Sleep Disorders

There are many different sleep disorders, which are officially documented at this website:

The International Classification of Sleep Disorders

I talk about night terrors and various other sleep disorders throughout
my own site here, but on this particular page I touch on a few
sleep disorders and go into them in depth, providing some links to FAQ's
and info for those who may need them. Please look through these links
not only for yourself, but for any family members or friends who might
benefit from these links. Some of the info provided here is not
commonly known, but needs to be.

Periodic Limb Movement Disorder & Restless Legs

I talk about these disorders because they disturb the sleep, and any disorder that disturbs one's sleep can also lead to enhanced recall of dreams or nightmares, which can be good or bad depending on one's experience. I also talk about them because they affect my family personally. Please note: I am only giving my personal experience & opinions & some links that I think may be helpful to others, and this is *NOT* intended to be medical advice;
please consult a medical physician for medical advice.

You can read about Periodic Limb Movement & Restless Legs Syndrome here:

Sleep Disorder Channel.Net

Periodic Limb Movement Disorder (PLMD) is usually lumped in with Restless Legs Syndrome (RLS), but they are different because RLS involves the legs while PLMD can involve the arms and legs also. RLS makes a person absolutely miserable, with a crawling sensation in their legs that forces them to move often, and they cannot rest. If they are lucky, just getting up & going to bed to sleep will handle the problem; but if the problem goes deeper than that, then they will be woken up or not able to sleep due to these sensations. I've had them before, my mother has them, my husband and child have them all to varying degrees. Chances are that you know somebody who has them. There are treatments available, but ironically, one common treatment for them actually causes restless legs in myself. Oftentimes the treatments are unsuccessful, but research is ever hopeful. You can find support groups on the net and websites that have helpful information.

Here are a few sites:

Restless Legs Syndrome. Org

We Move-RLS with FAQ

Excellent PLMD & RLS Info by an M.D.

eMedicine.com PLMD & RLS Info

RLS Links

A Personal Account of PLMD by Warren

"I never even realized I moved in my sleep until my wife told me that I was constantly moving my arms& legs all night long, even unintentionally waking her up when my arm would thrash around or I'd be holding her and suddenly tense up, almost like having a seizure which scared her half to death more than once. We just laughed about it until years later it progressed and suddenly I was getting sick from being so tired and never getting enough rest. It was because I never really got into deep REM sleep due to the interruptions from the PLMD. When my other lab tests checked out normal, my wife mentioned to our doctor that my PLMD was much worse now, and maybe I should have a sleep study? So a sleep study was ordered, and it was found out that I had a particularly severe case of PLMD, with almost 50 disturbances per hour. No wonder I was becoming a walking zombie! My wife was upset, saying that I wasn't "myself" anymore, just basically not responsive and the best description truly is that of a zombie."

"The symptoms I get are extreme tiredness where I will even fall asleep and doze during the day, and I feel nauseous from not getting enough rest. I'm cranky, my memory is shot & I can't concentrate, and feel just as bad when I get up as when I go to bed. It doesn't matter how much rest I get. Unfortunately, the sleep center that did my study dropped the ball and didn't get the full report from the neurologist, and we didn't know enough to expect a full follow-up with the neurologist, so our family doctor tried to treat it as best he could but he didn't know what to do and for a year I just got much worse. Finally, we called the sleep center again & spoke to them at length and someone there mentioned that I should have seen the neurologist, so I went to see him and got a medication prescribed for me that has been a big help. It's not a miracle cure, but it helps. It's called Mirapex. It's normally prescribed for Parkinson's Disease, but this is one of the off-label disorders they are having success with. There are a couple others that are used, but this one is the one with the biggest success rate."

"The #1 thing I would want to tell others is that it is very very important not to give up on getting help for themselves. It isn't always easy to get help from doctors, especially with insurance companies giving us all so many challenges the way they do today. But you have to work hard at it and do your own research and find others to help you, and then find specialists to help you if necessary. Be patient and don't give up! No one single doctor can possibly know everything, so find others that are experts in the field of PLMD, RLS, sleep disorders, or neurology if your family physician tries normal medications if they don't work for you."

"Here are some of the tests done: MRI brain, brain stem & spinal cord; chemistry profile & cbc. Everything checked out normal, but tell my body that; I kept getting much worse. I didn't want anything to be physically wrong with me, but it was and yet the lab tests yielded no clues so I was left untreated. The websites and books all talk about PLMD like it is something simple and not disabling, but a severe case of it is quite disruptful of one's life, and must be treated."

"One of the best resources for this disorder can be found on the internet. There are support groups where people can tell you where to find knowledgeable doctors in your area, so I highly recommend them. Good luck to everyone, I hope you can find help if this might be your problem." --Warren.

The above was a personal account & are opinions of my friend Warren, and not meant as medical advice. Please seek professional medical assistance if necessary.

