Dustin Driver

A snoring man can reach 85 decibels, making as much racket as a vacuum cleaner or a blender mashing margaritas. Sleepwalkers have been known to cook and eat full meals. Narcoleptics can nod off at any time — during conversations, meals and while operating heavy machinery. Fatal Familial Insomnia, a rare brain-wasting disease, throws people into a fit of wakefulness that eventually kills them disturbed slumber Sleep disorders can do more than just make you drowsy; if untreated, they can cause high blood pressure, increased heart rate and heart disease. As with any illness, the first step in treatment is identification.

Sleep apnea

Some guys snore softly, while others tear into the night with the ear-splitting howl of a chainsaw on sheet metal. Severe snoring may be annoying, but it can also be the symptom of a life-threatening condition called sleep apnea. Those with sleep apnea often don’t know they have it until a spouse notices them gasping for air in the middle of the night. Once the problem is recognized, a doctor can determine how bad it is after a night in a sleep clinic.

Sleep apnea is most common in overweight and obese individuals; in most cases, weight loss will drastically reduce the severity of the condition. In tough cases, however, doctors may prescribe Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) machines.

Night terrors

In 1987, Kenneth Parks left his house in Toronto in the middle of the night, drove 14 miles, stabbed his mother-in-law to death, and strangled his father-in-law unconscious. He claimed that he was sleepwalking. After hearing testimony from several sleep specialists, the jury acquitted Parks. Sleepwalking usually involves a rote routine: getting dressed and undressed, organizing your CD rack or simply strolling around the house. Sleep-eating begins with sleepwalking and often ends in a binge. Sleep-eaters are truly asleep when they feast and have no memory of their meals. Night terrors usually begin with the sufferer bolting upright in bed and screaming bloody murder. Oddly enough, they have no recollection of what they were running from. If you or a loved one were experiencing sleepwalking, sleep eating or night terrors, it wouldn’t be a bad idea to spend a night in the local sleep clinic. Sleep specialists can determine how bad the parasomnia is and recommend stress-reduction techniques that could mitigate the disorder. Safety is the biggest concern for sleepwalkers.

Narcolepsy

Narcoleptics have been the butt of bad sitcom jokes for ages. They’re typically portrayed as nodding off during conversations, while laughing or even while shoveling food into their mouths. Narcoleptics are usually tired all the time. They do tend to fall asleep when others don’t. They can also experience cataplexy, a sudden loss of muscle control that causes them to drop like marionettes with cut strings. If you are experiencing any narcoleptic symptoms, see a doctor right away. Your family physician can refer you to a sleep specialist who can prescribe medications to keep you awake during the day. Insomnia and a rare sleep disorder that will kill you... so be on the lookout.