Sleep disorders

Sleep disorders include a range of conditions that cause difficulties sleeping. Sleep disorders can have several causes, physical or psychological (hyperthyroidism, anxiety, respiratory), and can cause other difficulties in daily life (fatigue, poor performance, daytime sleepiness). Some of the most common sleep disorders include: insomnia, which is the inability to fall or stay asleep properly; sleepwalking, a disorder in which the person ambulates while still asleep; night terrors, fear episodes that may be associated with sleepwalking; or nightmares, which are unpleasant and frightening dreams that cause an abrupt awakening in both children and adults. Narcolepsy is another sleep disorder that has a number of symptoms ranging from falling asleep randomly to having trouble resting well at night.