What time is it?
What why?
Wait what?
Why isn’t the light working?
Is the power off?
What’s going on?
What the heck?
Oh, what time is it?
What… wait a second.
I’m dreaming!
Sleeping is something that we all do.
As often as possible if we can help it.
And you’d think with all the practice we get that we’d be experts by now...
But we’re not, we actually kinda suck at it.
First, we need to get the mandatory disclaimer out of the way…
I’m not a doctor.
I’m also not a clinical psychologist…
Or a dentist.
That’ll make sense later.
Don’t take medical advice from a guy on youtube, okay?
Mmkay.
Sleep disorders can be divided up into two categories, first, let’s talk about Dyssomnias,
when you have trouble going to sleep, staying asleep, and sometimes even waking up.
Which is the case for Kleine-Levin Syndrome, also known as Sleeping Beauty Syndrome.
This is an extremely rare disorder where you sleep for 20 hours a day, every day, sometimes
for weeks at a time.
These episodes can sometimes be separated by years.
People with this disorder experience insatiable appetites when they’re awake.
Both for food and for naughty time.
Most people with this disorder have a hard time discerning reality from dreaming and
as a result will sometimes just do nothing when they’re awake.
It’s extremely rare, in fact statistically, only 22 people in the United States have it,
so it’s really difficult to figure out what causes it.
The leading theory is some sort of viral infection, but there’s at least a dozen possible viruses
that have been linked to it so, we just don’t know.
We do know what causes the next one on our list though, which is far more common.
Circadian Rhythm Sleep Disorders.
There are a few main types with extremely long names like Delayed Sleep Phase Disorder,
Advanced Sleep Phase Disorder, and Non-24-hour Sleep-Wake Disorder.
But they’re all somewhat the same, with minor differences here and there.
Your circadian rhythm is the 24 hour sleep-wake cycle, which is built into everyone by evolution
and is regulated by light.
So how are we messing this up?
Well, diet and exercise are usually the main treatments so, that.
But even moreso, shift work and unnatural light, including lamps, TVs, and phones.
You have to remember that in terms of human history, all of these things fairly recent
inventions, and we’re only now starting to realize how these stupid little things
are affecting our brains.
Normally, at night, your brain sees that it’s dark out and starts to release melatonin,
which is the hormone that makes you sleepy.
But now, we have our homes artificially lit and we’re staring at these stupid little
light boxes all the time, which tricks your brain into thinking the sun is still up, so
it doesn’t release melatonin.
You might be saying that even cave people were living by campfires and candlelight back
in the day, so that doesn’t make any sense.
And yeah, you’re right.
But those light sources are comparatively dim and more towards the red end of the light
spectrum.
Whereas these little screens and the sky are blue light.
And it’s blue wavelength light that your brain uses to regulate melatonin.
Somewhat related to this is Narcolepsy, when your brain can’t regulate your sleep wake
cycle at all, so you just fall asleep seemingly at random.
I say almost, because one of the primary symptoms is excessive daytime sleepiness, which is
basically what it says on the tin.
Shout out to the only person who knows why I said it like that.
These sleepiness episodes are kind of warning signals of an impending sleep attack and only
last a few seconds or minutes.
So be sure your friends are ready and waiting for a random, unannounced trust fall.
The opposite of this is probably the most experienced dyssomnia, Insomnia, which is
the inability to go to sleep or stay asleep.
It is often comorbid with other disorders such as depression and anxiety or even physical
ailments such as diabetes.
We all know what this is like right?
You’re laying there, rolling around, thinking about that really ill-timed racist joke you
sad as a kid, replaying game of thrones episodes in your head, planning tomorrow- Just shut
up and go to sleep already!
But at least you don’t have Fatal Familial Insomnia.
This is a genetic prion disease, also known as a Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathy.
I just really wanted to say the big words and sound smart.
Symptoms don’t show up until adulthood, and once you show symptoms, there is no cure,
and you only have 18 months left to live…
18 sleepless months.
All the while your mind is slowly deteriorating.
Don’t worry too much though, only 100 people in the world have this disease.
But someone has to be the 101st right?
There are also physical issues which can prevent you from getting to sleep as well, such as
Sleep Apnea, when you stop breathing.
There are two types, central, which is when your brain just kinda stops telling you to
breathe all of a sudden.
Which is scary.
And then obstructive, the kind we all hear when people snore like chainsaws.
Sometimes you wake up gasping for breath… and sometimes you don’t.
Either way, the treatment is to wear one of those creepy Bane masks to sleep.
Then, there’s everyone’s favorite sleep disorder to make fun of: Restless Legs Syndrome.
I actually had Restless Legs Syndrome back in the day, before there was a pill for it
or even a name for it.
It’s when you’re laying there and you have this insatiable urge to move your legs.
You’ll never guess this, but the treatment for it, before there was a pill anyway, was
diet and exercise.
So now let’s get to the second and arguably more fun sleep disorders: Parasomnias, which
is when you can get to sleep, but you have abnormal behaviors or perceptions.
Each of these can be put into one of three subcategories: Physical, Sensory, and Conscious.
You’ll see each one of these light up differently for each one we talk about.
But since we’re already on physical issues, let’s stick with that.
*Muffles* *Screams*
Bruxism is when you unconsciously grind your
teeth whils you’re asleep.
