What is a sleep disorder?

A sleep disorder is any difficulty with sleep, including:

• difficulty falling or staying asleep,
• difficulty staying awake during the daytime (excessive sleepiness),
• sleeping too much,
• difficulty sleeping during normal sleep hours at nighttime,
• abnormal behaviors during sleep which disrupt sleep, or
• unrefreshing sleep.

Even though snoring may cause difficulty with sleep for your bed partner, snoring by itself is not a sleep disorder. Nevertheless, snoring may be a symptom of a very serious sleep disorder, such as sleep apnea.

What are the symptoms of a sleep disorder?

Lots of people complain that they can’t fall asleep or stay asleep, or that they are sleepy during the day, but few consider these to be symptoms of a sleep disorder. Deprivation of a sleep is a symptom of a sleep disorder.

Specific behaviors during normal daytime activities are telltale signs of sleep deprivation.
- If you are experiencing one or more of the following symptoms during the day, you may not be getting enough restful sleep at night, and you may even have a sleep disorder.

Do you . . .

• feel irritable or sleepy during the day?
• have difficulty staying awake when sitting still, such as when watching television or reading?
• fall asleep sometimes while driving?
• have difficulty paying attention or concentrating at work, school, or home?
• perform below your potential in work, school, or sports?
• often get told by others that you look tired?
• have difficulty with your memory?
• react slowly?
• have emotional outbursts?
• feel like taking a nap almost every day?
• require caffeinated beverages to keep yourself going?