Comprehensive Website Provides Hope and Resources for Individuals with Chronic Circadian Rhythm Disorder
Online, March 27, 2013 (Newswire.com) - National Sleep Foundation Launches Non24.sleepfoundation.org
The National Sleep Foundation (NSF) launched a new website today, non24.sleepfoundation.org, to help individuals who have Non-24-Hour Sleep Wake Disorder (Non-24), a chronic circadian rhythm disorder. This online resource center helps people understand the disorder's symptoms, prevalence, and available treatment options, and provides resources to manage the disorder.
All humans have a near-24-hour internal body clock that regulates their biological processes, including sleep. Light is the primary cue to restart these internal body clocks. For individuals with Non-24-Hour Sleep Wake Disorder, their internal body clocks, or circadian rhythms, are not synchronized with the 24-hour cycle. This leads to constantly changing sleep cycles which keep them from having a "typical" schedule.
Non-24 affects 70% of people who are completely blind and lack light perception, and some sighted individuals.
"Many people have trouble sleeping. A chronic circadian rhythm disorder is a serious, debilitating disorder that often disrupts a person's ability to maintain a regular job and steady relationships, or participate in enjoyable activities," says David Cloud, National Sleep Foundation CEO. "The National Sleep Foundation's new Non-24-Hour Sleep Wake Disorder website helps people find the resources they need to understand and manage the disorder."
No treatment has yet been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration or the European Medicines Agency for the disorder. However, non24.sleepfoundation.org aims to help individuals with Non-24 and their families understand how to live with the disorder, understand temporary treatment options, and raise awareness for the disorder among physicians and the public.
Visit Non24.sleepfoundation.org for additional information and resources related to Non-24-Hour Sleep Wake Disorder.