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Screen / Test Your Child / Teen for Major Pediatric Sleep Disorders:
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Bed-Wetting
Excessive Daytime Sleepiness
Insomnia
Narcolepsy
Periodic Limb Movement Disorder
Restless Legs Syndrome
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Sleep Talking
Sleep Terrors / Night Terrors / Nightmares
Sleep Walking
Snoring
Teeth Grinding
Sleep Apnea |
| Sleep
Disorders - Keyword Definitions |
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REM (Rapid Eye Movement) |
Rapid eye movement (REM) sleep is the stage of sleep characterized by rapid movements of the eyes. During REM, the
activity of the brain's neurons is similar to that during waking hours, and for this reason, is often called paradoxical
sleep. Most vividly- recalled dreams occur during REM sleep. It is the lightest form of sleep in spite of the body being
in a state of muscle paralysis so that people cannot act upon their dreams and nightmares. People awakened during REM
usually feel alert, refreshed, and can remember much of their dreams. REM sleep is so physiologically different from the
other phases of sleep that the others stages are referred to as Non-Rapid Eye Movement (NREM) -sleep.
During a normal night of sleep, a person usually has about four or five periods of REM sleep, which are briefer at the
beginning of the night and longer at the end. It is common to wake for a short time at the end of a REM phase. The total
time of REM sleep per night is about 90-120 minutes for an adult. However, the amount of REM sleep varies considerably
with age. A newborn baby spends more than 80% of total sleep time in REM sleep, while people over 70 years old spend less
than 10%. The average is 20%.
A person’s heart rate and breathing rate are irregular during REM sleep. Body temperature is not well regulated during REM,
and it approaches that of the surroundings.
Sleep disorders can occur in REM sleep if the REM sleep period is not normal. REM sleep can occur within about 90 minutes,
but in those with a sleep onset REM period, it may be as little as 10-25 minutes. It is considered a sign of narcolepsy.
REM sleep is particularly important to the developing brain, possibly because it provides the neural stimulation that
newborns need to form mature neural connections and for proper nervous system development. Recent research indicates that
important learning and memory functions occur in REM sleep; therefore, if there are sleep disturbances occurring in REM
sleep, like Obstructive Sleep Apnea Syndrome (OSAS), then important learning functions can be impaired. |
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REM (Dream State) Sleep |
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See: Rapid Eye Movement (REM) -Sleep |
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Respiratory Cycle |
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A respiratory cycle consists of an inspiration and an expiration when breathing. |
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Restless Legs Syndrome (RLS) |
Restless Legs Syndrome (RLS) is a commonly occurring, but often misunderstood and misdiagnosed neurological sleep disorder.
RLS is often described as uncontrollable urges to move the limbs in order to stop uncomfortable, painful or strange
tingling sensations in the body, which most commonly occur in the legs. Moving or rubbing the aching legs or arms sometimes
eliminates these uncomfortable sensations, providing temporary relief. Walking is the most common form of relief; however,
doing stretches, leg massages, biking, or other physical activity may relieve the symptoms. Constant and fast up-and-down
movement of the leg, such as foot tapping, is often done to keep the sensations at bay without having to walk. Sometimes a
specific type of movement will help a person more than another. However, the sensations and need to move may return immediately
after ceasing movement, or at a later time. RLS may start at any age, including early childhood, and can grow progressively
worse with age for a certain percentage of sufferers, although the symptoms sometimes subside permanently in some sufferers.
Peak onset is usually middle age.
These painful sensations are unusual and unlike other common sensations, and those with RLS have a hard time
describing them. People use words such as: painful, uncomfortable, electrical, itching, pins and needles, pulling,
creepy-crawly, spiders crawling inside the legs, coca cola bubbles running through the legs, etc... The sensations most
typically occur when the person sits or lies down to rest or sleep. Some people have little or no sensations, yet still
have a strong urge to move. Any type of inactivity – reading a book, sitting in a car or plane, watching TV or a movie,
taking a nap - can trigger the sensations and urge to move.
While some people only experience RLS at bedtime and others experience it all day and all night, all sufferers notice that
the RLS is worse in the evening and less noticeable sometime in the early to mid morning. RLS typically interferes with
sleep onset.
Most patients (about 80%) with RLS have Periodic Leg Movements during sleep also. That means that their leg
movements continue on into their sleep.
Medications are prescribed for the treatment of RLS. There are other methods which have been reported to help
decrease the likelihood of RLS. Increasing exercise has also been found to relieve the sensations. Some patients also find
that a hot bath helps too. Avoiding caffeine, alcohol and nicotine is also a good preventative measure. It has also been
suggested that a low serum ferritin level (a chemical found within the body’s iron) plays a role. Eighty percent of RLS
sufferers seem to get some sort of relief when they increase their iron intake. Vitamin E and magnesium have also been
useful to other RLS patients. The serum ferritin level can be checked by having your physician take a little blood sample
and measure the serum ferritin level (not the iron level). A person can have a normal iron level, but have a low serum
ferritin level that causes some RLS and PLMD.
About 10 percent of adults in North America and Europe may experience RLS symptoms, according to the National Sleep
Foundation, which reports that "lower prevalence has been found in India, Japan and Singapore," indicating that ethnic
factors, including diet, may play a role in the prevalence of this syndrome. As high as 30% of elderly people may have
RLS. There is a need for more incidence studies in children and adolescents, but some initial studies report an incidence
rate as high as 4-to-6 percent in this age group. |
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Ritalin |
Ritalin is a brand name drug for Methylphenidate (MPH) and is a Stimulant Medication that works on the central nervous
system (CNS), particularly the frontal lobe. It is used with children who have Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder
(ADHD) because it has a calming effect on people with this disorder, reducing impulsive, hyperactive behaviors and
improving their concentration on schoolwork and other tasks. Adults who have ADHD often find that MPH increases their
ability to focus on and plan tasks, as well as organize their lives. It is also one of the primary medications used to
treat symptoms of traumatic brain injury and excessive daytime sleepiness symptoms commonly seen in narcolepsy and chronic
fatigue syndrome.
Some of the commonly reported side effects of Ritalin are difficulty sleeping (which causes other problems due to
a sleep deficiency); loss of appetite (sometimes used as an appetite suppressant); irritability; stomachaches; headaches;
dry mouth; blurry vision; nausea; dizziness; drowsiness; nervousness; motor tics or tremors. Up to 5% of children can
experience disturbing hallucinations from Ritalin.
Less common side effects from Ritalin are over-sensitivity; anorexia; palpitations; blood pressure and pulse
changes; cardiac arrhythmia; anemia; scalp hair loss; toxic psychosis.
Some people opposed to medications have argued that use of stimulant medications results in future addictions in
adolescence and adulthood. However, recent research suggests that boys with ADHD who are treated with stimulants like
Ritalin are actually less likely to abuse drugs including alcohol later in life because they are experiencing more success
in school, with interpersonal relationships, and they have greater impulse control.
Although Ritalin has been used on a long-term basis since the mid-20th century, there have been almost no clinical studies
of the effects of long-term use on people. A great deal of controversy has been generated by non-expert groups, such as
the Scientologists. In a 2005 study of the side effects of Ritalin after two years of use, no "clinically significant"
effects on growth, vital signs, tics, or laboratory tests (including urinalysis, hematology/complete blood counts,
electrolytes, and liver function tests) were noted. |
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2007, Child Uplift Inc. - All Rights Reserved |
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