• Hypersomnia – being unable to stay awake during the day. This includes narcolepsy, which causes extreme daytime sleepiness.
• Circadian rhythm disorders – problems with the sleep-wake cycle. They make you unable to sleep and wake at the right times.
• Parasomnia – acting in unusual ways while falling asleep, sleeping, or waking from sleep, such as walking, talking, or eating

also called Willis-Ekbom disease, causes an uncomfortable sensation and an urge to move the legs while you try to fall asleep.

Primary sleep disorders are common in both children and adults. However, there is a significant lack of awareness in children with sleep disorders, due to most cases being unidentified.

Several common factors involved in the onset of a sleep disorder include include increased medication use, age-related changes in circadian rhythms, environmental and lifestyle changes and pre diagnosed physiological problems and stress.

The risk of developing sleep disorders in the elderly is especially increased for sleep disordered breathing, periodic limb movements, restless legs syndrome, REM sleep behavior disorders, insomnia and circadian rhythm disturbances.

More than 70% of people with dementia are affected by Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Despite this high number, our understanding of the mechanisms underlying the progression of this disease remains very limited.

However, recent studies have highlighted a link between sleep disturbances and Alzheimer’s disease.

Sleep changes with normal aging. Indeed, with age, we find a decrease in time sleeping and also a decrease in the quantity of NREM sleep, more precisely in NREM SWS (less than 10% of the SWS is maintained). Older people also are more prone to insomnia or sleep apnea.