Information and opinions on Sleep Disorders from suceel at MySleepCentral.com. The HealthCentral Network, Inc. (www.HealthCentral.com) is one of the top health destinations on the Web, with more than 35 condition-specific, wellness and general health Web properties. http://www.healthcentral.com/sleep-disorders/c/178743 http://www.healthcentral.com/sleep-disorders/c/178743/rss self application/xml en-us 15 120 19 http://www.healthcentral.com/images/hc_logo_sm.gif http://www.healthcentral.com/sleep-disorders/c/178743 http://www.healthcentral.com/sleep-disorders/c/178743/49274/breathing Tue, 18 Nov 2008 13:52:07 -0500 suceel Sleep breathing problems are the single most common physical disturbance in someone who suffers from poor sleep quality. Whether you suffer from insomnia, complain of nightmares, restless or jerking legs, or show signs of poor functioning on the Sleep Misery Index, remarkably, breathing problems are the most universal finding among all these types of troubled sleepers. Many with sleep problems have a great deal of difficulty accepting or... http://www.healthcentral.com/sleep-disorders/c/178743/49274/breathing http://www.healthcentral.com/sleep-disorders/c/178743/49268/insomnia Tue, 18 Nov 2008 12:56:08 -0500 suceel There are several definitions of insomnia, but the most widely used refer to difficulties you may have falling asleep or staying asleep. Some sleep researchers and physicians refer to poor sleep quality as insomnia. While that perspective may be valid, we prefer to keep the two terms separate. Complete the Chronic Insomnia Assessment HERE and then read a quick analysis of your results http://www.healthcentral.com/sleep-disorders/c/178743/49268/insomnia http://www.healthcentral.com/sleep-disorders/c/178743/48975/quality Sun, 16 Nov 2008 13:24:01 -0500 suceel The over-arching principle of Sleep Dynamic Therapy® views the majority of sleep problems as sleep quality problems, fueled by a combination of mental and physical factors. These psychological and physiological components are clearly discernible to a trained and experienced sleep specialist. The specialist must be skilled at guiding the patient to gain the necessary awareness and insight to see and understand all the relevant components,... http://www.healthcentral.com/sleep-disorders/c/178743/48975/quality http://www.healthcentral.com/sleep-disorders/c/178743/48974/insomnia Sun, 16 Nov 2008 13:02:08 -0500 suceel Emerging scientific research clearly shows that the relationships between depression and insomnia are far more complex than originally understood. The current model as expressed in the psychiatric terminology of the DSM-IV-TR (the diagnostic manual used by psychiatrists and psychologists to define mental health disorders) emphasizes insomnia as a common symptom of depression. Some patients with depression show the symptom of hypersomnia... http://www.healthcentral.com/sleep-disorders/c/178743/48974/insomnia http://www.healthcentral.com/sleep-disorders/c/178743/48966/tiredness Sun, 16 Nov 2008 11:43:24 -0500 suceel Classic Triad of Sleepiness, Tiredness, and Fatigue Symptoms These symptoms are the three most common reported by sleep patients. After all, if your sleep is of a poor quality, you should expect some problems during the day with too much sleepiness, tiredness or fatigue. Remarkably, many sleep patients do not appreciate the distinctions between these 3 symptoms, instead blurring them as if they were all the same thing. In reality, these words... http://www.healthcentral.com/sleep-disorders/c/178743/48966/tiredness http://www.healthcentral.com/sleep-disorders/c/178743/48797/crazy Fri, 14 Nov 2008 13:16:34 -0500 suceel Both conditions are quite real. At their worst, RLS drives a person into a state of mental instability, because it is so harrowing to not know what's going on or how to stop it. RLS is easily missed, because so few physicians are aware of it, and patients think it a weird complaint. The patient endures it for years and compensates in various ways. The most disabling problem is staying up later and later, so total sleep declines. Many with... http://www.healthcentral.com/sleep-disorders/c/178743/48797/crazy http://www.healthcentral.com/sleep-disorders/c/178743/48795/restless Fri, 14 Nov 2008 13:10:57 -0500 suceel Sleep-Related Leg Movement Conditions Restless Legs Syndrome (RLS) and Periodic Limb Movement Disorder (PLMD) are two common physical sleep disorders, affecting tens of millions of people. Both conditions lead to movement of the legs. Neither condition has a full explanation for why it occurs. Yet, both conditions are adequately treated with low doses of specialized medications. Restless Legs RLS is the condition in which: * While lying or... http://www.healthcentral.com/sleep-disorders/c/178743/48795/restless http://www.healthcentral.com/sleep-disorders/c/178743/48791/circadian Fri, 14 Nov 2008 12:55:32 -0500 suceel Circadian rhythm disorders occur when the body's natural sleep-wake cycle is disrupted and the individual is not able to sleep at the appropriate time. Two commmon conditions are going to sleep much later (delayed) or much earlier (advanced) than ancitipated, but the single most common ways in which these problems arise is when a person chooses or is required to work on an unusual schedule (shift work) or travels so much they must adopt another... http://www.healthcentral.com/sleep-disorders/c/178743/48791/circadian http://www.healthcentral.com/sleep-disorders/c/178743/48664/cognitive Thu, 13 Nov 2008 14:34:41 -0500 suceel Poor sleep quality harms and may ultimately ruin your intellectual capacity. Night after night of bad and broken sleep makes you not as smart as you could be, and sometimes it makes you downright stupid. Sleep restores the workings of your mind by improving your ability to learn new things, consolidate your memory, and enhance your mood, all of which is "brain gain," but poor sleep quality, the opposite of sound sleep, leaves you with "brain... http://www.healthcentral.com/sleep-disorders/c/178743/48664/cognitive http://www.healthcentral.com/sleep-disorders/c/178743/48656/chronic Thu, 13 Nov 2008 13:58:55 -0500 suceel Recognizing Nightmares as an Independent Sleep Disorder The overwhelming majority of nightmare patients do not fully accept that their disturbing dreams represent a sleep disorder. In fact, when we direct one of our sleep patients to start treatment in our Nightmare Clinic, the most common reply we receive goes something like this: "Oh, well, nightmares, I've always had them; I don't really think there's anything you can do about them, and I... http://www.healthcentral.com/sleep-disorders/c/178743/48656/chronic