Dyssomnias

Dyssomnias are a type of sleep disorder that fall into two broad categories: intrinsic (primary) and extrinsic (secondary) dyssomnias. Intrinsic dyssomnias are disorders that disrupt the normal sleep/wake cycle such as insomnia and narcolepsy, while extrinsic dyssomnias are caused by external factors such as work/school hours and shift work. Symptoms of a dyssomnia can include excessive daytime sleepiness, difficulty getting to sleep and staying asleep, decreased quality of sleep, and excessive fatigue. Dyssomnias can have a significant impact on an individual’s quality of life, potentially leading to depression, anxiety, impaired cognitive functioning, and motor vehicle accidents. As such, diagnosis and treatment of dyssomnias is of the utmost importance. Treatment of dyssomnias is typically done with pharmacological and behavioral interventions tailored to the specific type of sleep disorder present, with an emphasis on lifestyle modifications including stress management and sleep hygiene.