Sleep Disorders (essay)Over 100 million people suffer from sleep disorders or poor sleep, most of us are familiar with insomnia, the most common sleep disorder . There are others we'll talk about, starting with insomnia, then sleep apnea, night terrors, and finally narcolepsy. There are many reasons why a person can't get enough sleep, it could be work-related, stress-related or genetics. These disorders range from harmless and annoying to life-threatening and life-ruining. To explore sleep disorders, this essay will discuss what to expect from these disorders, what the symptoms are, and how they are treated. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay Insomnia is the most common sleep disorder among us, probably because we have all experienced it at one time or another in our lives. Insomnia is the inability to fall asleep at night, leaving the person dissatisfied with the little amount of sleep obtained. Insomnia is the most easily treatable sleep disorder, although, contrary to popular belief, counting sheep does not help you sleep, and while sleeping pills work, they also disrupt REM sleep making the person feel less rested. The simplest way to treat insomnia is to let it run its course and try to reduce sleep-inhibiting thoughts. Sleep apnea is another common disorder, the only symptoms of this disorder are daytime drowsiness and snoring. At night is the time when this disorder can become dangerous, because the disorder lies in a breathing abnormality. If a person suffers from sleep apnea, it means that they actually stop breathing for up to a minute, and this can happen several hundred times a night! In addition to less serious effects during the day, such as inattention, negligence or falling asleep, there is a more dangerous effect due to lack of oxygen to the brain. Damage to brain cells can occur along with high blood pressure caused by the prolonged absence of oxygen reaching the brain and circulating through the body. Treatment is usually focused on reducing the number of episodes per night; this can be achieved with a device that pumps air into the lungs and keeps the airway open during sleep. Night terrors occur commonly in children and pose no health threat, although they can be very serious. distressing, especially because it is children who most often suffer from it. The most presentable symptom will present itself in the form of a screaming child, when the child becomes alert he will most likely not remember what he was so terrified of but the feeling of being scared will remain with him. There is actually no treatment for this disorder other than waiting for the child to grow out of this nightly extracurricular task. Narcolepsy is one of the most unusual sleep disorders, producing daytime sleep attacks. This means that a once alert person will experience a sudden attack of sleep fullness, usually without warning. This can be very dangerous because it can happen at any time, for example when driving a car. In addition to sudden sleep attacks, the victim may suffer from a sudden loss of muscle control following sleep attacks. Studies show that narcolepsy is triggered by a reduced supply of hypocretin. This means there is currently no cure, but some medications can reduce the frequency with which these attacks occur. Please note: this is just an example. Get a custom paper from our expert writers now. Get an essay.