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There are more than 70 different sleep disorders, and they are classified into the following categories:

Dyssomnias: which all involve a lack of sleep. e.g. insomnia

Parasomnias: which involve disturbed sleep (e.g. Obstructive Sleep Apnea), or excessive sleep (e.g. Narcolepsy)

Medical or Psychiatric Conditions

Other Sleep Disorders

In most cases, sleep disorders can be easily managed once they are properly diagnosed. Insomnia is the most common sleep disorder. It occurs more often in women and in the elderly.

1. Dyssomnias

Dyssomnias are a broad range of sleeping disorders that make it difficult for a person to get to sleep or to stay asleep. There are over 30 recognized kinds of dyssomnias within 3 main groups, with the main types being:

1.1 Intrinsic Sleep Disorders:

- Hypersomnia,
- Narcolepsy,
- Periodic Limb Movement Disorder,
- Restless Legs Syndrome (RLS),
- Sleep Apnea.

1.2 Extrinsic Sleep Disorders:

- Alcohol-Dependent Sleep Disorder,
- Food Allergy Insomnia,
- Inadequate Sleep Hygiene, for example:

-- lack of physical exercise,
-- lack of sleep,
-- too much stress in their lives.

1.3 Circadian Rhythm Disorders:

- Advanced Sleep Phase Syndrome (ASPS),
- Delayed Sleep Phase Syndrome (DSPS),
- Jetlag (also called desynchronosis),
- Shift Work Sleep Disorder.

2. Parasomnia

A parasomnia is any sleep disorder which is characterized by partial arousals during sleep. Stress, depression, and biological factors may also be involved. Many parasomnias are more common in children than in adults.

Parasomnias include:

2.1 REM Sleep Behavior Disorder,
2.2 Sleep Terror,
2.3 Sleepwalking (also called Somnambulism),
2.4 Tooth-Grinding (also called Sleep Bruxism)
2.5 Bedwetting (also called Sleep Enuresis),
2.6 Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS),
2.7 Sleep Talking (also called Somniloquy).

Many parasomnias, such as sleepwalking, are used as themes in comedy, but can actually have serious consequences.

3. Medical or Psychiatric Conditions

A range of medical or psychiatric conditions may also cause sleep disorders, such as:

3.1 Alcoholism
3.2 Anxiety
3.3 Depression
3.4 Mood disorders
3.5 Panic
3.6 Psychoses (like Schizophrenia)

4. Other Sleep Disorders

4.1 Sleeping Sickness (carried by the Tsetse fly)
Sleeping Sickness (also called African Trypanosomiasis) is a parasitic disease in people and animals caused by protozoa of genus Trypanosoma and transmitted by the Tsetse Fly. The disease is very common in certain regions of Sub-Saharan Africa, an area covering about 36 countries and including approximately 60 million people. It is estimated that 300,000 - 500,000 people are infected, and about 40,000 die from the disease every year. Three major epidemics have occurred in the past hundred years, in 1896 - 1906, 1920, and 1970.


Please click on List of Sleeping Disorders Details to read about many different aspects of Sleeping Disorders.