Sleep Disorders

Sleep disorders are conditions that affect your ability to get the rest your body needs and maintain wakefulness. There are over 80 sleep disorders that impact:

• How well you sleep (quality)
• When you fall asleep and if you can stay asleep (timing)
• How much sleep and wakefulness you get (quantity or duration)

Everyone can experience problems with sleep from time to time. But you might have a sleep disorder if:

• You regularly have trouble sleeping.
• You feel tired during the day even though you slept for at least seven hours the night before.
• It becomes difficult to perform regular daytime activities.

What are the major categories of sleep disorders?

The categories of sleep disorders have changed many times over the years. Most recently, the International Classification of Sleep Disorders (ICSD) categorized sleep disorders based on the symptoms, how they affect a person (pathophysiology) and the body system it affects. The brand-new revision to the third edition, ICSD-3R includes the following categories:

• Insomnia: You have difficulty falling and staying asleep.
• Sleep-related breathing disorders: Your breathing changes while you sleep.
• Central disorders of hypersomnolence: You have trouble feeling alert during the day.
• Circadian rhythm sleep-wake disorders: Your internal clock makes it difficult to fall asleep and wake up on time.
• Parasomnias: Physical actions or verbal expressions happen during sleep like walking, talking or eating.
• Sleep-related movement disorders: Physical movements or the urge to move makes it difficult to fall asleep and/or stay asleep.

The ICSD updates regularly to include the most recent information about sleep disorders and the types that fall under these categories.

What are the types of sleep disorders?

There are over 80 different types of sleep disorders. The most common include:

• Chronic insomnia: You have trouble falling asleep or staying asleep most nights for at least three months and feel tired or irritable as a result.
• Obstructive sleep apnea: You snore and have moments during sleep when you stop breathing that disrupt your sleep.
• Restless legs syndrome: You have the urge to move your legs when you rest.
• Narcolepsy: You can’t regulate when you fall asleep or how long you stay awake.
• Shift work sleep disorder: You have trouble falling asleep and staying asleep and feel sleepiness at unwanted times due to your work schedule.
• Delayed sleep phase syndrome: You fall asleep at least two hours after your desired bedtime and have difficulty waking up in time for school or work.
• REM sleep behavior disorder: You act out your dreams while in the rapid eye movement (REM) stage of sleep.

How much sleep do I need?

Everyone needs sleep. It’s an essential part of what makes our bodies function. The amount of sleep you need might be more or less than others, but experts recommend adults get seven to nine hours of sleep per night. Optimal sleep time varies by age; for example, children and teenagers may need more sleep than adults.

How common are sleep disorders?

More than 50 million people in the United States have a sleep disorder. In addition, more than 100 million Americans of all ages report that they don’t get an adequate amount of sleep.