Tips for a Good Night’s Sleep
... · Minimize noise with earplugs and minimize light with window blinds, heavy curtains, or an eye mask. Do not turn on bright lights if you need to get up at night. Use a small night-light instead. · Av...

When to Seek Help for a Sleep Disorder
... A sleep disorder is broadly defined as a physical or psychological problem that impairs your ability to sleep or causes increased sleepiness during the non-sleeping hours. Everyone can experience prob...

Sleep During Pregnancy
... The hormonal changes and physical discomfort associated with pregnancy can affect a woman’s quality of sleep. Each trimester of brings its own unique changes, including changes in sleep. According to ...

Sleep and Depression
... Depression is a mood disorder that is characterized by sadness, or "having the blues." Nearly everyone feels sad or down from time to time. Sometimes, however, the sad feelings become intens...

Sleep and Kids
... Children and adolescents need at least nine hours of sleep per night. Lack of sleep can have negative effects on children''s performance in school, during extracurricular activities, and in social rel...

Sleep and Menopause
... Menopause is a stage in life when a woman stops having her monthly menstrual cycle (i.e., period). It is a normal part of aging and marks the end of a woman''s reproductive years. Menopause typically ...

Sleep Basics
... What happens when you sleep? When you sleep, your body rests and restores its energy levels. However, sleep is an active state that affects both your physical and mental well-being. A good night''s sl...

Myths and Facts About Sleep
... Myth: Health problems such as obesity, diabetes, hypertension, and depression have no relation to the amount and quality of a person’s sleep. Fact: More and more scientific studies are showing correla...

Answers to Your Questions About Sleep and Sleep Disorders
... How much sleep does the average person need? The need for sleep changes as we age and varies with each person. By far, most adults need about 8 hours of sleep to feel fully rested. A small number of p...

Choosing a Doctor and Finding a Sleep Center
... If a sleep disorder is interfering with your daily life, a doctor or accredited sleep disorder center can provide more information on treatments. Choosing a doctor--sleep physician directories America...

Lifestyle/Behavioral Treatments for Sleep Disorders
... Lifestyle/behavioral treatments for sleep disorders may include the following: Relaxation training Cognitive therapy Stimulus control (SC) Sleep restriction therapy (SRT) Sleep hygiene Relaxation trai...

Shift Work Sleep Disorder
... What is shift work sleep disorder (SWSD)? Shift work sleep disorder (SWSD) is a sleep disorder that affects people who frequently rotate shifts or work at night. Schedules of these people go against t...

Sleep-Related Eating Disorders (SRED)
... What are sleep-related eating disorders (SRED)? Sleep-related eating disorders are disorders characterized by abnormal eating patterns during the night. Although it is not as common as sleepwalking, n...

When Eating and Sleeping Happen Together
... Typically, when most folks call it a night, they lock the doors, turn off the lights, and get ready for bed. But in some rare cases, a few extra precautions--such as padlocking the refrigerators and k...

Delayed Sleep Phase Syndrome and Advanced Sleep Phase Syndrome
... What is delayed sleep phase syndrome (DSPS)? Delayed sleep phase syndrome (DSPS) is a disorder of sleep timing. People with DSPS tend to fall asleep at very late times, and will subsequently sleep lat...

Hypersomnia
... Hypersomnia, or excessive sleepiness, is a condition in which a person has trouble staying awake during the day. People who have hypersomnia can fall asleep at any time; for instance, at work or while...

Insomnia
... What is insomnia? Insomnia is a sleep disorder of difficulty initiating or maintaining sleep. People with insomnia have one or more of the following symptoms: difficulty falling asleep; waking up ofte...

Jet Lag (Time Zone Change Syndrome)
... What is jet lag (time zone syndrome)? Jet lag (time zone change syndrome) often results in symptoms including difficulty initiating or maintaining sleep, excessive sleepiness, and a lack of daytime al...

Narcolepsy
... What is narcolepsy? Narcolepsy is a neurological disorder of sleep regulation that affects the control of sleep and wakefulness. People with narcolepsy experience excessive daytime sleepiness and inte...

Non 24-Hour Sleep Wake Disorder
... What is non 24-hour sleep wake disorder? Non 24-hour sleep wake disorder is a condition that results when a person inadvertently delays bedtime and then attempts to sleep at a conventional time. Peopl...

