Children and adults alike can present with sleep disorders. However, the frequency, signs and symptoms can differ from one population to the next. For example, parasomnias are more common in young children whereas narcolepsy tends to develop in early adulthood. These sleep disorders can however persist for a lifetime. Certain sleep disorders, like REM sleep behaviour disorder, tend to develop later in life. Other disorders such as insomnia and involuntary limb movements are often diagnosed in adults despite being present since childhood. Insomnia and sleep apnea are the most common sleep disorders.

The nomenclature used in this Website, is the same as that used in the second edition of the International Classification of Sleep Disorders (ICSD-II), published in 2005. The ICSD-II recognizes eight groups of sleep disorders, which we summarized in seven categories (isolated symptoms and other sleep disorders).

Sleep disorders are often associated with various health disorders, which can be diagnosed and effectively treated. Thus, at the end of each of the following sections, you will find information about diagnosing and treating sleep disorders as well as signs of the disorder in question.