Bruxism

Bruxism simply means that a person grinds, gnashes or clenches their teeth while they sleep. My mother has this disorder, and wears a dental guard when she sleeps. It is important to seek dental evaluation and treatment because this disorder can cause serious medical issues if untreated. According to the ICSD, or International Classification of Sleep Disorders, bruxism is the 3rd most common sleep disorder, following sleep talking and snoring. They believe bruxism is triggered more often during times of tension or stress, like many other sleep disorders. I will add links to bruxism sites below for people to learn about this disorder and read FAQ's so they can avoid serious problems that can happen if they don't seek help for this disorder, but first I want to add that it is not uncommon for people who grind their teeth in their sleep to dream something to "make sense" of this unconscious habit, such as their teeth throbbing and growing large, or popping out. These dreams can be very intense and realistic, and may be trying to point towards the need for dentistry treatment for the bruxism, rather than an esoterical or emotional symbol about our waking life issues. That's just an example off the top of my head; I've heard from numerous people with requests for dream interpretations, and some are clearly possibly related to a physical symptom such as teeth grinding. Something to think about!

Links on teeth grinding or bruxism:

Bruxism, Painful & Dangerous

Filling A Gap in the Bruxism Puzzle

Stanford Bruxism Links

Rhythmic Movement Disorder

Here is a description of a sleep disorder usually found in babies or children, but which rarely does afflict adults as well:

Rhythmic Movement Disorder: Also known as jactatio capitis nocturna, headbanging, headrolling, bodyrocking, bodyrolling, rythmie du sommeil. The term rythmic movement disorder is preferred as different body areas may be involved in the movement activity. (snipped from below site:)

Sleep Well Homepage

These movements can also be accompanied by gutteral noises that sound pretty primeavel. Cool! Ok, so it's not so cool to their spouse in the middle of the night. But my main concern is this: I've had people contact me, worried that their relative or friend who displays the above symptoms are possessed by a demon(!) No, this is not demonic possession...it's a neurological sleep disorder that is not fully understood by science as of yet, unfortunately. However, the good news is that the WWW is bringing fellow-RMD'rs together so they can bond and share their angst. And I'm sure they have plenty of angst to share!

I am not a doctor and cannot diagnose anyone, so if you are concerned that you or someone you know may have this disorder, you would need to contact a reputable sleep clinic in your area. I have provided a link below.

This is a disorder that is said to be rare in adults, usually occuring in babies and children who outgrow it by their teen years; but guess what-- adults are now finding each other on the net and are suprised that there are others out there with the same disorder.

Many doctors are unfamiliar with RMD, so you should be on guard not to be dismissed as if you are imagining things, or that it's no big deal. C'mon, you can stand up for your patient rights better than that! If the doc is dropping the ball, call him/her on it and demand a referral to someone who is trained in these sleep disorders, such as a sleep disorder clinic. That's right, I said FIRE the doctor. They aren't gods, they are paid by you, the consumer. They are hired help and should do their job. If they don't, find a better one on the net or by calling around and asking questions. I don't mean to sound harsh, but I hear from so many people who suffer because of inept doctors who should do better by their patients, or who let the insurance companies lead them around by the nose. Ok, so often it's the insurance companies fault...don't get me started! (stepping down from soapbox)

So remember: RMD has nothing to do with being possessed by a demon. I know it seems weird and even scary, but it is a medical issue, not a demonic possession issue. A general rule of thumb to go by is this: if their head doesn't spin completely around, you're probably safe any the pea soup episodes. Unless they want to really jerk your chain! (grin)

Seriously, can you imagine how many people who have had this disorder who have most likely been ostracised over the eons? Thank goodness we live in a more knowlegeable age these days. We do. Don't we?

Here is a link to Eric's website with an online Email Support Group for RMD!

And another link to his website:

Eric's Rhythmic Movement Disorder Page

I highly recommend Eric's page to anyone who deals with RMD on a personal basis, or knows someone who does. Tell him ZenCyn sent ya!

Sleep Apnea:

Most of you will have heard about sleep apnea, and already know that it is a common, but significant sleep disorder where the person who has it suddenly stops breathing momentarily, then starting up again after lack of air disturbs them into partial wakefulness. This happens countless times during the night, and they never have a truly restful sleep because of it. There are plenty of websites which go into this disorder in much more depth, but what I want to touch upon is this: any dreams which have to do with choking, being choked, not being able to breathe, feeling like a 10-ton weight is on your chest (because you can't breathe)--any similar dreams, may point towards sleep apnea. As I've mentioned before, any type of body pain or problem will manifest itself into your dream as a dream symbol, in order to alert you to this problem and oftentimes, just to give your dreaming mind a "reason" to keep you asleep, especially when you are exhausted and need the rest. For instance, if you have sleep apnea all the time and your body needs rest, when you have an episode of apnea then your dreaming mind might give you a scenario of being choked by someone sneaking up behind you. The dream will seem especially frightening because it feels so real...because it actually is real, as far as you not breathing. But, your dreaming mind gave you an explanation so you could continue sleeping for a few more precious moments.

