Disorders
Restless Leg Syndrome (RLS)
RLS is a neurological sleep disorder where you can’t help but move your legs, making a comfort level for sleep nearly impossible to reach. The symptoms worsen at night. There are no set symptoms either, meaning they vary from person to person.
Some patients say it is like a burning or itching sensation that is only relieved once they move their legs, get up, or walk around.
RLS is not only a nighttime disorder, many who suffer at night suffer from it in the day too. This makes sitting still a near to impossible task for the patient.
RLS doesn’t just affect legs, it can affect any skeletal area.
Many times, RLS is due to Low Iron Storage. We check your labs on your appointment, for Ferritin and Vitamin D, to make sure your levels are Normal, before starting medications.
It does seem to worsen as time goes by, then affecting the day to day comfort of the patient.
The good news is RLS is treatable
Periodic Limb Movement Disorder (PLMD)
Periodic limb movement is where a limb will move uncontrollably multiple times. It does not keep a patient from falling asleep, but will awaken the patient whilst asleep. This causes fatigue, lack of concentration, and irritability.
These events occur twice at night, periodic limb movement in sleep (PLMS) and periodic limb movement during wakefulness (PLMW).
Just like RLS, PLMD is treatable
Parasomnia
Parasomnia is a disorder that appears as undesirable events during sleep, while waking up, or while falling asleep. These can be strange movements, waking dreams, emotions, behaviors, or even perceptions. These behaviors can appear almost purposeful to others. If one is suffering from parasomnia events, they, most likely, won’t remember what they did.
REM Sleep Behavior Disorder (RBD)
RBD is where one acts out what they are dreaming by movements and vocalizations. These unwanted events can cause injury to one’s self or sleeping partners.
Sleep Related Eating Disorder (SRED)
SRED appears as uncontrollable binge-eating or drinking during sleep. Some patients might be able to recall what they did during this time, but most have no recollection.
Sleep Walking & Talking
Somnambulism, also known as sleep walking, is where a person climbs out of bed and starts to walk and move around. Actions while sleep walking are typically strange, such as trying to leave the home, climbing out of windows, or acting aggressive towards others.
Somniloquy, or sleep talking, is where one starts to talk aloud. These people do not have a clue what they are saying and can’t control it.
Night Terrors
Sleep, or night terrors can appear as one sitting up in bed, screaming, shouting, crying, or thrashing around in the bed. The patient with night terrors have an elevated heart rate during an episode, and have a hard time calming down after an episode.
Sleep Sex
Sleep Sex, or sexsomnia, is a parasomnic event where the brain is stuck in between stages, where one seems to be awake. It is not a sex dream, even though these are common during a episode. Behaviors such as masturbation, orgasm, thrusting of pelvis, fondling of self or partner, or mimicry of intercourse are the most common.
Confusional Arousal
Is a disorder where the patient acts confused or strange when they wake up. This can be feeling foggy brained in the morning, slower speech, below par memory, or being confused during when their body is waking up.
All of these disorders can be worked on with the right treatments, so don’t fret.
Circadian Rhythm Disorder
Sleep-Wake disorders that occur when sleep times are unbalanced are known as Circadian Rhythm Disorders. There are no definite symptoms, causes, or risk factors for these disorders. Though struggling to stay alert, grogginess, fatigue, and trouble concentrating seem to be common
Shift Work Sleep Phase disorder
Affecting those who have non-traditional work hours, like working extra shifts and night shifts. Leaving the patient exhausted during the day.
Irregular Sleep-Wake disorder
Occurring when one’s cardium rhythm is so unorganized that there is no sleep pattern.
Jet Lag
A common occurrence in those who travel, jet lag happens when a person travels through multiple time zones, causing a struggle to get on a new schedule.
Advanced Sleep-Wake disorder
This is when a person falls asleep long after their normal bedtime, and wakes up hours before they should.
Non-24-hour / Free Running Circadian Rhythm Disorder
This is when a person’s sleep schedule changes bit by bit everyday. Causing their schedule to get completely out of alignment over time.
Delayed Sleep-Wake Phase disorder
This occurs when a person’s sleep pattern is disturbed by a minimum of two (2) hours.