Insomnia

 

 

Most of us suffer occasional insomnia and usually understand the reason why. Intermittent short-lived insomnia is a common response to stress, anxiety, depression and bereavement. If it becomes more permanent it will have a more significant impact on an individual’s ability to function in the day. Sometimes insomnia has a cause which may not be immediately apparent such as a circadian rhythm disturbance. A sleep specialist will be able to identify such a cause.

 

 

 

 

Sleep Apnoea /Snoring

 

 

Obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) is potentially a serious condition and is defined as the cessation of breathing during sleep. It takes its name from the Greek word apnoea, which means "without breath". People with sleep apnoea repeatedly stop breathing during sleep as . The commonest symptom of sleep apnoea is snoring.

People with OSA fall asleep easily but after a while the muscles of the neck and throat relax and they begin to snore.  The snoring becomes louder and eventually breathing stops as the tissues of the throat obstruct the passage of air.  After a short period without breathing subjects usually awake with a deep breath and loud snore and immediately fall asleep again.  The process repeats throughout the night.  They are unaware of the frequent awakenings and disturbed sleep.

Although the sufferer of OSA may be unaware of the severity of their problem they may be aware of daytime symptoms such as sleepiness and difficulty concentrating. This may affect driving and other skills.  The periods of apnoea during the night leads to poor oxygen supply to the body and puts stress on the cardiovascular system; high blood pressure may develop and it is known that older people with untreated sleep apnoea are more prone to strokes.  Other symptoms include morning headaches, poor appetite on waking and loss of motivation.  It is more common in older people but can affect children also. In children there is some evidence that sleep apnoea and significant snoring can affect daytime school performance and behaviours. Children with this problem may be described as hyperactive with poor concentration.

Investigation by polysomnography can help to establish the cause of sleep apnoea and establish its severity.  The commonest causes include enlarged tonsils and adenoids  in children and  obesity in adults.