Sleep Disorders

Sleep disorders are a group of conditions that disrupt sleep — its quality, timing, amount, or behaviours during sleep. Common disorders are insomnia, sleep apnoea, restless legs syndrome, narcolepsy, parasomnias (sleep-walking, night terrors), and circadian rhythm disorders (shift-work, jet-lag). Most are under-diagnosed in India and treatable.

Main groups — quick picture

• Insomnia — trouble falling/staying asleep (see Insomnia page).
• Obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) — loud snoring, pauses in breathing, morning headache, daytime drowsiness, refractory high BP (see Sleep Apnea page).
• Restless Legs Syndrome — irresistible urge to move legs, worse at night.
• Narcolepsy — sudden sleep attacks in daytime; cataplexy (sudden muscle weakness with emotion).
• Parasomnias — sleep-walking, night terrors, REM-sleep behaviour disorder (acting out dreams).
• Circadian rhythm disorders — shift work, jet lag, delayed/advanced sleep phase.

When to see a Health Expert

• Loud snoring + witnessed pauses + daytime drowsiness.
• Uncontrolled BP or diabetes + snoring — screen for apnoea.
• Unexplained daytime sleep attacks.
• Acting out dreams violently (can suggest early Parkinson's).
• Sleep-walking in an adult, injuries during sleep.
• Chronic insomnia (>3 months).
• Severe shift-work-related problems with health or safety.
• Persistent sleep issues affecting mood or function.

Evaluation

• Detailed sleep history from patient + bed partner.
• Sleep diary, sometimes actigraphy.
• Polysomnography (sleep study) — the key test for OSA, parasomnias; available at major Indian centres and increasingly as home studies.
• Thyroid, iron/ferritin (restless legs), mental-health screen.

Treatment

Depends on the specific disorder — CPAP for sleep apnoea, iron repletion for restless legs, CBT-I for insomnia, scheduled light/melatonin for circadian disorders, specific medicines for narcolepsy. Don't assume sleeping tablets fix sleep — they often don't.