SLEEPING DISORDER

SLEEPING DISORDER

INTRODUCTION

Sleep was, for Shakespeare, the "balm of hurt minds, great nature's second course, and chief nourisher in life's feast." For centuries, science knew little more: sleep was a magical phenomenon. Not until the 1930s was it shown to possess a secret life. Only then did investigators, using the electroencephalogram (EEG), measure the brain's electrical activity in sleeping subjects. On rivers of graph paper, they could watch the rhythm of activity in the brain during sleep. They discovered that these biological rhythms naturally fall into different states, stages, and cycles. Instead of being a quiet and peaceful period of rest and recuperation, as most of us think of it, sleep is a very complex, dynamic activity. Our body may be the picture of tranquility while you sleep. But, in fact, numerous biochemical, physiological, and psychological events are constantly taking place.

DEFINITION

A sleep disorder, or somnipathy, is a medical disorder of the sleep patterns of a person or animal. Some sleep disorders are serious enough to interfere with normal physical, mental and emotional functioning. A test commonly ordered for some sleep disorders is the polysomnography. Disruptions in sleep can be caused by a variety of issues, from teeth grinding (bruxism) to night terrors. When a person suffers from difficulty in sleeping with no obvious cause, it is referred to as insomnia.[1] In addition, sleep disorders may also cause sufferers to sleep excessively, a condition known as hypersomnia. Management of sleep disturbances that are secondary to mental, medical, or substance abuse disorders should focus on the underlying conditions.

COMMON DISORDERS

The most common sleep disorders include:

• Primary insomnia: Chronic difficulty in falling asleep and/or maintaining sleeps when no other cause is found for these symptoms. 

• Bruxism: Involuntarily grinding or clenching of the teeth while sleeping. 

• Delayed sleep phase syndrome (DSPS): inability to awaken and fall asleep at socially acceptable times but no problem with sleep maintenance, a disorder of circadian rhythms. (Other such disorders are advanced sleep phase syndrome (ASPS), non-24-hour sleep-wake syndrome (Non-24), and irregular sleep wake rhythm, all much less common than DSPS, as well as the transient jet lag and shift work sleep disorder.) 

• Hypopnea syndrome: Abnormally shallow breathing or slow respiratory rate while sleeping. 

• Narcolepsy: Excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS) often culminating in falling asleep spontaneously but unwillingly at inappropriate times. 

• Cataplexy: a sudden weakness in the motor muscles that can result in collapse to the floor. 

• Night terror: Pavor nocturnus, sleep terror disorder: abrupt awakening from sleep with behavior consistent with terror. 

• Parasomnias: Disruptive sleep-related events involving inappropriate actions during sleep; sleep walking and night-terrors are examples. 

• Periodic limb movement disorder (PLMD): Sudden involuntary movement of arms and/or legs during sleep, for example kicking the legs .Also known as nocturnal myoclonus. See also Hypnic jerk, which is not a disorder. 

• Rapid eye movement behavior disorder (RBD): Acting out violent or dramatic dreams while in REM sleep (REM sleep disorder or RSD) 

• Restless legs syndrome (RLS): An irresistible urge to move legs. RLS sufferers often also have PLMD. 

• Situational circadian rhythm sleep disorders: shift work sleep disorder (SWSD) and jet lag. 

• Sleep Apnea, and mostly obstructive sleep apnea: Obstruction of the airway during sleep, causing lack of sufficient deep sleep; often accompanied by snoring. Other forms of sleep apnea are less common. 

• Sleep paralysis: is characterized by temporary paralysis of the body shortly before or after sleep. Sleep paralysis may be accompanied by visual, auditory or tactile hallucinations. Not a disorder unless severe .Often seen as part of narcolepsy. 

• Sleepwalking or somnambulism: Engaging in activities that are normally associated with wakefulness (such as eating or dressing), which may include walking, without the conscious knowledge of the subject. 

• Nocturia: A frequent need to get up and go to the bathroom to urinate at night. It differs from Enuresis, or bed-wetting, in which the person does not arouse from sleep, but the bladder nevertheless empties. [2] 

• Somniphobia: a dread of sleep.

CAUSES

Prescription drugs that may cause sleep problems include:

1) High blood pressure drugs

2) Hormones such as oral contraceptives

3) Steroids, including prednisone

4) Inhaled respiratory drugs

5) Diet pills

6) Attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder medications

7) Some antidepressants

GENERAL PRINCIPLES OF TREATMENT

Treatments for sleep disorders generally can be grouped into four categories:

• behavioral/ psychotherapeutic treatments 

• rehabilitation/management 

• medications 

• other somatic treatments 

None of these general approaches is sufficient for all patients with sleep disorders. Rather, the choice of a specific treatment depends on the patient's diagnosis, medical and psychiatric history, and preferences, as well as the expertise of the treating clinician. Often, behavioral/psychotherapeutic and pharmacological approaches are not incompatible and can effectively be combined to maximize therapeutic benefits. Management of sleep disturbances that are secondary to mental, medical, or substance abuse disorders should focus on the underlying conditions.

