Interestingly however many of the problems associated with sleep disorder are caused more by our attitudes to sleep than by insomnia itself. This handout aims to examine the nature of sleep itself as well as suggest a number of ways to deal with disorders of sleep. Let s begin by understanding what we mean by normal sleep. Often this information alone will be enough to reassure sufferers. Following that we ll examine abnormal sleep and discuss some of it s causes.
Normal sleep varies considerably from person to person.
Although the average seems to be around 8hrs of unbroken sleep some people need much longer whilst others exist quite happily on only a few hours each night. It s also worth remembering that people generally need less sleep as they get older. It s also quite normal for most people to have occasional periods of insomnia, particularly at times of stress, illness or change. Doctors divide sleep disorders into three main categories. People can suffer from any or all of these problems depending upon their individual diagnosis and the severity of their disorder.