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Sleep Disorders

The Sleeping Brain—the New Frontier

Many undiscovered secrets lie hidden behind the doors of sleep and its related disorders. However, the future looks bright for sufferers of sleep disorders. Intense interest from researchers, satisfaction of an increasing number of accurately diagnosed and treated patients, advances in technology, and the recent formation of a National Institute of Health Commission on Sleep by the United States Congress, suggest that research, training, education, and recognition in this area of medicine will continue to flourish.


Resources

Books

Moorcroft, William H. Sleep, Dreaming and Sleep Disorders. Lanham/London: University Press of America, Inc., 1989.

Reite, Martin, Kim Nagel, and John Ruddy. Concise Guide to Evaluation and Management of Sleep Disorders. Washington, DC: American Psychiatric Press, Inc., 1990.

Thorpy, Michael J., ed. Handbook of Sleep Disorders. New York/Basel: Marcel Dekker, 1990.

Thorpy, Michael J., ed. International Classification of Sleep Disorders: Diagnostic and Coding Manual. Lawrence: Allen Press, 1990.

Yager, Jan, and Michael J. Thorpy. The Encyclopedia of Sleep and Sleep Disorders. New York: Facts on File, 1991.

Periodicals

"Insomnia and Related Sleep Disorders." Psychiatric Clinics of North America, 16 (December 1993).

Marie L. Thompson

KEY TERMS

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Apnea

—Cessation of breathing.

Delta sleep

—Slow-wave, stage 4 sleep that normally occurs before the onset of REM sleep.

Extrinsic

—Caused by something on the outside.

Hypersomnia

—Excessive daytime sleepiness.

Idiopathic

—Disease of unknown origin.

Insomnia

—Inability to go to sleep or stay asleep.

Intrinsic

—Not dependent on external circumstances.

Parasomnia

—Interruption of sleep by abnormal physical occurrences.

Polysomnography

—Electronic monitoring equipment measuring brain waves, eye and muscle movement, heart rate, and other physiological functions.

REM sleep

—Rapid eye movement sleep that is characterized by dreaming, active brain activity, and numerous eye movements.

Additional topics

Science EncyclopediaScience & Philosophy: Semiotics to SmeltingSleep Disorders - Insomnias And Hypersomnias, Observation And Classification Of Sleep Disorders, Dyssomnias, Parasomnias, Diagnosis Of Sleep Disorders