My list includes obstructive sleep apnea, restless legs syndrome, chronic insomnia, and the violent parasomnias. Though less common, I also include sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), narcolepsy, and Fatal Familial Insomnia. SIDS manifests as a single catastrophic event and narcolepsy often reaches its full severity in a relatively short time. Fatal Familial insomnia, a genetically transmitted disease, inevitable causes death about one year after its onset, but is extremely rare.
My list includes obstructive sleep apnea, restless legs syndrome, chronic insomnia, and the violent parasomnias. Though less common, I also include sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), narcolepsy, and Fatal Familial Insomnia. SIDS manifests as a single catastrophic event and narcolepsy often reaches its full severity in a relatively short time. Fatal Familial insomnia, a genetically transmitted disease, inevitable causes death about one year after its onset, but is extremely rare.
- William C. Dement, M.D., Ph.D