Lesson 1: Clinical Disorders – Part D

Introduction

In the lesson content you will come across some terms in maroon color that are bolded. Look them up in the course Glossary.

Sleeping Disorders

Abnormal sleep is often a contributing factor to many health problems (e.g., heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure). In addition to the physical problems that poor sleep causes, the failure to achieve regular and/or normal sleep can deprive individuals of the joy of life. Lack of sleep reduces alertness, impairs judgement, and affects mood. Impairment to alertness and judgement not only leads to loss of productivity at school or work, but it also contributes to increased accident rates (National Institute of Health, 2004).

The more than 80 different sleep disorders can be grouped into four main categories:

1. Problems with falling asleep and staying asleep
2. Problems with staying awake
3. Problems with following a regular sleep schedule
4. Sleep-disruptive behaviours