Sleep Disorders and Neurology:
Sleep disorders are a group of conditions that affect the quality, timing, and duration of sleep, leading to daytime dysfunction and negatively impacting health and quality of life. Sleep disorders are closely linked to neurology, as the brain and central nervous system play a critical role in regulating sleep-wake cycles, sleep architecture, and various stages of sleep. Neurological conditions can disrupt these processes, while chronic sleep disorders can also exacerbate neurological diseases.
Types of Sleep Disorders
Insomnia: Characterised by difficulty falling asleep, staying asleep, or waking up too early. It can be linked to neurological conditions like anxiety, depression, or neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s.
Sleep Apnea: A condition where breathing repeatedly stops and starts during sleep, often due to airway obstruction (obstructive sleep apnea) or failure of the brain to send proper signals to muscles controlling breathing (central sleep apnea). Sleep apnea is associated with an increased risk of stroke, cognitive decline, and other neurological complications.
Narcolepsy: A neurological disorder that affects the brain’s ability to regulate sleep-wake cycles, leading to excessive daytime sleepiness, sudden sleep attacks, and episodes of cataplexy (sudden loss of muscle control). It involves abnormalities in the brain's production of hypocretin, a neurotransmitter that regulates arousal and wakefulness.
Restless Legs Syndrome (RLS): A condition characterised by an uncontrollable urge to move the legs, often accompanied by uncomfortable sensations, typically worsening at night. It is thought to involve abnormal dopamine activity in the brain, and is often linked to neurological diseases such as Parkinson’s disease.
Parasomnias: These include abnormal behaviours during sleep, such as sleepwalking, night terrors, and REM sleep behaviour disorder (RBD), where individuals act out their dreams. RBD can be a precursor to neurodegenerative disorders like Parkinson’s and Lewy body dementia.
Circadian Rhythm Disorders: Disruptions in the internal biological clock that controls the sleep-wake cycle, often seen in people with neurological conditions like traumatic brain injury (TBI) or stroke.
Tracks:
Hypothalamus
Brainstem
Thalamus
Cortex
Pineal Gland