Management of Sleep Disorders in General Medicine
Management of Sleep Disorders in General Medicine

Summary/Abstract: Sleep is one of the fundamental cycles of human life, involving complex neurophysiological processes that are activated each night as the eyes close, and it has been a subject of curiosity since antiquity. Advances in scientific methods during the 19th and 20th centuries enabled major progress in understanding sleep physiology. Techniques such as electroencephalography (EEG), polysomnography, and actigraphy facilitated the delineation of rapid eye movement (REM) and non-rapid eye movement (NREM) stages, thereby elucidating the pathophysiology of sleep disorders. Contemporary research demonstrates that sleep disorders are not merely individual issues related to nighttime rest but constitute a significant global public health concern. They are associated with cardiovascular diseases, metabolic syndrome, immune dysfunction, psychiatric disorders, and accident risk, among other adverse outcomes. Evidence further suggests an increasing prevalence of sleep disorders worldwide. This review seeks to provide a comprehensive perspective on sleep, encompassing current classification systems, pathophysiological mechanisms, and treatment approaches. The limited number of recent publications addressing the full spectrum of sleep disorders highlights the need for integrative reviews. By employing a traditional review method, this article aims to draw attention to this gap in the literature. In conclusion, sleep disorders should not be confined to the domains of psychiatry and neurology alone but should be integrated into routine clinical assessments across disciplines. Because sleep affects the entire organism, recognition by all branches of medicine is essential for ensuring that it receives the attention it warrants.

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