2-Sleep disorders Flashcards
INSOMNIA
In + Somnus = sleepless
- difficulty in falling/staying asleep
- Most common of the sleep disorders
- To diagnose: 3 nights a week for one month
- Chronic: 1 year+
- While 30-50 of people report symptoms of insomnia, ~6% meet the diagnostic criteria
things that contribute to insomnia
- age (older people)
- Drug use (stimulant drugs)
- Exercise
- Mental status
- Poor sleep hygiene
treatment for insomnia
- Sleeping pills
- Melatonin!
- Tends to be addictive
- Not good sleep quality
- Can result in dependence and alter the nature of the sleep schedule
- Can increase insomnia over time
- Cognitive behavioural therapy
- Type of psychotherapy that focuses on cognitive processes and problem behaviors
- Take away the anxiety associated with insomnia
NARCOLEPSY
sleep attacks (30 seconds-30 minutes)
associated with cataplexy
- Often triggered by states of heightened arousal or stress
- Often report having vivid dreams during these sleep attacks
treatment for narcolepsy
- stimulants—amphetamines
- Drugs that focus on Hypocretin (hypothalamus)
cataplexy
Lack of muscle tone/muscle weakness, some cases involves complete paralysis of the voluntary muscles
- Similar experience during REM sleep
narcolepsy is associated with cataplexy
SLEEP APNEA
a person stops breathing during sleep (10-20 seconds)
- awake with loud grunts
- Snoring
- Middle age overweight men
- Increased levels of fatigue
consequences of sleep apnea
- Lower blood-oxygen levels
- Microsleeps
Obstructive sleep apnea
Soft pallet becomes loose and blocks the air way
Central sleep apnea
- Central nervous system!
- Sleep signals aren’t getting to the lung to breathe
treatment for sleep apnea
-
continuous positive airway pressure device
- Mask over the sleeper’s note and mouth
- Connected to a pump that pumps air into the person’s airways, forcing them to remain over
- alternatives are being explored
- Consistent complaisance by users of CPAP is a problem
- EPAP (expiratoire positive air pressure)
- Consistent complaisance by users of CPAP is a problem
SIDS (Sudden Infant Death SYndrome)
infant stops breathing during sleep and dies
- Infants younger than 12 months appear to be at the highest risk
- Boys have a greater risk than girls
- Number of risk factors:
- Premature birth
- Smoking within the home
- Hyperthermia
- Also might be differences in both brain structure and function in infants that die from SIDS
PARASOMNIAS
Group of disorders—disruptive motor activity
- sleep walking
- REM Sleep behaviour disorder
- Night terrors
- Restless leg syndrome
SLEEP WALKING
- AKA somnambulism
- Engage in complex behaviour
- Often has eyes open, but are unresponsive
- Occurs during slow wave sleep (though can occur in other stages), usually no memory
REM SLEEP BEHAVIOUR DISORDER
act out their dreams; punching. Kicking, screaming; when muscle paralysis associated with REM sleep phase does not occcur
- Affects mostly old men
- Treated with benzodiazepines (no real treatment)
- Increase the inhibitory effect of GABA
- Altering the sleep environment
- More safe!
- Associated with neurodégénérative disorder
- Parkinson’s; 85%
- Rule out/treat obstructive sleep apnea
- Clonazepam, anti-anxiety medication with sedative is most often used to react RBD
