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Having a good sleep is really important for everyone, especially for active people who has so many activities in their whole time. Sleep can be a good therapy (more…)

Narcolepsy particularly affects interpersonal relationships. Social activities are avoided because of the risk of falling asleep or of cataplexy during any excitement, and alcohol may precipitate an irresistible sleep attack. Problems may arise during marriage, particularly if the partner does not have a full (more…)

The cardinal feature is an emotional trigger or precipitating event which may be stressful and which initiates the insomnia. Even after the stress abates the insomnia persists and a speci?c anxiety develops regarding sleep. Con?dence about the ability to fall asleep deteriorates and in effect a speci?c (more…)

There are two to four million cutaneous eccrine sweat glands which are innervated by the sympathetic nervous system with acetylcholine as the neurotransmitter. The volume and tonicity of the sweat are controlled largely by the preoptic nucleus in the hypothalamus in order (more…)

The quantity, quality and timing of sleep are affected by many everyday activities and attitudes. The importance of these in assisting or interfering with sleep is generally underestimated. In developed societies sleep is being increasingly squeezed into the time left over after family, social, work and recreational activities with the result that insomnia, excessive day-time sleepiness and other sleep symptoms are becoming increasingly common.

The aim of sleep hygiene is to translate an understanding of the nature and the control of (more…)

At the age of 20 years the sleep ef?ciency is still usually around 95%, but it then falls progressively. By 35 years the duration of stage 4 NREM sleep is only around 6% of the total sleep time which is only half of what it is at 20. Wakefulness at night is twice as prolonged and the duration of stage 1 NREM sleep is increased slightly at around 5% of total sleep time. The percentage of REM sleep remains constant at around 22–25% throughout early and middle adult life, but REM density gradually falls. Changes in (more…)

The total sleep time during the night is reduced, but if daytime naps are frequent or prolonged, the total amount of sleep during each 24 h may be similar to that of younger subjects. The sleep ef?ciency falls to 70–80% with an increase in the number of awaken-ings and a reduction in stages 3 and 4 NREM sleep [13]. This is around 18% at age 20 years, but may be only around 10% at the age of 60 and by 75 there may be no stage 4 NREM sleep, especially in males. The amplitude of the delta waves falls by about 75% relative to childhood, probably as a result of loss of cortical synchronization due to degeneration of the sleep regulating processes and to cerebral atrophy which causes fewer cortical neurones to be sampled by the surface electroencephalogram (EEG). The duration of (more…)

Sleep disorders may affect the bed partner, family, friends, carers and even neighbours in addition to the patient. The partner may become concerned because of the implications of the sleep disorder, especially when the patient stops breathing, as in obstructive and central sleep apnoeas and Cheyne– Stokes respiration, appears to choke and makes sudden vigorous movements, as with epilepsy and REM sleep behaviour disorder, and if there is a possibility of injury while sleep walking. Snoring and abnormal movements during sleep due to, for instance, the restless legs and periodic limb move-ments may fragment the partner’s sleep and cause (more…)