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Causes of sleep disorders are varied and range from serious neurological problems to simple nightmares. Sleep disorder means any difference in the normal sleep pattern that can be sleeplessness, oversleep or intermittent sleep behaviors. Persistent sleep disorder is considered to be a problem since it affects the daily living pattern and can lead to severe impairments in body and mind. Sleep disorders can be categorized into dysomnias, parasomnias and others, based on the symptoms of the sleep disorder. Some of the common sleep disorders include insomnia, bruxism, sleep apnea, night walking, and snoring. The causes behind sleep disorders are very signifigant since the treatments for the sleep disorders are focused on the cure of underlying cause.

In general, the causes for sleep disorders can be categorized into internal, external and due to disturbance in the normal circadian pattern. Most often, sleep disorders are manifested as an associated disease of any organ disease and also a major factor for internal causes of sleep disorder. It is common that most of the diseases manifest with a disturbance in the normal sleep pattern. However, serious sleep disorders can be caused because of medical conditions such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, sleep-related gastroesophageal reflux, peptic ulcer, fibrositis syndrome, back problems, and neck problems. Any impairment in the brain such as central apnea and neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's disease are also potential cause for sleep disorders. Breathing problems are also major causative in cases such as obstructive sleep apnea and snoring.

If body diseases can attribute sleep problems as an associated disease, the main feature of psychological problems is sleep disorder. Most of the mental problems such as anxiety, depression, panic attacks, bipolar syndrome, paranoia and schizophrenia can cause sleep disorders. Chronic mental patients usually exhibit severe sleep disorders and it is evaluated as an important diagnostic characteristic. The specific problems such as tooth grinding and sleep enuresis are also caused because of certain mental disorders.

In the case of endocrinal changes, sleep disorders are evident symptom such as in cases of thyroid problems, in which patient are with insomnia or over sleep. The sleep problems associated with menopause and pregnancy related ones are very common. The alteration in the circadian rhythm is a major causative for many sleep disorders. Shift workers usually experience sleep disorders due to their altered sleep pattern and jet lag is a reason for sleep disorder among plane travelers.

Life style factors such as alcoholism and intake of alkaloids such as caffeine can also contribute to the cause of sleep disorders. The environmental factors include light, noise, and change of bedding. The intake of certain drugs Lotronex and Tramadol are also proven to cause sleep disorders. The consumption of any particular substance may also attribute sleep disorders in some patients. Anyway, the causative factor will differ from one patient to the other.

Sleep disorders are most often a symptom of any other serious disorder. Hence immediate consultation of an expert physician is essential to find the exact cause behind sleep disorder.