Unit 3 Psychology, A.O.S 3 RAH

 A disorder referring to any sleep problem that disrupts the normal NREM-REM sleep cycle, including the onset of sleep.  Can include difficulties in:  Falling asleep  Staying asleep  Waking up  Staying awake  If a sleep phenomenon continues to reoccur, it becomes a sleep disorder.  More often than not, sleep disorders can be successfully treated.

 Is a problem that involves continually getting insufficient or poor-quality sleep.  3 distinct patterns of sleep usually associated with insomnia:  Difficulty falling sleep (sleep-onset insomnia)  Difficulty staying asleep (sleep- maintenance insomnia)  Awakening prematurely from sleep  (sleep-maintenance insomnia)  Other symptoms include:  Failure to fall asleep within 30 minutes after intending to go to sleep.  Awakening for longer than 30 minutes during the night.  Consistently reduced amount of total sleep.  Complaint of poor sleep.  Feeling tired during the day.  Psychologists diagnose insomnia if one or more of the disruptive sleep patterns is present in conjunction with some of the specific symptoms for at least 50% of the time over several weeks.

 Effects:  More body movements than a ‘normal sleeper’  Higher heart rate  Increased body temp  Higher level of body arousal  Causes  Medical problems  Severe and persistent pain  Excessive use of alcohol and/or drugs  Changes to sleep schedule

 Causes:  Stress, fear or anxiety about a particular problem  Short-term causes:  Relationship problems  Death or serious illness of someone close  Upcoming important events  Significant life changes  These problems can sometimes lead to long-term insomnia.  E.g. when a person worries about not sleeping can result in more sleeplessness.  Fear of what can happen during sleep (e.g. dying or nightmares) can keep people awake.

 Medication (prescribed by doctors)  Drugs (however only for the short term as they decrease the amount of stage 4 NREM and REM sleep and affect the quality of sleep)  Dealing with underlying cause of insomnia  Relaxation or stress management techniques  Develop regular sleep routines  Exercise (regular)  Recent research on increasing a person’s melatonin levels.  Hormone secreted by pineal gland (located at top of brain stem).  Regulates naturally occurring bodily rhythms  Research on 12 year old insomniacs found that those who increased their melatonin levels slept significantly better than those who didn’t increase their melatonin levels.

 Involves excessive sleepiness when awake, or sleep of excessive duration.  People with disorder require 12 hours of sleep per night.  Difficulty in waking.  Fall asleep quickly and wake up confused and disorientated.  Feel drowsy during the day even if have had sufficient sleep.  Several conditions that may result in hyperinsomnia:  Insomnia  Depression  Substance abuse  Sleep apnea  No long-term effects, however the disruption sleep-waking cycle of the individual can affect the functioning of the individual.

 Is a temporary suspension in breathing for short periods during sleep.  Sleepers stop breathing throughout the night for periods of time usually lasting from 30 seconds to 2 minutes.  May end in a loud snore, body jerk, arm flinging or sitting upright.  Sufferers feel chronically tired and show a decline in their attention and learning abilities.  Two main causes:  Failure of the ‘breathing centres’ of the brain to maintain normal breathing  A narrowing of the airway into the body, resulting from: ▪ An obstruction in the airway ▪ Shape of jaw, throat or nose ▪ Excess of fatty tissue around the throat  Other possible causes: ▪ Illness ▪ Medication

 Treatment depends on the cause.  Tranquilisers are used to relax the throat muscles.  Surgery to clear obstruction in the airways.  Dental appliances to reposition the tongue  A nasal mask and pump to maintain regularity of breathing during sleep.