DOI: 10.21276/sajp.2017.6.9.1

Pages: 372-377

Sleep is a complex neurological state, with its primary function of providing rest and restoring the body’s energy levels. Normal human sleep is divided into non– rapid eye movement (NREM) and rapid eye movement (REM) sleep, and the alteration between NREM and REM occurs about 4-5 times during a night of normal sleep. Human NREM sleep could be classified into four stages, namely, stage I, II, III and IV, representing successively deeper stages of sleep and rapid eye movement (REM) sleep characterized by rapid eye movements, muscle atonia and desynchronized EEG. Alterations in the quality, quantity and pattern of sleep result in sleep disorders. Though there are more than 100 identified sleep/wake disorders, most sleep complaints can be categorised into five, namely, hypersomnia, insomnia, circadian rhythm disorders, parasomnias and sleep disorders associated with mental, neurological and other medical disorders. Sleepiness during waking hours results from volitional or forced sleep deprivation during previous nights due to social, economic and environmental reasons. Daytime sleepiness, sleep deprivation, and irregular sleep schedules are highly prevalent among college students, as 50% report daytime sleepiness and 70% attain insufficient sleep. Sleep disorders diagnosed based on history and polysomnography findings.