Sleep disorders are diseases that result in changes in the way you sleep.

A sleep disorder can affect your general health, well-being, and quality of life. Sleep deprivation can affect your ability to drive safely and increase your risk of other health problems.

Some of the signs and symptoms of sleep disorders include excessive daytime sleepiness, irregular breathing or increased movement during sleep. Other signs and symptoms include an irregular sleep-wake cycle and difficulty falling asleep.

There are many different types of sleep disorders. They are usually grouped into groups that explain why these disorders occur and how they affect you. Sleep disorders can also be categorized according to behaviour, problems with normal sleep-wake cycles, breathing problems, difficulty sleeping or how sleepy you feel during the day.

Some common types of sleep disorders include:

Insomnia, in which you find it difficult to fall asleep or stay asleep through the night.
Sleep apnea, in which you experience abnormal breathing patterns during sleep. There are several types of sleep apnea.
Restless legs syndrome is a type of movement disorder during sleep. Restless legs syndrome, also called Willis-Ekbom disease, causes discomfort and an urge to move your legs as you try to fall asleep.
Narcolepsy, a condition characterized by feeling very sleepy during the day and falling asleep suddenly during the day.
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