When Sleep Goes Wrong: Overview of 10+ Sleep Disorders - DOM

Overview:
This session provides a comprehensive overview of over ten major categories of sleep disorders as classified by the International Classification of Sleep Disorders (ICSD) and ICD-11. These include:

• Insomnia
• Sleep apnoea
• Narcolepsy
• Restless leg syndrome- periodic limb movement disorder
• Delayed sleep syndrome
• Sleep deprivation symptoms
• Nightmares and night terrors
• Parasomnias
  • Sleep walking
  • Sleep talking
• Hypersomnia- excessive sleepiness
• Sleep related movement disorder
  • Grinding of teeth
• Sleep related hypoventilation disorder
• Circadian rhythm disorder
• Klien-Levin syndrome (Rare disorder causing recurrent episodes of excessive sleep
  (up to 20 hours/day)

This foundational classification helps practitioners move beyond general sleep complaints to clinically categorize and manage specific disorders.

Evidence of Need:
Sleep disorders are vastly underdiagnosed and misdiagnosed due to lack of awareness, even as they are directly linked to:

• Chronic fatigue and burnout
• Anxiety and depressive disorders
• Poor academic and work performance
• Metabolic and cardiovascular diseases
• Road accidents and workplace errors

Often, patients report secondary symptoms (e.g., irritability, weight gain, reduced immunity) and sleep is not investigated as the root cause. This gap calls for formal training in identifying and classifying sleep disorders.

Practice Gap:
Most homeopaths and integrative practitioners:

• Are unfamiliar with standardized classifications like ICD or ICSD
• Lack a clear symptom matrix to identify specific sleep disorders
• Overlook sleep as a vital diagnostic domain
• Do not assess sleep quality systematically in patient interviews
• Focus primarily on lifestyle symptoms without connecting them to clinical sleep pathology

Bridging this gap is critical for improving patient outcomes and building specialized practice.

1. Purpose Statement:
   This session is designed to:

• Provide practitioners with the ability to identify and differentiate among common and uncommon sleep disorders.
• Build familiarity with clinical features, red flags, and diagnostic checklists.

Create a foundation for targeted homeopathic intervention based on precise diagnosis.

Learning Objectives:

By the end of this session, participants will be able to:

• List the major categories of sleep disorders as per ICSD and ICD guidelines.
• Identify core symptoms and behavioral presentations associated with each disorder.
• Understand diagnostic tools, screening methods, and relevant case history questions.
• Develop initial differential diagnoses for patients presenting with sleep complaints.
• Appreciate the need for referral or co-management when disorders like OSA or narcolepsy are suspected.

Course Description:
This session builds a clinical map for understanding the diverse presentations of sleep disorders and teaches participants how to:

• Screen effectively using structured history-taking and observation.
• Utilize symptom grouping and rubrics to guide homeopathic prescription.
• Recognize when and how to collaborate with sleep labs or use diagnostic tools like sleep diaries, polysomnography, and actigraphy.
• Lay the groundwork for tailored case management, which will be explored in later sessions.

Participants will leave with a robust framework to bring sleep into the center of their clinical evaluation, enabling more accurate and holistic care