Eating Disorders & Sleep-Wake Disorders Flashcards
What are sleep-wake disorders?
Sleep problems of sufficient severity and frequency that they lead to significant personal distress or impaired functioning in social, occupational, or other roles.
What are common types of sleep-wake disorders?
Insomnia disorder, hypersomnolence disorder, narcolepsy, breathing-related sleep disorders, and circadian rhythm sleep-wake disorders.
What are the key features of insomnia disorder?
Insomnia disorder is characterized by recurring difficulty getting to sleep, remaining asleep, or achieving restorative sleep (sleep that leaves the person feeling refreshed and alert). Sometimes an insomniac may wake up very early in the morning and have difficulty falling back asleep. Insomnia must occur at least 3 nights a week for at least 3 months.
What does statistics say about insomnia disorder?
Around 10-15% of adults in the US suffer from insomnia. It mostly affects people over age 40, but adolescents and young adults are also affected. Chronic insomnia may be a sign of another physical problem or psychological disorder, such as depression, substance abuse, or physical illness.
Cause theories for insomnia:
People troubled by insomnia tend to bring their anxiety, worries, and stress to bed with them, which raises their bodily arousal to a level that can prevent natural sleep. Specifically, performance anxiety can affect a person’s ability to sleep soundly, because of the pressure of thinking one must get a full night’s sleep to be able to function. Classical conditioning states that in some situations, simply entering the bedroom for the night may be sufficient to elicity bodily arousal that impairs sleep onset.
What are the key features of hypersomnolence disorder?
A pattern of excessive sleepiness during daytime hours occurring at least 3 days a week for at least 3 months. A person may have repeated episodes during the day of feeling an irresistable need to fall asleep, napping repeatedly, falling asleep when they need to remain awake, or inadvertently dozing off. These persistent periods cause significant personal distress or difficulties in daily functioning. Stimulant medication can be used to treat it.
What are the key features of narcolepsy?
An irresistable need to sleep or sudden sleep attacks or naps occurring at least 3 times a week for at least 3 months. During a sleep attack, a person suddenly falls asleep without warning and remains asleep for about 15 minutes. People who experience narcolepsy have an immediate transition from wakefulness to REM sleep without the other gradual stages of sleep in between. They may also experience sleep paralysis, cataplexy (a loss of muscle tone and control), and hypnagogic hallucinations.
What are the key features of breathing-related sleep disorders?
People experience repeated disruptions of sleep due to respitory problems. These frequent disruptions of sleep result in insomnia or excessive daytime sleepiness. The most common subtype is obstructive sleep apnea hypopnea syndrome (AKA sleep apnea), where there is restricted air flow to the lungs or to the brain, leading to snorting or gasping for breath, pauses of breath, or abnormally shallow breathing. This is accompanied by loud snoring and affects nearly 30 million Americans, typically men who are overweight or obese.
What are the key features of circadian rhythm sleep-wake disorders?
This disorder involves a persistent disruption of the person’s natural sleep-wake cycle. This disruption in normal sleep patterns can lead to insomnia or hypersomnolence and result in daytime sleepiness. This causes significant levels of distress or impairs a person’s ability to function in social, occupational, or other roles.
What are the major types of parasomnias?
Sleep terrors, sleepwalking, REM sleep behavior disorder (RBD), and nightmare disorder.
What are sleep terrors?
Repeated episodes of terror-induced arousals that usually begin with a panicky scream. This can lead to profuse sweating, rapid heartbeat and respiration, speaking incoherently or thrashing about wildly (even though not being fully awake).
What is sleepwalking?
A person who is partially awake can perform complex motor responses, such as getting out of bed and walking to another room. These motor behaviors are performed without conscious awareness (usually in the deeper stages of sleep with an absence of dreaming), and the person typically doesn’t remember the incident upon fully awakening the following morning.
What is rapid eye movement sleep behavior disorder (RBD)?
A disorder characterized by repeated episodes of acting out one’s dream during REM sleep in the form of vocalizing or thrashing about while dreaming. Normally, muscle activity is blocked during REM sleep, but in RBD, muscle paralysis is either absent or incomplete, and sleepers might suddenly start kicking or flailing their arms during REM sleep.
What is nightmare disorder?
A disorder characterized by recurrent episodes of disturbing and well-remember nightmares during REM sleep. These nightmares are lengthy, story-like dreams in which the dreamer attempts to avoid imminent threats or physical danger, such as being chased, attacked, or injured. Upon waking, the individual can vividly recall the dreams and feel various negative emotions.
Biological treatments for sleep-wake disorders:
Sleep medications are commonly used and beneficial, but can also lead to a carryover or “hangover” the following day or can produce chemical dependence and tolerance if used regularly over time. Benzodiazepines (antianxiety) and tricyclic antidepressants are used for deep-sleep disorders, and stimulants are used to enhance wakefulness. Mechanical devices, like a sleep apnea machine, are used for respitory sleep issues.
