Procrastination, I pay for it often. It's bad enough that I have trouble sleeping most nights, but when I put off studying for exams until the last moment and was up all hours of the night studying, it certainly did not help my day. By the time I was satisfied with my familiarity of the material I had to learn there were only a couple of hours left for sleep. Coffee helped a little, but I went through the day with the feeling of fatigue hanging over my head. I was able to complete my exams and go through the day feeling a little tired, but not worn out. I was not any crankier than I normally am; I felt a little slower, a little out of sync, but not useless. Perhaps a way to describe it is that there was less reserve energy in my tank than there is normally if I needed to suddenly expend a burst of energy; however, I was able to go about the day at my slightly below normal pace. As the day wore on I began to run down and was ready for bed earlier than usual. I slept unusually soundly that night and woke up the next morning with no after-effects. I did not feel any sleep deprivation effects. Sleep Disorders

While there is still much to be learned about the functions of sleep, most investigators conclude that sleep serves as a restorative function. Ohayon & Reynolds (2009) reported that 40 million people a year suffer from sleep disorders and another 20 million suffer occasional sleep problems. There are over 70 recognized sleep disorders (American Psychiatric Association, 2000). The DSM-IV-TR divides primary sleep disorders (sleep disorders not caused by another medical condition, mental disorder, or a substance) into dyssomnias and parasominas. Dyssomnias are disorders of the timing or quality of sleep and can be further divided into insomnia, a disturbance in the quantity or quality of a person's...

Insomniacs are often preoccupied with getting enough sleep and the harder they try the less successful they are. Primary insomnia is often treated with benzodiazepines (Valium, Xanax) and hypnotic drugs like Ambien, Sonata, and Lunesta. Drugs that have long acting effects are better for middle or late insomnia (difficulty with waking in the night and not being able to go back to sleep) and shorter acting drugs are better for people with initial insomnia, people who have difficulty falling asleep. Many of the medications used to treat insomnia have the potential for addiction (Sadock & Sadock, 2007).
Hypersomnias

Primary hypersomnia occurs when there is no reason that can explain excessive sleepiness occurring in a person for over a month of longer. The treatment for these people is often stimulant drugs.

Narcolepsy is described by excessive daytime sleepiness, sleep attacks (the person falls asleep suddenly during the day), and REM sleep intrusion (such as REM sleep occurring to early in the sleep cycle). The sleep attacks can include cataplexy, a sudden loss of muscle tone where the person suddenly drops from an activity into sleep. Modafinil is a wake- promoting medication that has effects similar to traditional stimulants in promoting alertness, but without many of the side effects. It is considered the first line treatment for narcolepsy (Sadock & Sadock, 2007). Stimulants like Ritalin are also sometimes used for treatment.

Obstructive Sleep Apnea is a disorder where the quality of sleep, especially REM sleep, is disturbed…