My dreaming mind does this for me often. I have a facial nerve disease called Trigeminal Neuralgia, which is intensely painful. If you have ever had an absessed tooth, imagine all of your teeth on one side of your face like that, and you get an idea of the amount of pain. They call it the suicide disease, because the high level of pain is so unbearable. Obviously, this becomes a problem when I try to sleep, because the pain will keep me awake. But my dreaming mind manifests different scenarios that "explain" why I am having this pain, so I'll keep dreaming and stay asleep a little bit longer. I have had horrific dreams of having half of my face shot off, for example, and that is why. Knowing why helps me let go of the fear caused by this nightmare, which felt very real. It helps a great deal to know *why* you are having nightmares caused by a sleep disturbance, or disorder. It is much easier to go to sleep, then.

Remember, your dreaming mind is there to serve you. Its purpose is not to hurt you, but to alert you to any potential problems you may need to face, whether it is sleep apnea, an emotional problem which is stopping you from accepting love into your life; even a drop in temperature which is causing your body to get too cold, which wakes you up to reach for the covers. You may have dreamt you were walking in a blizzard and found a house which you entered, then crawled into bed and reached for the covers, only to wake up as you were reaching to grab the blankets from your blanket-hogging husband.

Why is it important for our dreaming minds to keep us asleep in a dream, rather than waking us up fully? Not only because of the obvious reason that our bodies need the rest, but also because if our minds totally awaken, we will start to think of other issues such as problems we may have, and then we wake up totally and miss out on much-needed rest. Our dreaming mind is our friend, even if it doesn't seem that way sometimes. Learn how to work with your dreaming mind, and you will have restful sleep again...as restful as your body will allow, given any sleep disorders or maladies.

It is important to note that many people who have sleep apnea are not even aware of it, and it is very important that it be treated. If you suspect that you have it, I urge you to seek out a doctor who will refer you to a sleep clinic, where you will be tested to see if you do. If so, there are treatments for it. My sister has sleep apnea, and has benefitted from these treatments.

The below is a snippet of helpful information from SleepApnea.org

WHAT'S YOUR SNORE SCORE?

 Yes No

Have you ever been observed to gasp or stop breathing during sleep? Yes No

Do you feel tired or groggy upon awakening, or do you awaken with a headache? Yes No

Are you often tired or fatigued during the wake time hours? Yes No

Do you fall asleep sitting, reading, watching TV or driving? Yes No

Do you often have problems with memory or concentration? Yes No

"If you have one or more of these symptoms you are at higher risk
for having obstructive sleep apnea. If you are also overweight,
have a large neck, and/or have high blood pressure the risk
increases even further. our answers to this quiz will help you
decide whether you may suffer from sleep apnea:

Are you a loud and/or regular snorer?
If you or someone close to you answers "yes" to any of the above questions,
you should discuss your symptoms with your physician or a sleep specialist.
Or ask the American Sleep Apnea Association for more information on the
diagnosis and treatment of sleep apnea. Different treatment options exist;
which is right for you depends upon the severity of your apnea and other
aspects of the disorder. Talk to your doctor about choices. Untreated,
obstructive sleep apnea can be extremely serious and cannot be ignored."

--From SleepApnea.org

Helpful links on Sleep Apnea:

As I often state, I am not a medical expert and urge you to seek out websites
that go into detail about the medical sleep disorder(s) you may have.
Here are some helpful links, with terrific information:

Here is a link so you can find a sleep disorder clinic near you:

NASA Sleep Links

Here is a message board thread that shows other adults who have this disorder:

SleepNet

...and another:

HealthBoards.com

Let me know if there are any other questions, or you need help contacting someone knowlegeable about this disorder.

One word of advice:
Don't take "No," or "I don't know" as an answer, nor accept it
if a doctor pooh-poohs this disorder. When they do that, it's a
clear sign that they are clueless and just too lazy to research it
for their patient; they don't deserve your money, fire them and find
a better doc who will help you. Don't suffer because your doctor isn't
knowledgeable. Find one who is! If you don't, who will?

The above are just some of the sleep disorders that people can suffer from. For a more extensive list, you can look for a sleep disorder FAQ on the internet by doing a search, or look through the dream links on my menu at the bottom of each page throughout my site.

Here's a link to a huge resource on sleep disorders put together by NASA:

SLEEP DISORDER RESOURCES

Here is an A-Z by State listing of Sleep Disorder Clinics:

American Academy of Sleep Medicine

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Sleep Disorders

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