There are seven main types of sleep disorder.

• 1. Insomnia - sleep is disrupted and is insufficient in quantity and quality. There are 4 types
  • i) Onset insomnia -trouble falling asleep;
  • ii) Maintanance insomnia - wake up frequently during the night
  • iii) Termination insomnia - consistently wake up too early
  • iv) Sleep apnea - trouble breathing properly during sleep
    
    
• 2. Narcolepsy - frequent periods of sleepiness during the day, linked to a confusion of REM-like state and the waking state. Perhaps due to over-activity of acetylcholine synapses which produce REM sleep.

  The main symptoms are

  • (1) Extreme sleepiness during the day.
  • (2) Cataplexy - periods of muscle weakness during the waking day.
  • (3) Sleep paralysis
  • (4) Hypnagogic hallucinations - dreamlike experiences difficult to distinguish from reality when first falling asleep or waking up.

   

• 3. Periodic limb movement disorder

   

• 4. Night terrors

   

• 5. Sleep talking

   

• 6. Sleep walking

   

• 7. REM behaviour disorder

If you want more information about sleep disorders see the National, Heart, Lung , and Blood Institute web site.