The classification of sleep disorders facilitates the processes of diagnosis and treatment, providing a constant reference point for the provision of disease management. Currently, four major diagnostic classifications systems are in use:
Each system attempts to classify the sleep disorders by major aetiology or symptoms, but differs in the way that the classification is organised, the specific criteria used, and the number of potential specific diagnoses.1 In addition to these general classification systems, clinical research studies often define additional criteria for the disorder they are investigating, for example, specifying the number of awakenings per night, the sleep duration, or particular outputs from PSG recordings.
Reference:
1. Szuba MP, Kloss JD, Dinges DF (Eds). Insomnia. Principles and management. © Cambridge University Press, 2003.