Sleeping trouble

Sleeping trouble - Insomnia

This sleeping trouble is the most common. It consists of a decrease of the usual sleep duration and / or a change in the quality of sleep. The insomniac complains of poor sleep, is subject to nocturnal awakenings, to a difficulty of falling asleep, to an early awakening, as well as problems of vigilance (drowsiness) and irritable the next day.

The transient insomnia, which usually lasts less than a month, may be associated with temporary stress, abuse of stimulants (tobacco, coffee, alcohol), noise, heat ... but also a physiological condition (asthma, fever, all kinds of pain ...).
Chronic insomnia, on the other hand, is caused, mostly, by depression or anxiety. It affects 20-30% of the population in his life, especially the old person and women. But in 15-20% of cases, insomnia doesn’t have an explanation.

The adolescent insomnia is generally caused by biological changes (wet dreams, fantasies ...) associated with puberty. The young person may then be tired, anxious, irritable ... school activities and sports may be affected. In some cases, there is a shift of the circadian clock, which can fail when not in school.

In cases most annoying, a doctor may prescribe a suitable treatment to fight against these insomnia: anxiolytics, hypnotics ... Other means used to fight against insomnia: relaxation, psychotherapy, making an infusion (valerian) and other treatments that vary across cultures.

Sleeping trouble - Snoring

This sleeping trouble touch between 500,000 and 1 million people in France, with a male predominance. It is rare in young people, while two out of three men between 40 and 65 years suffer. It is facilitated by obesity, alcohol intake and meal. Snoring is caused by the rapid vibration (between 25 and 200 times per second) of the soft palate, and more precisely walls of the pharynx, located at the crossroads of the respiratory tract between the nasal cavity and larynx. During sleep, muscle relaxation and the position on the back cause pharyngeal narrowing of the duct, if it is unusually narrow, the airflow is disrupted, hence snoring.

Currently, the main treatment is surgery but other milder treatments are emerging slowly. Many simple ways to reduce the effects of this affection, Firstly, a better lifestyle (limitation of tobacco, alcohol, weight loss, stop sleeping) is highly recommended. In addition, unexpected results were obtained with the rehabilitation of the snorer during sleep: a beep sounds when it goes on the back. It is anyway necessary to consult a doctor if it gets annoying.

Sleeping trouble - sleep-wake cycle

This sleeping trouble is marked by excessive sleepiness during the hours of operation, and insomnia during the hours of rest. This phenomenon may be related to physiological or environmental cause (jet lag, for example).
Parasomnias or sleep paroxysmal episodes occur in childhood, but disappear later in the majority of cases: sleepwalking, enuresis (bedwetting), night terrors.

Hypersomnia or excessive need for sleep during the day, is often of psychological origin: anxiety, depression, mental stress intensity. It affects the majority of adolescents and it’s normal during the puberty. It can also be caused by diseases of the vigilance and sleeping pills...