Sleepless nights

People who suffer from sleepless nights, often experience problems falling asleep or sleeping thought the night. Or they wake up too early. Worryies, stress or anxiety can complicate sleep. Sometimes, incorrect sleeping habits play a role, or physical or psychological disorders. There is a specific medical diagnosis for a large number of sleeping disorders.

Unintentionally falling asleep during the day

Some people are very sleepy during the day. They fall asleep unintentionally. Excessive daily sleepiness can be a sign of a neurological sleeping disorder, such as hypersomnia or narcolepsy. But sleep apnea or another type of disturbance of the nightly sleep can cause unintentional falling asleep during the day.

Disturbed sleep-wake cycle

The brains regulate the sleep-wake cycle by means of the ‘biological clock’. This cycle differs from person to person. There are specific ‘morning people’ and ‘night-time people’. The biological clock can be deregulated, for instance when you travel to a different time zone.

In some people the biological clock deviates naturally. Sometimes the sleep-wake cycle even deviates to the extent that it causes problems in daily functioning. In these cases, there might be a desynchronization of the circadian rhythm.

Deviant movements of behavior during sleep

Some sleeping disorders express themselves through bodily unrest or deviating behavior during sleep. Examples are sleepwalking, anxiety attacks, bed-wetting or teeth-grinding. Also known are movement disorders around sleep, such as the restless legs syndrome.