Sleep disorders cause lack of sleep and excessive sleepiness (normally occurs during the day) too. However excessive sleepiness caused by sleep disorders is not healthy. They do not have good quality like the sleep normal persons have.

There are different types of sleep disorders:

Sleep Apnea

Sleep apnea is a disorder that involves the respiratory system. This sleep disorder is characterized by troubled breathing and this usually comes with loud snoring. Individuals who have this kind of sleep disorder normally experience this period of breathlessness at night. They do not get sufficient oxygen that their body needs to function normally. Sleep apnea may also be associated to abnormality in heartbeat or high blood pressure. Sleep apnea also gets worse as you grow older.

There are three types of sleep apnea and they are:

Obstructive Sleep Apnea

This is the most common among the 3 types. It is usually caused by a hindrance or blockade in the throat which is the passageway of oxygen. Sleep positions or bed patterns may cause this kind of sleeping disorder. Other factors may also cause this disorder like excess fat or being obese, inheritance, and too much alcohol intake before going to sleep.

Central Sleep Apnea

The second type of sleep apnea, central sleep apnea is caused by some irregularities or abnormalities in the part of the brain that controls our breathing. Usually, people with sleep apnea wake up at night for brief periods and breathe. Normally, they do not remember these brief periods when they wake up.

Mixed Sleep Apnea

As the name suggests, the person experiences both obstructive sleep apnea and central sleep apnea.

A person may already have sleep apnea if he or she experiences the following:

• Loud snoring
• Frequent urination at night
• Waking up at night with the sensation of being choked
• Waking up sweating
• Waking up at night panting for air

Narcolepsy

Narcolepsy is a situation where the person feels sleepy every time, even at an unanticipated time and place. It is frequently irregular and sudden. Narcoleptics also experience unmanageable sleep (also known as ‘micro sleeps’). They also lose control of their muscles. This event of losing control of your muscle is called cataplexy. In general, a person attacked by cataplexy collapses and undergoes sudden rush of emotion. Narcoleptics may also suffer from figment of imagination or hallucinations when they wake up.

One property of narcolepsy is that it interrupts the Rapid Eye Movement (REM) Sleep (also called dream sleep) untimely. During this stage of sleep, our body becomes tranquil and our brain becomes energetic and our eyes move hastily under our eyelids in all directions (see The Sleep Stages section for further details). Normal people who don’t have narcolepsy experience REM sleep when they have been asleep or sleep has been in progress for quite some time. But on the other hand, people who are narcoleptic experience REM sleep even if they are awake.

Some symptoms of narcolepsy include:

• Sleep paralysis
• Hallucinations
• Excessive feeling of sleepiness during the day
• Falling asleep even if you don’t want to

Somnambulism

Another kind of sleep disorder is somnambulism. It is also known as sleepwalking. Somnambulism is a sleep disorder that affects children from age’s four to twelve. Adults may also be affected by this kind of sleep disorder. It is a disorder wherein the sleeper stands up, walks, and do chores like ordinary awake people. Somnambulists commonly take out actions, such as looking for someone or something, that reveal stressful events. Sleepwalking also comes with sleep talking. It is quite puzzling in the sense that the individual is awake enough to do ordinary tasks, but is not completely conscious of them. He doesn’t even remember what he did during this period of sleepwalking

Generally, sleepwalking happens to a person during his or her deep sleep or the deep non-REM sleep. Although incidents of sleepwalking are short and not hazardous, some cases might engage in inflicting self-injury which will pose troubles or danger for the person sleepwalking.

Insomnia

Insomnia never comes to a man who has to get up at six o’clock Insomnia only troubles those who can sleep any time.

- Elbert Hubbard (1856-1915)

The most common of all sleep disorders is insomnia. Many people experience insomnia where they do not get enough sleep and rest.

Insomnia is a condition where the person has a problem in sleeping. That person experiences complexity in establishing sleep. The person also finds it hard to stay asleep. Insomnia is often used in suggesting other kinds of sleep deprivation including circadian disorders, sleep apnea, narcolepsy, and others. Many people suffer from insomnia and are dispossessed of the benefits and welfare of sleeping.

Insomnia can be a symptom of other sleep disorders or other medical or psychological/psychiatric problems, and can often be treated. When insomnia symptoms occur more than a few times a week and impact a person's daytime functions, the symptoms should be discussed with a doctor or other health care provider.

There are three types of insomnia and they are:

Transient Insomnia

This type of insomnia is typically caused by excitement or stress and happens for a few nights only. This kind of insomnia is caused by acute stress, emotional problems, etc. causing emotional anxiety. A vigorous exercise before bedtime or poor health can also temporarily disturb sleep.

Short-term Insomnia

As the name suggests, this type of insomnia is described as insomnia that occurs for only a short period of time. It is believed that this type of insomnia is caused by stress.

Chronic Insomnia

The worst of the three types, this type of insomnia is characterized by poor sleep every night. It is also more compound and frequently results from a mixture of factors, as well as basic physical or mental disorders