Terrifying Sleep Conditions Infographic

The average human being spends 33% of their life sleeping. It’s supposed to be restful, restorative and regenerating. But what if it wasn’t? What if sleep was at best, the worst part of your day? Or a terrifying experience that disrupts your life?

In this infographic, we take a look at some of the world’s strangest sleep disorders and investigate why they happen and what makes them so scary.

From a syndrome that makes you sleep all the time to one that can end in death, these are some terrifying sleep conditions.

Terrifying Sleep Conditions Some of the world's strangest sleep disorders investigated. Kleine Levin Syndrome - Sleeping Beauty Syndrome What is it? - A very rare nurological disease, making sufferers sleep for up to 20 hours a day, for weeks at a time. It produces altered behavior and a reduced understadning of the world. Who gets it? - Primarily adolescents, but it can occur in adults and younger children too. Rarity? - Only around 1000 people in the world have KLS. Cause? - Unknown. Why is it scary? - Each episode can last weeks during this time all normal daily activity stops. Sufferers sometimes only wake to eat and go to the bathroom. They are not able to care for themselves or go to school or work. Episodes may continue for 10 years or more. Is there a cure? - There is no definitive treatement to cure or control KLS. Some aspects can be managed with medication, but these are usually only effective when the episodes have already decreased in severity. Sleep paralysis What is it? - A temporary inability to move or speak that occurs as you are falling asleep or waking up. Who gets it? - It can happen to anyone. Rarity? - Around 10% of us will have at least one episode in our lifetime. For some it is a much more frequent occurrence. Cause - Our muscles are essentially switched off while we dream in Reapid Eye Movement (REM). This is so we don't act out our dreams. When a preson wakes up before REM is finished, they'll be concious but their ability to move won't have been turned back on yet. Several things can cause episodes of sleep paralysis, such as sleep deprovatin and some medications. Why is it scary? - It is the feeling of being concious yet unable to move. Sometimes it can feel like you can't breathe or have a crushing weight on your chest and sufferers also report hallucinations. Is there a cure? - There's no cure and the attacks aren't life threatening, just scary. The key is to try and prevent episodes by ensuring you have good 'sleep hygenie'. That means making sure you get enough sleep, avoid alcohol, caffeine and nicotine before sleep and keep electronics out of the bedroom. REM Sleep Behaviour Disorder What is REM? - A kind of sleep that occurs at intervals during the night and is characterized by rapid eye movements, more dreaming and bodily movement, and faster pulse and breathing. What is it? - You could say this is the opposite of sleep paralysis. The muscles that are effectively turned off during the REM stage are truly turned on for sufferers of this condition. This allows the person to act out his or her dreams. Usually when they are vivid, intense and violent, Who gets it? - Usually seen in middle-aged to elderly people and more often in men. Rarity? - As many as 1 in every 100 people in the UK suffer from this. Cause? - Unknown, although it may occur in association with degenerative neurological conditions such as Parkinson's Disease. Why is it scary? - Behaviours include talking, yelling, kicking, punching, arms flailing, grabbing and jumping from the bed. Is there a cure? - Medication curtails or eliminates the episodes about 90% of the time, so a trip to your GP is advised if you're suffering. In the meantime, it's a good idea to make your bedroom a safe environment by removing all sharp and breakable objects. Celebs with sleep disorders Jennifer Aniston - Sleep walking. Rihanna - Insomnia. Jon Stewart - Night terrors. Winston Churchill - Narcolepsy. Kendall Jenner - Sleep paralysis. Night Terrors What is it? - It's not a nightmare! A night terror induces feelings of terror or dread during the first hours of non-REM sleep. Who gets it? - Normally children, but adults can get them too. Rarity? - Affects 17% of children in the UK with 1 in 20 of that 17% continuing to experience it as an adult. Cause? - They are common in thise who have a family history of night terrors or sleepwalking, but can be triggered by nything that increases the amount of deep sleep the person has (being over tired, having a fever or some medications), or anything that might wake the person suddenly from deep sleep, such as anxiety, a loud noise or needing the toilet. Why is it scary? - They call them terrors for a reason. The feelings of fear can be immense and they may include screaming, sitting up suddnely in bed and thrashing around. Is there a sure? - There is no cure, but children usually grow out of them and adults usually go through episodes during times of stress that come to an end. If in doubt, see your GP. Fatal Familial Insomnia (FFI) What is it? - This is an extremely sad and very rare condition where sufferers are unable to sleep. Who gets it? - Both male and feaml anywhere from 18-60 in age. The disease is inherited. Rarity? - The genetic disease affects less than one in 10 million people worldwide. Cause? - A mutation to a protein in the brain. Why is it scary? The first symptoms of FFI usually being in midlife and may include progressive insomnia, weight loss, lack of appetite, too high or too low body temperature, and rapidly progressive dementia. Unfortunately, death usually occurs within 12-18 months of the first symptoms. Is there a cure? - No cure yet can be done to stop progression of the disease. However, studies are being carried out on a drug to prevent the disease from every manifesting. What FFI looks like in the brain - The brain depends upon glucose as its main source of evnergy. Disruption of normal glucose metabolism helps to form the pathophysiological basis for many brain disorders. Here we can see the FFI brain has a reduced glucose metabolism, even before the onset of the disease.

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