[Advances in sleep disorders].
OBJECTIVE
This review aims to offer a panoramic overview of the most common sleep disorders, the methodology of the study, their clinical and physiopathological aspects and their treatment.


METHODS
First, we give a brief overview of the methodology of the study of sleep/wakefulness with examinations which are considered essential today. Next, and following the International Classification, we describe sleep disorders which require the knowledge of a physician specialized in sleep pathology: insomnia, hypersomnia, circadian rhythm disorders and parasomnias. We also describe conditions related to sleep or worsened during sleep (snoring, apneas, cardiovascular disorders, etc.), the study of which requires the collaboration of a large number of specialists.


CONCLUSIONS
The study of sleep and wakefulness disorders is clearly a branch of medicine due to the high prevalence of these disorders in the general population, their morbidity and their negative consequences in social and working life, especially as a cause of road and workplace accidents.
Peraita-Adrados
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Unidad de neurofisiología de Trastornos del Sueño y Epilepsia, Hospital General Gregorio Marañón, Madrid, Spain. mperaita.hgugm@salud.madrid.org
D002940:Circadian Rhythm / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D017286:Polysomnography; D012891:Sleep Apnea Syndromes / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy; D012893:Sleep Wake Disorders / Q000145:classification / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy; D014851:Wakefulness / Q000502:physiology