The Ultimate Insomnia Quiz | Diseases

Answer: Sleep apnea

Sleep apnea is a sleep disorder that involves the cessation of breathing for long periods of time. It can cause high blood pressure, strokes and heart attacks among other things. Common cures include mouth guards, breathing appliances called CPAP machines and surgery.

Answer: Fall asleep suddenly

Narcolepsy is usually diagnosed in early adulthood when sleep behaviors occur while awake. People who have narcolepsy can have dream-like hallucinations and may experience paralysis while awake. Suddenly falling asleep is the most common symptom.

Answer: Episodic cranial sensory shock

Exploding head syndrome is when the sleeper hears loud noises while asleep. These noises originate inside the own person's head and often sound like an explosion or gunshot. It can happen while in deep sleep or while falling asleep.

Answer: Messed up internal body clock

Circadian rhythm sleep disorder is a disorder of the internal body clock. It is when you want to go to sleep in the middle of the day and wake up during the middle of the night. A type of this disorder is shift work sleep disorder which occurs in people working the night shift or rotating shifts.

Answer: Somniphobia

Somniphobia is the fear of going to sleep. It can happen in people who are prone to nightmares but more usually does not have an underlying cause. It can cause insomnia, panic attacks and severe anxiety.

Answer: Restless legs syndrome

Restless legs syndrome causes the uncontrolled movement and kicking of the legs. It also occurs when falling asleep and can cause loss of sleep when it is called periodic limb movement. This is a disorder that mostly occurs in older adults and can usually be controlled with medication.

Answer: Sexsomnia

Sexsomnia is a disorder of sleep in which the subject engages in sex while in deep sleep. The person has no memory of the act and this has been used as a defense in rape cases, usually unsuccessfully. Climax often occurs.

Answer: Grinding your teeth

Sleep-related bruxism is the habit of grinding of your teeth during sleep. In extreme cases this can cause teeth and jaw problems. This can be remedied by using a mouth guard during sleep.

Answer: True

Fatal insomnia is a very rare inherited disease. There is less than two years of life expectancy from the time of diagnosis. This prion disease causes long-lasting insomnia, dementia, and problems with speech and coordination. It is always fatal.

Answer: False

In this disorder the sufferer sleeps an excessive amount of time. The person also displays a loss of understanding of what is going on around them. This disorder is episodic and usually occurs in adolescence.