You might have no idea that you’re doing it, but your dentist does.
That hole is not a cavity, it’s not a naturally occurring indentation, it’s a result of
grinding from the opposing tooth.
Treatment is pretty simple, it’s just a mouthguard – you can get one of those boxing
style ones from the store or have your dentist make up a fancy one like this.
One of the most common dreams is when you experience lockjaw or your teeth are falling
out.
If you experience those dreams, you might be grinding your teeth.
My second video ever was on dreams, so I’m not going to get too much into the meaning
here.
If you’re doing it in your dream, there is a chance you’re doing it in real life.
Normally, when you’re sleeping, your brain paralyzes your body so that you don’t swing
around and break people or things.
But it can’t paralyze your face.
Which is why your eyes dart around during REM sleep, you grind your teeth, and sometimes,
you talk.
This is called Somniloquy, which is just a fancy word for sleep talking and there isn’t
much else to say about it.
But sometimes that paralyzing mechanism doesn’t work and you end up with REM Sleep Behavior
Disorder.
This isn’t just rolling over or repositioning, this is you acting out your dream, thrashing,
kicking, punching and everything else.
What time is it?
Wait… oh no, I’m still dreaming.
Wake up!
Whoa whoa, okay wait, there might actually be a chance that I’m doing this in real
life, no need for the neighbors to call the cops or anything.
It’ll be alright, the alarm will go off soon and I’ll wake up.
Which brings us to Somnambulism, or sleep walking.
For REM Sleep Behavior Disorder, you’re just moving around in bed, but for sleep walking,
your eyes are open, you can feel gravity and balance, you’re even interacting with people
and objects – but you’re not conscious.
People who sleepwalk have engaged in naughty times, in which case it’s called Sexomnia,
and even murdered people.
And if they have a proven history of sleep walking, they’re usually found innocent…
figure that one out.
I’m not sure how I feel about that one, you still killed someone, just because you
didn’t mean to do it or you weren’t conscious doesn’t mean you’re not still dangerous.
What time is it?
Oh no no no no!
Still?!
Oh c’mon c’mon c’mon.
Okay how can I get out of this?
Whoa!
Exploding Head Syndrome!
This is when you hallucinate a sensation or perception that usually wakes you up.
Most of you experience this as a falling sensation.
But there are people out there who hear gunshots, explosions, or slamming doors.
And yes, it really is called Exploding Head Syndrome, so of course I had to include it.
A second ago when I mentioned that your brain usually paralyzes your body when you’re
sleeping a few of you rubbed your hands together in anticipation for me to talk about this
next one.
Sleep Paralysis.
This is when you hear things happening in the world around you and you are conscious,
but your body has not received the “it’s time to wake up” signal.
You are trapped in your own paralyzed body – kind of like that terrible Hayden Christensen
movie.
It usually only lasts a few seconds or minutes, but it’s still pretty terrifying.
And now that we’ve finally got to the ones where you’re conscious, I would be remiss
if I didn’t mention Lucid Dreaming, which is when you are conscious and aware that you
are dreaming.
Sometimes you’ll incorporate sensory input from the outside world… but not always.
You might be thinking that this is not a disorder, but it is, it’s not normal – you’re
not supposed to be conscious when you’re dreaming.
A disorder doesn’t have to be bad, being excessively happy is a disorder.
Most people who experience this usually wake up as soon as they realize they’re dreaming,
but there are some people who like to try and hone their skills at lucid dreaming.
Shoutout to the oneironauts.
Nobody is going to the doctor over lucid dreaming and even if you did, I doubt there are any
treatments, but it’s still abnormal sleep behavior.
What time is it?
Oh no, no no no no no!
C’mon c’mon!
Wake up!
There has to be a way to get out of here.
C’mon c’mon please!
But there is a certain type of lucid dreaming that is particularly terrifying, appropriately
named, Night Terrors.
This typically involves being chased, being immobile, or being trapped in your dream,
knowing that you’re dreaming and not being able to wake up.
Family members will see your distress, usually your heavy breathing and excessive sweating,
and likewise not be able to wake you up.
You will eventually wake up, this isn’t an episode of Black Mirror, but still.
This is different from just a bad nightmare, because you are conscious in your dream, you
know you’re dreaming.
Almost always, with night terrors, nightmares, lucid dreaming, and regular dreaming, you
will forget about it shortly after you wake up.
Your brain knows it’s not real, so it won’t commit it to memory.
But I already made a video about dreams, so go check that out if you’re interested.
So the next time someone tells you THIS IS ALL JUST A BAD DREAM you’ll know better.
Sleeping is something we all do.
As often as possible if we can help it.
And you’d think with all the practice we get...
Two things really quick.
On Tuesday night I’ll be live streaming the State of the Union address much like I
did last year.
So if you’d like to discuss it and watch along while hearing my comments, set your
reminders.
Secondly, you probably noticed a huge jump in quality with this video, and that’s because
I got some new equipment thanks in part to your support on Patreon.
So if you’d like to support the channel, consider donating a dollar or two.
There’s a link on screen or in the description.
Do you suffer from any of these disorders or want to share your experience?
Let me know down in the comments and don’t forget to somnambulate that subscribe button.
Also be sure to follow me on twitter and facebook and join us on the subreddit.