Dyssomnias

A dyssomnia is a disorder of getting to sleep or staying asleep or of excessive sleepiness. The person typically experiences changes in the amount and/or timing of sleep, and how restful it is. The dyssomnias are disorders of sleep or wakefulness, in contrast to parasomnias, which are about the sleep/wake transition.

When people say they have sleeping problems, they often are referring to one or more dyssomnia. Dyssomnias include insomnia, apnea, narcolepsy, restless legs syndrome, periodic limb movement disorder, hypersomnia, delayed sleep phase syndrome, advanced sleep phase syndrome, Kleine-Levin syndrome, sleep starts, nocturnal paroxysmal dystonia, and REM behavior disorder.

Did you know: the left hemisphere falls asleep slightly faster than the right hemisphere.

Circadian Rhythm Sleep Disorder

REM sleep cardiac arrhythmias

Aside from insomnia, apnea is the most worrying dyssomnia when measured by severity and number of people who suffer from it.

Cheyne-Stokes respiration is when there is a crescendo - decrescendo pattern of respiration. It occurs in people with congestive heart failure.

Sleep Disorders

Dyssomnias

Parsomnias

"It’s been a hard day’s night
I’ve been workin´ like a dog
It’s been a hard day’s night
And I’ll be sleepin´ like a log…. "

(John Lennon and Paul McCartney)