The sleep medicine knows about more than 80 different kinds of sleep disorders. Some of the most important ones should be briefly introduced here as examples.

In addition, some information about the meaning of sleep disorders:

• The mean night sleep duration has decreased after knowledge of the German society for sleep research and sleep medicine (DGSM) during the past 20 years about 30 minutes.

• Almost every second complains about the fact that his sleep is not restful enough.

• Almost twice as many women than men, 40 years and older, complain about bad sleep.

• Every third feels fatigued during the day and would love to sleep longer at night.

• Every fourth has difficulties falling asleep in the evening and wakes up frequently in the night. Every tenth suffers acutely from sleep disorders. Scarcely half of all seriously sleep-disturbed patients consult a doctor.

• The costs of sleep disorders resulting in accidents caused by exhaustion are estimated at 10 billion euros a year. Health insurance companies pay about 160 million euros yearly for sleeping pills.

• Affected persons spend about 200 million euros - an increase of about 100 percent since 1988!

• More than two million Germans take pills every evening.

• 45 percent of the patients maintain that the drugs don’t work anymore but, nevertheless, continue to take them.