Angela Rose B.

Cudia
1NUR-11
Psychology
Sleep Disorders
1. Insomnia is a sleeping disorder that is characterized by difficulty falling or
staying asleep
Types of Insomnia:
Primary Insomnia means a person is having sleep problems that are not associated
with any other health condition.
Secondary Insomnia means a person having sleep problems because of some
health condition.
Acute vs. Chronic Insomnia
Acute Insomnia lasts from one night to a few weeks
Chronic Insomnia lasts for a long time
Symptoms:
Feeling tired upon waking
Waking up too early in the morning
Waking up often during the night and having trouble going back to sleep
Difficulty falling asleep
Treatment:
Acute Insomnia

Avoid caffeine, nicotine, and alcohol.

Regular exercise
Try to go to sleep at the same time each night and get up the same time

each morning.
Dont eat heavy meal late in the day.

Chronic Insomnia

Treat underlying conditions or health problems that are causing the

insomnia

Practice techniques such as relaxation exercises, and sleep restriction

therapy.

2. Narcolepsy is a neurological disorder that affects the control of sleep and

wakefulness.
Symptoms:
Excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS) -People with EDS report mental
cloudiness, a lack of energy and concentration, memory lapses, a

depressed mood, and/or extreme exhaustion.

Cataplexy a sudden loss of muscle tone that leads to feelings of weakness

and a loss of voluntary muscle control.

Hallucinations
Sleep Paralysis -involves the temporary inability to move or speak while
falling asleep or waking up.

Treatment:
(It can only be controlled because it has no treatment)

Drug Treatment (amphetamine-like stimulants and antidepressant drugs)

Xyrem drug
Lifestyle adjustments such as avoiding caffeine, alcohol, nicotine, and

heavy meals.
Regular exercise

3. Night Terrors symptoms are frequent and recurrent episodes of intense crying
and fear during sleep, with difficulty in arousing the child.
Night terrors typically occur in children aged 3 to 12 years.
Symptoms:
Increased heart rate
Increased breathing rate
Sweating
Treatment: Psychotherapy or counseling Scheduled awakenings & Paroxetine
Scheduled awakening therapy involves waking the child from sleep 1530
minutes before the episodes typically occur to interrupt the sleep cycle and
prevent the onset of a night terror.

In an experiment performed by Nutt (1997) involving the use of paroxetine as a

treatment for night terrors, a small population of patients with night terrors was
given paroxetine to be taken in various doses for a period of time.
4. Sleep Paralysis is a feeling of being conscious but unable to move. It occurs
when a person passes between stages of wakefulness and sleep.
Symptoms:
Those afflicted with sleep paralysis are often unable to move their bodies

or speak immediately after waking up.

People experiencing sleep paralysis may also feel a weight on their chest
or a choking feeling.

Treatment:

(There is no treatment for sleep paralysis. The key is prevention and the

treatment of any underlying causes)

Stress Management
Regular sleep schedule
Observing good sleep habits
Avoid napping between the hours of 8-10am
Avoid back sleeping

5. Hypersomnia excessive daytime sleepiness or excessive time spent sleeping, is a

condition in which a person has trouble staying awake during the day.
Symptoms:

Anxiety
Increased Irritation
Restlessness
Slow thinking
Slow Speech
Hallucinations

Treatment:

Stimulants
Antidepressants
Alcohol and caffeine elimination
Going to bed early
Xyrem drug