Information about Sleep Disorder Dyssomnia

Dyssomnia is the term used to describe an array of more specific sleeping disorders, including insomnia, wakefulness, and sleeplessness, all characterized by a disturbance of the natural sleeping patterns of the body. A sufferer of dyssomnia will often experience severe and persistent difficulty in falling or staying asleep, as well as waking up earlier than desired. The disorder can be brought on by a number of factors, both intrinsic, meaning the sufferer's body is the culprit, and extrinsic, meaning the external environment is at fault. Usually the sufferer experiences a number of diagnosable symptoms, including drowsiness during the daytime, a decrease in the ability to concentrate or focus, and the inability to feel refreshed during the daytime.

Patients also experience problems with their personal circadian rhythm, the internal clock that regulates proper sleeping patterns. In short, all forms of dyssomnia can be characterized by an insufficient amount or quality or sleep. Sufferers will often experience difficulty starting a sleeping period, as well as maintaining a restful sleep throughout the night. It is believed that all of the disorders are connected to abnormalities in the central nervous system in some way, resulting in an alteration of the normal sleeping patterns. Jet lag, which is usually only temporary, can be a triggering onset of certain types of dyssomnia. Disturbances in the wake-sleep pattern of an individual, if usually normal and regulated, can cause dyssomnia, as well as any kind of severe of significant kind of mental or emotional depression or stress. Anxiety, excitement, or anticipation before an expected event can also lead to dyssomnia, although these cases are usually only temporary.

Taking in large amounts of alcohol, caffeine, food, or smoking before going to bed are serious factors to consider, as well as any stimulant that the sufferer may have or be taking. Sometimes the simple and natural aging process can cause changes in sleeping patterns, and some suffers begin experience dyssomnia simply because of their biological clock's natural changes. Excessively sleeping during the day has been shown to affect nightly sleeping patterns, as well as excessive physical activity prior to going to sleep. The thyroid gland, which excretes a hormone involved with the process of sleeping and waking up, can also be a culprit if it is overactive, a condition known as hyperthyroidism. Taking new, prescribed drugs for other ailments can also lead to the onset of dyssomnia, and patients should consult their physicians if these are suspect.

Alcoholics or smokers who suddenly or abruptly cease their habits following significantly long-term use will almost definitely suffer some sort of dyssomnia, as the body's natural reaction to such severe changes. Sometimes the amount of bright light that is available when a patient wakes up goes a long way in making the process easier or harder. Drugs such as thyroid replacement hormones, caffeine, cocaine, amphetamines, and ephedrine have been shown to greatly impact sleeping patterns, as they disrupt the body's natural biological clock. The sudden withdrawal of certain drugs and medications, such as sedatives and hypnotics, are almost sure to have some sort of significant impact on sleeping patterns. Various diseases can also lead to dyssomnia, including cystitis in women and enlarged prostates in men, as well as arthritis pain, restless leg syndrome, heartburn, and lung problems.

Dyssomnia is often also associated with several other sleeping disorders, including obstructive and central apnea syndrome, as well as narcolepsy and hypersomnia. More often than not, poor sleeping habits are the usual cause of dyssomnia. For most sufferers, depression is also a major factor as it is a key reason for the onset of the disorder. Sufferers of dyssomnia should always make sure to be evaluated for the possibility of depression, especially if they suffer from severe difficulties sleeping. Stress usually plays at least a significant role as well, as major changes in sleeping patterns, sometimes due to anything as remote as jet lag, can cause unwanted transitions leading to dyssomnia. Severely stressful events, including serious relationship or work problems involving family members, friends, or co-workers, can often lead to more severe cases of dyssomnia, although most forms of chronic dyssomnia are still far too difficult to accurately and distinctly identify.