It is an active state essential for mental and physical restoration. More than 100 million Americans of all ages, however, regularly fail to get a good night's sleep. At least 84 disorders of sleeping and waking interfere with quality of life and personal health, and endanger public safety because of their role in traffic and industrial accidents.
Some sleep disorders are potentially fatal.
The risks of undiagnosed obstructive sleep apnea include heart attacks, strokes, impotence, irregular heartbeat, high blood pressure and heart disease. In addition, obstructive sleep apnea causes daytime sleepiness that can result in accidents, lost productivity and interpersonal relationship problems. The severity of the symptoms may be mild, moderate or severe. Perhaps the two most common sleeping disorders are sleep apnea and insomnia. Having sleep apnea means that you have periods of no breathing, sometimes as long as 30 seconds, when you are sleeping.