What are the more common types of circadian rhythm sleep disorders?

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What are the more common types of circadian rhythm sleep disorders?

The common types of circadian rhythm sleep disorders include:

Delayed Sleep Phase Disorder: If you have this sleep disorder, you go to sleep and wake up more than two hours later than what is typically considered a normal sleep-wake cycle. For example, you're a “night owl” who may not be able to fall asleep until 2 a.m. or later, but then sleep in until as late as 3 p.m.

Other common features of delayed sleep phase disorder are:

  • You're often most alert, productive and creative late at night.
  • If forced to get up early, you are sleepy during the day.
  • You're often perceived as lazy, unmotivated, or a poor performer who is always late for morning responsibilities.
  • Is most commonly seen in adolescents and young adults.
  • May run in families.

Advanced Sleep Phase Disorder: If you have this sleep disorder, you fall asleep in the early evening (6 p.m. to 9 p.m.) and wake up in the early morning (2 a.m. to 5 a.m.).

Other common features of advanced sleep phase disorder are:

  • You typically complain of early morning awakening or insomnia and are sleepy in the late afternoon or early evening.
  • Is most commonly seen in the middle age and older adults.
  • May run in families.

Jet Lag: If you have this sleep disorder, your body’s internal clock has been disturbed from long air travel time to a destination that is two or more time zones different from your home. This sleep-wake cycle disruption makes it difficult to adjust and function in the new time zone. Eastward travel is more difficult than westward travel because it is easier to delay sleep than to advance sleep.

Common features of jet lag are:

  • Change in appetite.
  • Changes in gastrointestinal (stomach and bowel) function.
  • General tiredness.
  • General feeling of discomfort or uneasiness and mood disturbance.

Shift Work Disorder: You may have this sleep disorder if you frequently rotate shifts or work at night. These work schedules conflict with your body’s natural circadian rhythm, making it difficult to adjust to the change. Shift work disorder is identified by a constant or recurrent pattern of sleep interruption that results in insomnia or excessive sleepiness.

Other common features of shift work disorder are:

  • Ongoing tiredness.
  • General feeling of discomfort or uneasiness, mood disorder.
  • Gastrointestinal problems.
  • Decreased sex drive.

Other health risks include increased risk of alcohol and substance abuse, weight gain, high blood pressure, heart disease and breast and endometrial cancer. This sleep disorder is most commonly seen in people who have night or early morning shifts.

Irregular sleep-wake rhythm: This sleep disorder has an undefined sleep-wake cycle. You may take several naps during a 24-hour period. Symptoms include ongoing (chronic) insomnia, excessive sleepiness or both. This disorder is more commonly seen in people with neurological conditions such as dementia, in nursing home residents, in children with intellectual disabilities and in those with traumatic injuries to the brain.

Non-24-hour sleep-wake syndrome: If you have this sleep disorder, you keep your same length of sleep and awake time, but your “internal clock” is longer than 24 hours. When this is the case, the actual sleep-wake cycle changes every day, with the time being delayed one to two hours each day. This disorder occurs most commonly in blind people.

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