Glossary of Sleep Related Terms
Here are definitions of sleep-related terms:
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Insomnia Got You Up (Again)?
Sleep has never been easy for Leslie Partridge Sachs, a dancer, choreographer, and mother of two young girls who lives in Garrison, N.Y. Even as a child, she says, "I had trouble falling asleep and staying asleep." Once she became a mother, her insomnia worsened."I sleep very lightly -- I hear my daughters even if they turn over in bed. And most mornings I wake up at 3:30 or 4 and can’t get back to sleep." Her average night’s shut-eye of four to five hours affects her mood. "I feel irritable,"...
Read the Insomnia Got You Up (Again)? article > >
Cataplexy: Symptom of narcolepsy; consists of a sudden loss of muscle tone that leads to feelings of weakness and a loss of voluntary muscle control.
Central sleep apnea:Sleep disorder in which the airway is not blocked, but the brain fails to signal the muscles to breathe.
Chronotherapy: A behavioral technique in which bedtime is gradually adjusted; used in cases when the patient's sleep-wake pattern is out of synch with the external environment.
Circadian rhythms: Biological rhythms that include the internal clock which influences when, how much, and how well people sleep.
Cognitive therapy: In some cases of insomnia, this therapy includes interventions that are meant to help people identify and correct inappropriate thoughts and beliefs that may contribute to their sleep problems.
CPAP (continuous positive airway pressure): A device that is an effective treatment for sleep apnea patients; delivers air into airways through a specially designed face or nasal mask or pillows.
Mixed sleep apnea: A combination of central sleep apnea and obstructive sleep apnea.
Multiple sleep latency test (MSLT): Test that assesses the severity of sleepiness by measuring the speed of falling asleep.
Narcolepsy: A neurological condition in which people experience excessive daytime sleepiness, cataplexy, sleep paralysis, hallucinations, and intermittent, uncontrollable sleep attacks during the day.
Non 24-hour sleep wake disorder: A circadian rhythm disorder in which the sleep-wake pattern does not conform to the usual 24-hour cycle.
Non-Rapid Eye Movement (NREM) sleep: One of the two basic states of sleep; consists of stages 1, 2 (light sleep) and 3, 4 (deep sleep).
Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA): The most common kind of sleep apnea. It is caused by a blockage of the upper airway that causes the body to struggle to get air.
Periodic Limb Movement Disorder (PLMD): A disorder in which rhythmic jerking of the legs interrupts sleep, causing insomnia and/or excessive daytime sleepiness.
Parasomnias: Abnormal behaviors during sleep that interrupt sleep and can result in injury, insomnia, and/or excessive daytime sleepiness.
Polysomnography: A test that records aspects of sleep (for example, the amount of NREM and REM sleep, number of arousals) and a variety of body functions during sleep, including breathing patterns, heart rhythms, and limb movements.
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Recommended Related to Sleep Disorders
Insomnia Got You Up (Again)?
Sleep has never been easy for Leslie Partridge Sachs, a dancer, choreographer, and mother of two young girls who lives in Garrison, N.Y. Even as a child, she says, "I had trouble falling asleep and staying asleep." Once she became a mother, her insomnia worsened."I sleep very lightly -- I hear my daughters even if they turn over in bed. And most mornings I wake up at 3:30 or 4 and can’t get back to sleep." Her average night’s shut-eye of four to five hours affects her mood. "I feel irritable,"...
Read the Insomnia Got You Up (Again)? article > >
Cataplexy: Symptom of narcolepsy; consists of a sudden loss of muscle tone that leads to feelings of weakness and a loss of voluntary muscle control.
Central sleep apnea:Sleep disorder in which the airway is not blocked, but the brain fails to signal the muscles to breathe.
Chronotherapy: A behavioral technique in which bedtime is gradually adjusted; used in cases when the patient's sleep-wake pattern is out of synch with the external environment.
Circadian rhythms: Biological rhythms that include the internal clock which influences when, how much, and how well people sleep.
Cognitive therapy: In some cases of insomnia, this therapy includes interventions that are meant to help people identify and correct inappropriate thoughts and beliefs that may contribute to their sleep problems.
CPAP (continuous positive airway pressure): A device that is an effective treatment for sleep apnea patients; delivers air into airways through a specially designed face or nasal mask or pillows.
Mixed sleep apnea: A combination of central sleep apnea and obstructive sleep apnea.
Multiple sleep latency test (MSLT): Test that assesses the severity of sleepiness by measuring the speed of falling asleep.
Narcolepsy: A neurological condition in which people experience excessive daytime sleepiness, cataplexy, sleep paralysis, hallucinations, and intermittent, uncontrollable sleep attacks during the day.
Non 24-hour sleep wake disorder: A circadian rhythm disorder in which the sleep-wake pattern does not conform to the usual 24-hour cycle.
Non-Rapid Eye Movement (NREM) sleep: One of the two basic states of sleep; consists of stages 1, 2 (light sleep) and 3, 4 (deep sleep).
Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA): The most common kind of sleep apnea. It is caused by a blockage of the upper airway that causes the body to struggle to get air.
Periodic Limb Movement Disorder (PLMD): A disorder in which rhythmic jerking of the legs interrupts sleep, causing insomnia and/or excessive daytime sleepiness.
Parasomnias: Abnormal behaviors during sleep that interrupt sleep and can result in injury, insomnia, and/or excessive daytime sleepiness.
Polysomnography: A test that records aspects of sleep (for example, the amount of NREM and REM sleep, number of arousals) and a variety of body functions during sleep, including breathing patterns, heart rhythms, and limb movements.