Rare Sleeping Disorders

We all are probably aware of common sleeping disorders such as insomnia, or the inability to fall asleep easily. However, there are some very rare sleep disorders that affect a chosen few, that are usually hereditary. We all know the importance of sleep, though sometimes we don't give it the necessary importance. We either sleep too much or too little. These rare disorders can also cause the same problem; excessive sleeping or lack of sleep. Here's an overview of some such disorders. Take a look.

Narcolepsy
Narcolepsy is one of the many rare sleeping disorders characterized by bouts of napping at any time of the day. It is a disorder of the nervous system and may or may not be caused by fatigue, though conditions such as insomnia may intensify its effect.

• Narcolepsy is known to be caused by the lack of a brain chemical known as hypocretin that regulates the REM sleep cycle.
• This disorder is characterized by the need to sleep every 3-4 hours in a day with a nap of say fifteen to twenty minutes.
• These bouts may occur at any time, say while driving, eating, or even in a meeting.
• Though a disorder, a short nap that occurs with this condition may have you waking up fresh.
• It is likely that one may experience hallucinations in the periods between naps.
• Narcolepsy is dangerous due to the fact that it can occur almost anywhere and can cause injury, say while driving.
• While there is no specific treatment for this condition, there are methods by which it can be controlled. One way is to schedule naps every few hours to avoid falling asleep in the midst of something.
• Identifying and treating the cause of this disorder will also help.
• Narcolepsy may affect one of every 2000 people.

Kleine-Levin Syndrome - Hypersomnia
Another rare sleep disorder, the Kleine-Levin syndrome is identified by bouts of uncontrollable sleeping for long durations, from hours to weeks, days and months. There have been instances of people sleeping for up to 23 hours in a day when suffering from this condition.

• It has been found that when a person is about to get into an episode of this syndrome, she/he may display flu-like symptoms.
• Studies show that this condition affects males more than females.
• After an episode of excessive sleeping, the affected individual may display symptoms such as irritation, confusion, hypersexuality (the heightened need to have sex), and the desire to binge uncontrollably.
• There is no definitive cause for this condition, though the symptoms may be displayed due to irregularities in the function of the thalamus and the hypothalamus.
• About 200 people in the world suffer from this condition, as has been found recently.

Somnambulism - Sleepwalking
We've all watched movies and cartoons portray characters sleepwalking and doing some of the funniest and the most dangerous things. While it is all funny on screen, sleepwalking can get dangerous in some cases.

• As the name suggests, a sleep walker is someone who walks in her/his sleep, while in the deep stages of sleep, and is usually common in children in the age group 4-12 years.
• This condition may occur due to fatigue, stress, and even lack of sleep. Even adults may be victims of this condition, and in such cases, the causes may be narrowed down to a mental condition, or as a reaction to a particular medicine.
• Usually, children outgrow this behavior that is known to run in the family. This condition can get dangerous because a person is likely to appear awake (though with a blank look on her/his face) and even walk around, drive, climb up and down stairs, or do things such as dress up to go somewhere.
• Certain activities may be safe at home but sometimes it is possible that the driving may be unsafe and lead to serious injury.
• If undisturbed, a sleep walker will eventually go back to sleep. However, they will not remember the episode of sleepwalking upon waking up the next morning, and may even tend to get very aggressive if they are woken up in the midst of an episode.
• This condition is rare, as only 15% of children of the aforementioned age group are known to be suffering from it.

Non 24-hour Sleep-Wake Syndrome
Every human body ideally has a 24 hour sleep cycle that slightly varies from one person to another. However, those who suffer from the non 24-hour sleep-wake syndrome have longer cycles, say 25-26 hours, and in extreme cases, 72 hours too. The internal biological clock that regulates sleep patterns is disrupted causing this condition.

• In a shocking case, it was found that some individuals with this condition remained awake for 48 hours, and then slept for 24 hours at a stretch.
• Those affected by this condition find it difficult to stay on a job because their sleep patterns keep changing and become vague.
• This condition is associated with stress and depression, along with excessive fatigue.
• While both children and adults may be affected by this condition, it has been more apparent in the visually impaired due to the lack of cues that indicate sleeping hours.
• There is no treatment for this condition, and the maximum that can be done is to try to induce sleep at specific hours by maintaining a sleep diary.

REM-Sleep Behavior Disorder (RBD)
During the REM (Rapid Eye Movement) stage of sleep, a person's body gets paralyzed along with the rising of blood sugar levels and irregular breathing. However, those who suffer from this condition do not get affected by what is known as sleep paralysis, so their bodies remain active. As such, these individuals see vivid dreams and enact them with actions that may include screaming, thrashing, and even throwing things around.

• This rare disorder occurs mostly in middle-aged and older adults, particularly males.
• This can be a dangerous condition as the person suffering can injure himself along with the one sleeping next to him.
• It is likely that the person enacting the dream may awaken in its midst and have a fresh memory of the dream with his corresponding actions.
• The cause for this condition has been associated with other neurological conditions such as Parkinson's disease and dementia.
• While there is no specific treatment for this disorder, it is possible to somewhat treat the symptoms of the associated conditions.

Apart from these types of sleep disorders, there are some more sleep disorders that can be classified as rare. These include bruxism or teeth grinding in sleep, night terrors (violent dreams) that are common in children, exploding head syndrome characterized by a loud banging noise just before falling asleep that affects children, and even sexsomnia characterized by engaging in sex while asleep, without realizing it. These are very rare sleep disorders, but can affect almost anyone, particularly if it runs in the family. If any of these symptoms are noted, they should be reported to a doctor immediately, so that the condition may be diagnosed and treated as early as possible without disrupting activities in normal life.

Disclaimer: This Buzzle article is for informative purposes only, and should not be used as a replacement for expert medical advice.