Sleeping Disorder - Term Paper Example

Human beings spend half of their lives sleeping (Craighead et al 2013). Whereas thorough research on the science behind sleep is still underway, the obvious thing is that sleep plays an important role in human health. This is because, through sleep, the body relaxes after a long day of hard work (Craighead et al 2013). Although sleep is mandatory and of great importance to everyone, unfortunately, some people have difficulty sleeping properly unless they take sleeping pills prescribed to them by physicians. According to DSM, sleep disorders normally affect people having psychiatric conditions and normally increase with age. DSM, a book published by the American Psychiatric Association (APA), apart from listing the common mental disorders, the manual also states both symptoms and medication (Morin & Espie 2012). Since its release, four more editions were published, the recent being in 2013. The main objective for these editions is to update the original book by adding new information that was not present in previous editions and make some adjustments. Apart from discussing differences between fourth and fifth editions of DSM manuals, the essay will also shed more light on insomnia, its symptoms, and medications.
Since the publishing of the first copy of DSM, four more editions have been published in a move to upgrade the original copy. Some of the mental disorders discussed in the books include stress disorders, phobia, and sleep disorders. There are many types of sleep disorders but the most common are Insomnia and Parasomnia. Whereas insomnia deprives a person of sleep, parasomnia involves sleepwalking or talking (Morin & Espie 2012). Insomnia mostly occurs in adults whereas parasomnia normally affects children because their brain is still young and developing. Since publishing the first DSM manual in 1952, many changes have been made throughout the other editions. Each edition normally differs from the other either slightly or by a huge margin.
The fifth edition of DSM, published in May 2013, showed approximately 14 more classifications related to sleep disorder (Grohol 2014). Unlike the fourth edition, the book had more changes. For example, on matters related to sleep disorders, the book focuses more on existing medical conditions. The fifth edition has also clearly distinguished narcoplexy, which is normally associated with deficiencies such as hypocretin (Grohol 2014). Sleep disorders related to breathing have been divided into three disorders; obstructive sleep apnea, central sleep apnea, and sleep-related hypoventilation. The main reason for the division is that many physicians are now aware of the pathophysiology of sleep-related disorders (Grohol 2014). The circadian sleep disorder has undergone some expansions whereby irregular sleep, non-24 hour sleep, and advanced sleep-wake types have replaced jet lag type (Grohol 2014).
When a person does not have enough sleep, apart from having partial memory and sight, the person is at risk of contracting Insomnia, which is one of the most common sleep disorders (Silberman 2008). Lack of enough sleep not only does it results in daytime impairment but also partial memory loss. Many people who suffer from insomnia usually either suffer from sleep-onset insomnia, which is responsible for sleeping difficulties, or sleep maintenance insomnia where one sleeps more than normal (Silberman 2008). People who suffer from insomnia normally have difficulty during the day. For example, they always have short tempers or feel irritated even if they have not had an argument.
Insomnia is of two categories; Transient and Conditioned insomnia (Silberman 2008). Transient insomnia, which is also known as acute insomnia, is the most common among people especially grown-ups. Transient insomnia is usually responsible for short-term sleep problems that are normally caused by factors such as the loss of a loved one, moving to a new environment, or changing jobs, which are usually stressful (Silberman 2008). Apart from stress, other causes of transient insomnia include environmental factors such as air and noise pollution. Transient symptoms normally go away after a short period. On the contrary, Conditioned insomnia, also known as learned insomnia is usually long-term compared to transient insomnia. This type normally requires quick medical attention because it can be fatal (Silberman 2008). Its symptoms are normally more evident compared to transient insomnia. These symptoms comprise of the inability to fall asleep or stay awake, sometimes both symptoms occur at the same time (Silberman 2008). Apart from lack of sleep, conditioned insomnia leads to impaired functioning during the day. Read More