Sleep Deprivation

Disorders and Problem Symptoms 1). A sleep disorder is when a person exhibits any

impediment with sleep. There are over 100 types of sleep disorders. Among the most

common ones that cause sleep deprivation are sleep apnea, restless legs syndrome

(RLS), and periodic limb movement disorder (PLMD).

Sleep apnea is a surprisingly common, debilitating, and potentially fatal sleep

disorder. People with sleep apnea stop breathing continually throughout the time

they are sleeping. Sometimes they may not even be aware of this event taking place.

Breathing may stop up to hundreds of times a night and may not start again for a

minute or longer (Sleep Apnea Information 1). Individuals with this disorder have

continuous sleep and breathing disruptions that deprive them of both sleep and oxygen.

This causes not only the effects of sleep deprivation, but leads to other health hazards

such as cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure, and weight gain (Sleep Apnea

Information 2).

Restless leg syndrome (RLS) is a disorder characterized by uncomfortable tingling

or crawling sensations in the lower extremities. This causes an irresistible urge to keep

them moving. These symptoms can be quite aggravating and even painful at times. One

of the attributes of this disorder is that the symptoms are triggered by the person lying

down. This will cause a person to have trouble falling asleep or staying asleep once

achieved. This is sufficient grounds for leading to sleep deprivation (Restless

Legs Syndrome Fact Sheet 1).

Another disorder that is similar to RLS is periodic limb movement disorder (PLMD).

This condition causes episodes of rhythmic jerki