Sleep Disorders


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 think you may have insomnia, contact your doctor.

Click the following links below for more information:
– Sleep Education
– American Insomnia Association


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:

*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 having bad dreams/nightmares, contact your doctor.

Click the link below for more information:
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 think you may have Sleep apnea, talk to your doctor about being evaluated/tested in a sleep clinic.

Click the link below for more information:
– 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.

Click the link below for more information:
– National Sleep Foundation

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.

Click the link below for more information:
– American Sleep Medicine

Other sleep disorders

Click the following links for more information:
– Narcolepsy
– Periodic limb movements
– Restless legs syndrome
– Delayed Sleep phase

Clinical Sleep Labs

Locate a Sleep Lab near you:
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