Sleep Health

Sleep Health

Sleep Measurement & Terms

• Polysomnography (PSG): Comprehensive recording of physiological changes during sleep

• Electroencephalogram (EEG): Recording of brain electrical activity

• Electrooculogram (EOG): Recording of eye movements

• Electromyogram (EMG): Recording of muscle activity

• REM Latency: Time from sleep onset to first REM period

• Total Sleep Time (TST): Total amount of time spent asleep

• Arousal: Brief awakening from sleep

• Microarousal: Very brief arousal lasting 3-15 seconds

• Multiple Sleep Latency Test (MSLT): Test measuring tendency to fall asleep during daytime

• Subjective Sleepiness: Self-reported level of sleepiness

• Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS): Questionnaire measuring daytime sleepiness

• Actigraphy: Method of monitoring sleep-wake patterns using a wrist-worn device

• Non-Rapid Eye Movement Sleep (NREM): Sleep stages characterized by absence of rapid eye movements

• Rapid Eye Movement Sleep (REM): Sleep stage characterized by rapid eye movements and vivid dreams

• N1 Stage: Light sleep transitioning from wakefulness to sleep

• N2 Stage: Sleep characterized by sleep spindles and K-complexes

• N3 Stage: Deep sleep characterized by slow-wave activity

• Slow-Wave Sleep (SWS): Deep sleep stages with predominant delta wave activity

• REM Atonia: Muscle paralysis that normally occurs during REM sleep

• Dreaming: Mental activity during sleep, most vivid during REM sleep

Core Theories

• Restless Legs Syndrome (RLS): Urge to move legs accompanied by uncomfortable sensations, worse at rest and evening

• Periodic Limb Movement Disorder (PLMD): Repetitive limb movements during sleep causing sleep disruption

• Sleep-Related Rhythmic Movement Disorder: Repetitive stereotyped movements involving large muscle groups during sleep

• Sleepwalking (Somnambulism): Complex behaviors performed during sleep, including walking

• Sleep-Related Eating Disorder (SRED): Recurrent episodes of involuntary eating during sleep

• Sleep Terrors (Night Terrors): Episodes of sudden arousal with intense fear, screaming, and autonomic activation

• Confusional Arousals: Episodes of confusion upon awakening from sleep

• Sleep Bruxism: Grinding or clenching of teeth during sleep

• Narcolepsy: A neurological disorder characterized by excessive daytime sleepiness and abnormal REM sleep manifestations

• Narcolepsy Type 1: Narcolepsy with cataplexy and orexin deficiency

• Narcolepsy Type 2: Narcolepsy without cataplexy

• Cataplexy: Sudden bilateral loss of muscle tone triggered by emotions

• Sleep Paralysis: Temporary inability to move or speak while falling asleep or waking up

• Hypnagogic Hallucination: Vivid dream-like experiences occurring while falling asleep

• Hypnopompic Hallucination: Vivid dream-like experiences occurring while waking up

• Idiopathic Hypersomnia: Excessive daytime sleepiness without cataplexy or other features of narcolepsy

• Kleine-Levin Syndrome: Rare disorder characterized by recurrent episodes of excessive sleep and behavioral changes

• Delayed Sleep Phase Syndrome (DSPS): A pattern of sleep-wake times

• Irregular Sleep-Wake Rhythm Disorder: Lack of a clearly defined circadian rhythm of sleep and wakefulness

• Non-24-Hour Sleep-Wake Rhythm Disorder: A sleep-wake cycle that is not synchronized to the 24-hour day

• Shift Work Sleep Disorder: Insomnia or excessive sleepiness related to work schedule during typical sleep period

• Jet Lag Disorder: Temporary sleep disturbance following rapid travel across multiple time zones

• Suprachiasmatic Nucleus (SCN): Brain region that regulates circadian rhythms

• Melatonin: Hormone that regulates sleep-wake cycles

• Light Therapy: Treatment using bright light exposure to regulate circadian rhythms

• Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA): Repeated episodes of upper airway obstruction during sleep

• Central Sleep Apnea (CSA): Cessation of breathing due to lack of respiratory effort

• Mixed Sleep Apnea: Combination of obstructive and central sleep apnea

• Sleep-Related Hypoventilation: Decreased respiration leading to elevated carbon dioxide levels during sleep

• Snoring: Vibration of respiratory structures producing sound during sleep

• Hypopnea: Partial reduction in airflow with associated oxygen desaturation or arousal

• Apnea-Hypopnea Index (AHI): Number of apnea and hypopnea events per hour of sleep

• Oxygen Desaturation: Decrease in blood oxygen saturation levels during sleep

• Upper Airway Resistance Syndrome (UARS): Increased upper airway resistance causing arousals without apneas or hypopneas

• Cheyne-Stokes Respiration: Cyclical pattern of breathing with crescendo-decrescendo pattern followed by apnea

• Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP): Treatment device delivering pressurized air to keep airways open

• Acute Insomnia: Short-term insomnia typically lasting less than three months

• Chronic Insomnia: Long-term insomnia occurring at least three times per week for three months or longer

• Psychophysiological Insomnia: Insomnia caused by learned sleep-preventing associations and heightened arousal

• Paradoxical Insomnia: A complaint of severe insomnia without objective evidence of sleep disturbance

• Early Morning Awakening: Waking up earlier than desired with inability to return to sleep