About Sleep Disorders
A good night of restorative sleep is an essential part of good health. There are many theories about the purpose of sleep, but no one really knows why sleep is so important. The effects of sleep deprivation are well known and include depression, irritability, hyperactivity in children, excess mortality, problems with memory and speech, various metabolic changes such as insulin resistance, increased metabolic rate, and fluctuation of various hormone levels as well as weight gain or weight loss. It has been estimated that as many as 70 million adults and children in the United States may have a sleep disorder and at least half of them are undiagnosed. Sleep disorders can be serious, progressive and life threatening and some are associated with an increased risk for heart attack, stroke, seizure, fatal rhythm disturbance, sudden death, and motor vehicle accident. They may be responsible for lost time from work and can significantly impair quality of life and affect interpersonal relationships.