Classification and Description of Sleep Disorders

Circadian rhythm sleep disorders

These disorders are grouped together because they share a common theme of disrupting the way sleep occurs over a 24-hour period.

1. Time zone change (jet lag) syndrome

This common disorder is the result of rapidly changing time zones, usually as the result of jet flight. The difference between the body's internal clock and local time causes trouble getting to sleep at night, daytime sleepiness, and physical problems like stomach upset.

2. Shift-work sleep disorder

Transient insomnia or excessive sleepiness that results when work schedules change or are incompatible with nonwork sleep-wake cycles.

3. Irregular sleep-wake pattern

A disorder in which individuals do follow set times for sleeping and for waking up. They find it difficult to sleep or wake up when they try to do either.

4. Delayed-sleep-phase syndrome

A disorder in which nightly sleep is delayed until long after the desired sleep time. This results in sleep-onset association disorder and trouble waking up at the desired time.

5. Advanced-sleep-phase syndrome

This is a disorder in which nightly sleep and irresistible sleepiness come before the desired time. The patient wakes up earlier than desired in the morning.

6. 24-hour sleep-wake syndrome

People with this syndrome sleep as if they have a free-running biological clock, and have a daily sleep delay of 1 to 2 hours after the previous night's sleep time.

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Intrinsic sleep disorders

Extrinsic sleep disorders

Parasomnias

Medical and psychiatric sleep disorders

Proposed sleep disorders

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