A parasomnia is an abnormal (“para”) sleep (“somnia”) or sleep cycle (circadian rhythm). Parasomnias are considered disruptive sleep disorders that occur during sleep. The most common parasomnias are:
Parasomnias such as these can cause minor to severe sleep disruption. Let’s look at each of these parasomnias in more detail.
Have you ever witnessed your child's or spouse's nightmare or night terror? It may have been just as scary for you as it was for them. The words "helpless" and "heartbreaking" are often used to describe these episodes. Being able to distinguish the difference between a nightmare and a night terror will help you better understand what is happening with your loved one and how you can help. Here are the differences between night terrors and nightmares.
Sleep apnea is a medical condition where you stop breathing many times throughout the night and, in consequence, momentarily wake up to begin breathing again. Symptoms of sleep apnea in children are also the same as in adults, though you might describe some of the symptoms more in child-like terms:
For children, some of their symptoms are very similar to those seen in adults:
Snoring is one of the most well-known symptoms of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). The reason why so many sleep apnea sufferers snore is that the tissues in the back of the throat relax and block the airway. When the airway becomes blocked, a vibration occurs and creates a sound known as snoring. Snoring can be influenced by a person's anatomy, weight, and lifestyle factors such as alcohol consumption.
However, with as many as 90 million Americans suffering from snoring, it may not always be a sign that an individual has OSA. To know whether or not you or your partner has obstructive sleep apnea, you must be aware of the other symptoms that happen with snoring and necessitate a diagnosis of sleep apnea.
Much of the year in Alaska, we live in either the extreme darkness or extreme lightness. These extreme lighting conditions affect our lives psychologically, physiologically, habitually, emotionally, and sociologically.
Contrary to what you might think, the long darkness affects our lives in ways that aren’t conducive to sleep. Perhaps you suspect that you have developed a sleep disorder or your existing sleep disorder is worsening.
However, what may actually be happening is that your sleep is distorted because of the difference in the architecture of the day. This means that we have to work harder to maintain a normal sleep schedule in winter. The good news is that there are many tricks you can use to help maintain a normal sleep schedule, though some people will need more direct intervention from sleep specialists or healthcare practitioners.
Sleep studies are important diagnostic tools for common sleep disorders like sleep apnea, insomnia, and circadian rhythm disorders. Sleep studies have proven to be particularly important in Alaska where the extreme darkness and light tend to either cause or worsen sleep disorders.
Sleep studies are non-invasive and painless. They monitor:
In a sleep study, you will conduct your sleep study overnight at our facility. The results from the sleep study will help either provide a diagnosis or clarify what (if anything) may be causing concern.
Sleep studies are important diagnostic tools for common sleep disorders like sleep apnea, insomnia, and circadian rhythm disorders. Sleep studies have proven to be particularly important in Alaska, where the extreme darkness and lightness tend to either cause or worsen sleep disorders.
Generally, sleep studies are used when:
Sleep studies are non-invasive and painless. They monitor:
You will conduct your sleep study overnight at our facility.
One of the greatest risks of having an untreated sleep disorder is the prospect of getting into a car crash while fatigued. Many individuals who have sleep disorders such as insomnia, sleep apnea, or restless leg syndrome experience bouts of drowsy driving. In fact, the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reports that drowsy driving is related to more than 1,500 deaths per year and at least 100,000 motor-vehicle crashes.
Sleep disorders are fairly common, some more than others. The thing they all have in common, however, is their ability to disrupt sleep. Chronic sleep disruptions can make you feel less like yourself. Sometimes, they can even make you feel and behave like a completely different person.
If you are reading this, you might be wondering if you have a sleep disorder or problem. Here are causes and symptoms of the most common sleep disorders.
For those of us living in Alaska, it’s no secret that we are operating under “unique” circumstances in summer and winter, from extreme amounts of light to extreme amounts of dark. Though it might seem counterintuitive, the amount of excess darkness, which is significant in the Southeast and oppressive in the Far North, actually makes sleep more difficult for many people.
Why?
The excess darkness is extremely disruptive. It prevents your exposure to daylight and your ability to be physically active. It can also disrupt your hormone levels. The result of all these adjustments is a disrupted circadian rhythm. Continue reading to learn more about this phenomenon and what you can do.