you have sleep apnea:

• Exercise more frequently
• Don’t smoke
• Reduce your alcohol intake
• Go to a physician and do a sleep test to determine if you have sleep apnea. The doctor may prescribe you a CPAP machine. The CPAP machine will allow you to have a continuous positive airway pressure while you sleep.
• Consult with your doctor to learn whether surgery is the answer for your sleep apnea. Sometimes the removal of the tonsils or adenoids often alleviates the symptoms of sleep apnea.
• Try not to sleep on your back

Night Terrors

Night terrors are a sleep disorder that mostly targets children. The person may sit up and walk, talk incoherently, have a racing heart beat, and look to be terrified. The person that suffers night terrors rarely remembers the episode when they wake up the next morning. Night terrors normally occur during the first hours of stage 4 sleep.

If your child is having night terrors, try the following:

• Consult your physician to rule out any underlying conditions
• If your child’s night terrors are a result of psychological stress, consult a counselor.
• Ensure that your child follows a proper sleep schedule. Sometimes night terrors are due to inadequate sleep habits.