Parasomnias
... What are parasomnias? Parasomnias are disruptive sleep-related disorders that can occur during arousals from REM sleep or partial arousals from NREM sleep. Parasomnias: are characterized by undesirabl...

Periodic Limb Movement Disorder (PLMD)
... What is Periodic Limb Movement Disorder (PLMD)? According to the International Classification of Sleep Disorders, Periodic Limb Movement Disorder (PLMD) is a sleep disorder characterized by rhythmic m...

Causes of and Treatments for Snoring
... Snoring is a common condition that occurs at all ages and in both genders, although it occurs more frequently in men and in people who are overweight. Snoring can be as mild as an occasional disturban...

Circadian Rhythm Disorders
... What are circadian rhythm disorders? Circadian rhythm disorders are disruptions in a person’s circadian rhythm—a name given to the "internal body clock" that regulates the (approximately) 24...

Sleep Disorders: Clinical Trials
... What is a clinical trial? A clinical trial, also called a research study, tests the value and safety of various interventions in people. Clinical trials are meant to find new and improved methods of e...

Sleep Glossary
... Cataplexy—Symptom of narcolepsy; consists of a sudden loss of muscle tone that leads to feelings of weakness and a loss of voluntary muscle control. Central sleep apnea—Sleep disorder in which the air...

Common Sleep Disorders: An Overview
... What are sleep disorders and how common are they? Sleep disorders are conditions that prevent a person from getting restful sleep and, as a result, can cause daytime sleepiness and dysfunction. There ...

Clinical Hypnotherapy
... What is hypnotherapy? Hypnotherapy is a technique that uses the hypnotic state, which enables changes in perception and memory, a major increase in response to suggestion, and the potential for contro...

Hypersomnia Information Page
... Hypersomnia is characterized by recurrent episodes of excessive daytime sleepiness or prolonged nighttime sleep. Different from feeling tired due to lack of or interrupted sleep at night, persons with...

Kleine-Levin Syndrome Information Page
... Kleine-Levin syndrome is a rare disorder that causes recurring periods of excessive drowsiness and sleep (up to 20 hours per day). Symptoms, which may last for days to weeks, include excessive food in...

Narcolepsy Information Page
... Narcolepsy is a disabling neurological disorder of sleep regulation that affects the control of sleep and wakefulness. It may be described as an intrusion of the dreaming state of sleep (called REM or...

Sleep Disorders
... This patient summary on sleep disorders is adapted from a summary written for health professionals by cancer experts. This and other credible information about cancer treatment, screening, prevention,...

Sustained Reduced Sleep Can Have Serious Consequences
... In a study on the effects of sleep deprivation, investigators at the University of Pennsylvania found that subjects who slept four to six hours a night for fourteen consecutive nights showed significa...

Sleep Apnea
... In sleep apnea, your breathing stops or gets very shallow while you are sleeping. Each pause typically lasts 10-20 seconds or more. These pauses can occur 20 to 30 times or more an hour. The most comm...

How Biological Clocks Work
... Anyone who has traveled has experienced jet lag—that groggy realization that while your day is beginning in Washington, DC, the night you just left in San Francisco is hardly over. Jet lag is an inc...

Insomnia
... It is not unusual to have sleep troubles from time to time. But, if you feel that you do not get enough sleep or satisfying sleep, you may have insomnia, a sleep disorder. People with insomnia have on...

Restless Legs Syndrome
... Restless legs syndrome (RLS) is a sleep disorder in which a person has unpleasant feelings or sensations in the legs. These feelings are described as creeping, crawling, tingling, pulling, or painful....

Sleep Apnea
... Sleep apnea (sleep-disordered breathing) is a serious and common sleep disorder affecting about 12 million Americans, according to the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Its name comes from a Greek ...

Narcolepsy Fact Sheet
... Narcolepsy is a chronic neurological disorder caused by the brain's inability to regulate sleep-wake cycles normally. At various times throughout the day, people with narcolepsy experience fleetin...

Sleep Disorders
... Sleep disturbances occur in about 12% to 25% of the general population [1] and are often associated with situational stress, illness, aging, and drug treatment.[2,3] It is estimated that 45% of people...