Overview

Sleep disorders are conditions that result in changes in the way that you sleep.

A sleep disorder can affect your overall health, safety and quality of life. Sleep deprivation can affect your ability to drive safely and increase your risk of other health problems.

There are many different types of sleep disorders. Sleep disorders can also be grouped according to behaviors, problems with your natural sleep-wake cycles, breathing problems, difficulty sleeping or how sleepy you feel during the day.

Some common types of sleep disorders include:

• Insomnia, in which you have difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep
  throughout the night.
• Sleep apnea, in which you experience abnormal patterns in breathing while you are asleep. There are several types of sleep apnea.
• Restless legs syndrome (RLS), a type of sleep movement disorder. Restless legs
  syndrome, also called Willis-Ekbom disease, causes an uncomfortable sensation and an urge to move the legs while you try to fall asleep.
• Narcolepsy, a condition characterized by extreme sleepiness during the day and falling asleep suddenly during the day.

Symptoms

Symptoms of sleep disorders include

• being very sleepy during the daytime
• having trouble falling asleep at night
• falling asleep at inappropriate times, such as while driving
• breathing in an unusual pattern or feeling an uncomfortable urge to move while you are trying to fall asleep
• Unusual or bothersome movements or experiences during sleep are also possible
• Having an irregular sleep and wake cycle is another symptom of sleep disorders