A Primary Sleep Disorder Has Two Major Categories

Sleep disorders affect 81 million Americans each year. There are different categories for these sleep disorders, but the primary sleep disorder is divided into two categories. A primary sleep disorder is different from other disorders in that it is not caused by other mental disorders, prescription medications, medical conditions or substance abuse. The two major primary sleep disorder categories are the dyssomnias and the parasomnias.

Dyssomnias

Dyssomnias are primary sleep disorders where a patient suffers from the changes in amount, restfulness and timing of sleep. The first and most important dyssomnias is primary insomnia. Primary insomnia is defined as difficulty in falling asleep or remaining asleep that lasts for at least one month. Primary insomnia can be triggered by a traumatic event related to sleep or bedtime and is often associated with heightened psychological or physical arousal at night. These sufferers are most often anxious about not being able to sleep. This person will then associate all sleep related things such as their bedtime or their bed with frustration. This person then becomes more stressed about not sleeping. This primary sleep disorder usually begins when the person is a young adult or in middle age.

Hypersomnia is a disorder characterized by excessive sleepiness during normal waking hours. This person will have lengthy episodes of daytime sleep or episodes of daytime sleep on a daily basis even though they are sleeping normally at night. In this primary sleep disorder, the person may have difficulty waking in the mornings and may appear angry and disoriented. This disorder is sometimes called sleep drunkenness and is more common in males. Hypersomnia usually affects young adults between the ages of 15 and 30.

Parasomnias

Parasomnia is the other primary sleep disorder that is caused by specific sleep stages or transitions between waking and sleeping. This primary sleep disorder is characterized by patients who suffer from night terrors, nightmares and sleep walking. This disorder is usually found in children. Night terrors are defined as waking up screaming or crying, usually because of a frightening dream you cannot remember. Night terrors are usually the end result of the fear of the dark. Nightmares are waking up alarmed and frightened. Normally, this individual is fully alert upon waking. Sleep walking is where an individual walks and talks with his eyes wide open and yet he is sound asleep. As disturbing as sleep walking is to watch, it is harmless, and a child will generally outgrow this primary sleep disorder.