Medications and somatic treatments may provide the most rapid symptomatic relief from some sleep disturbances. Some disorders, such as narcolepsy, are best treated pharmacologically. Others, such as chronic and primary insomnia, may be more amenable to behavioral interventions, with more durable results.

ISLAMIC PERSPECTIVE RELATING DRUG ABUSE

In Islam there are several different schools of thought, and each of them have their rulings based on their interpretations of the Quran and the traditions of their prophet, Muhammad. Although they differ on some issues, it is agreed by all the schools that the use of drugs and alcohol is forbidden in Islam. This decision is based on the Quran, traditions of Muhammad, and Islamic logic.

HISTORY OF INTOXICATION IN THE ARAB WORLD

One should understand that when Muhammad first brought Islam to his people, the Arabs, they were very fond of alcohol. They drank it, they made it, and they sold it. They made wine from dates and grapes, and it was a very lucrative business for the people. Slowly, through Quranic revelations, Muhammad began to teach the people to refrain from intoxication and eventually forbid it completely.

DEFINING INTOXICATION IN ISLAM

The Quran and many Islamic traditions refer to the state of intoxication as being forbidden. In these texts, the example of this state is often said to be the result of drinking wine. It is agreed among all Islamic scholars that intoxication is any substance that clouds the intellect and hinders one from making clear judgments. Based on this definition, intoxication refers to both drugs and alcohol.

INTOXICATION FIRST FORBIDDEN DURING PRAYER

The Quran is the holy book and guide for all Muslims regardless of the school of thought they follow. The Quran is not compiled in a chronological order; for example, chapter 4 could have been revealed before chapter 2. Drugs and alcohol are referred to in the Quran as intoxicants. The term "intoxication" (the English translation of its Arabic counterpart "sukara") was first mentioned in the Quran in chapter 4, "An-Nissa" (Women). Verse 43 of this chapter states, "O you who believe, do not observe the Contact Prayers [Salat] while intoxicated, so that you know what you are saying." This verse only forbids intoxication when praying and does not forbid it in any other situation.

INTOXICATION FROWNED UPON IN GENERAL

The next revelation was in chapter 2, "Baqara" (The Cow). Here it says, "They ask you about intoxicants and gambling: say, 'In them there is a gross sin, and some benefits for the people. But their sinfulness far outweighs their benefit.'" With this verse, intoxication is now being shunned not just in prayer but in any situation.

FORBIDDING INTOXICATION COMPLETELY

Finally, in verses 90 and 91 of chapter 5, "al-Maidah" (The Feast), the Quran says, "O you who believe, intoxicants, and gambling, and the altars of idols, and the games of chance are abominations of the devil; you shall avoid them, that you may succeed. The devil wants to provoke animosity and hatred among you through intoxicants and gambling, and to distract you from remembering God, and from observing the Contact Prayers [Salat]. Will you then refrain?" This is the last revelation about intoxication, and based on this, Islamic scholars all agree that drugs and alcohol are forbidden.

THE TRADITIONS OF MUHAMMAD

The traditions of Muhammad, also called "A-Haadith," are records of what Muhammad said and did. These traditions clarify things that aren't mentioned or can't be known by reading the Quran alone. An example of this is Muslim prayer. The Quran commands prayer but does not describe the movements or the detailed rules of it. By watching and listening to their prophet, Muslims learned how to pray. These traditions are another factor in deciding what is permissible and what is forbidden in Islam.An example of two traditions speaking about intoxication:

Aisha, the wife of Muhammad, heard him say, "All drinks that produce intoxication are Haram [forbidden] to drink." This is quoted from an Islamic book of traditions known as Al-Bukhari.

"The prophet prohibited people from the usage of intoxicants and narcotics. Any substance which befogs and intoxicates the mind, the prophet has stopped us from taking it." This is from a book of traditions called As-Sunaan Abu Dawood.

CONCLUSION

Based on the above information, the Muslim view on intoxication through drugs and alcohol is that it clouds the judgment, creates animosity, and hinders one from carrying out obligatory worship and remembering God. It is deemed by Muslims, without question, as forbidden.

REFERENCES

1) http://www.ehow.com/about_5428191_muslim-drugs-alcohol.html

2) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sleep_disorder

3) http://helpguide.org/life/sleep_disorders.htm

4) http://www.healthieryou.com/sleep.html

5)http://my.clevelandclinic.org/disorders/sleep_disorders/hic_drug_and_alcohol_related_sleep_disorders.aspx

6) http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/prof/sleep/res_plan/section5/section5g.html

7) http://www.inter-islam.org/Prohibitions/drugs.htm