text:
Talk:IRC

Demographics would be nice
Which countries use which networks the most?

Perhaps also user demographics? Mention how many open source hackers use IRC as a central point for instant chat — Preceding unsigned comment added by 178.223.20.123 (talk) 21:45, 9 February 2021 (UTC)

XMPP
I consider it to be the next generation IRC. What's the general consensus? Also, the article doesn't comment on what IRC is being replaced with (facebook, msn, et al) or its social impact (away from many-to-many chatrooms and into one-to-one chats), which fosters individuality as opposed to sociability - if that makes any sense. Nor does it mention who is still using IRC (techies and weirdos - in a good way). — Preceding unsigned comment added by 94.60.3.245 (talk) 15:09, 29 November 2015 (UTC)

 * I absolutely don't consider XMPP to be the "next generation IRC", since, first, it's generally construed as an IM protocol, not a group chat protocol (yes, I realize it can theoretically do both), and, second, it is not widely used in a direct way (as opposed to being the underlying protocol of proprietary services) and there's little indication that it is gaining ground and may reach IRC's level of recognition. At any rate, both your opinion and mine are our own, and any comparison must be done with reliable sources to back it. The same goes for comparisons with other, unrelated protocols, which also runs the risk of WP:COATRACK. LjL (talk) 15:43, 29 November 2015 (UTC)

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Unclear how it all works
I know virtually nothing about IRC, and after reading the article, I'm still a bit confused by a lot of the big picture questions.

I infer/assume that a network is composed of servers, and that channels are either local to a server (&) or span across the entire network (#). Channels can not span networks, though (I'm unsure of this). Clients themselves connect to a server, but the choice of server is mostly down to latency and server-only channels, as any server can access any network-wide channel in that network.

Is that right?

205.166.76.15 (talk) 22:45, 6 July 2009 (UTC)
 * Channels are network-wide, but do not carry over into other networks. So, there is a #help on EFNet and another #help on Dalnet. I'm presuming a bit much, but local channels are rare. The vast majority will be network-wide (#), so I wouldn't get bogged down on the local channels (&) which may only be in place for local IRCops.   Clients have a choice over what server they want to connect to. There are some round-robin domains that can connect to you a random EFNet server, for instance, but a client can pick from dozens of servers that are connect to the same network. If the server is too slow (latency), the client can stick it out or choose to switch to another server that may be faster. Rurik (talk) 23:55, 6 July 2009 (UTC)

 * Some channels may be linked to several networks through the use of janus. For example, the same #net is available on irc.hackthissite.org and 2 other networks. But for the vast majority (~99.99%) of channels, they only exist on the network and are not inter network. Netalarm 10:24, 24 July 2009 (UTC)

 * This has nothing to do with the actual IRC protocol, however. That is a client-side relay and not notable. TrbleClef ♮ (talk) 20:08, 25 July 2009 (UTC)

A network is a cluster of individual servers. When you want to connect to a network, you choose a server thats best for you based on latency. There are many different networks out there all run by different people. Much like there are different websites. What theyre trying to say I think is that # is a network wide channel, meaning it doesnt matter what server you connect to within the network, all the channels text will be displayed the same on every server. Whereas if it was just local (&), youd only see it if you are connected to the same server, and there could be many of the same channel, with different users on one network. Just on different servers. Its kind of moot to say that it doesnt broadcast to other peoples networks. You can pretty much assume that. It would be like saying that me posting here isnt going to show up on someone elses wikipedia. I guess its just there to confuse people.

Also another thing that I thought was kind of moot is this line

with hundreds of thousands of channels (the vast majority of which stand mostly vacant)

The second part kind of cancels out the importantce of the first statement. Why even include the statement. Might as well just worry about the number of networks and users. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 68.83.71.178 (talk) 16:14, 7 August 2009 (UTC)

RE: Modern IRC unsourced material box: As far as I know, much of this information is common knowledge. Depending on your definition of "modern" (2k+ vs -2k?), sources for the services data can be found on this page. --68.183.131.94 (talk) 19:52, 18 September 2009 (UTC)

Direct Client to Client
"as well as chat and data transfers via Direct Client-to-Client." I don't really think thats a feature of IRC. The on DCC info sent through the IRC server is that someone wants to DCC you (which is done through a NOTICE) JV Smithy (talk) 00:47, 22 December 2009 (UTC).
 * Well, it's true that a "DCC CHAT" connection or a data connection for a file transfer is not itself using the IRC protocol, but then as I understand it the data connections in FTP don't use the FTP protocol either, so is it really that big of a deal? —SamB (talk) 20:30, 6 March 2014 (UTC)

History
The article seems pretty light on the history of IRC, conspicuously lacking information about the original IRC network (EFnet), the significance of ircII (especially the 2.8.1 release). I understand that finding reliable sources will be a challenge, though. :( //Blaxthos ( t / c ) 22:16, 3 March 2010 (UTC)

I think that, short of reliable sources, we could use what we have. A canonical source would be this list of links, including a history of first days of IRC from the creator. A more complete history is provided by Daniel Stenberg, which could be a good basis for a summary here, and the license is liberal "Feel free to link to this page or host it elsewhere. Please keep me credited as author." Parts of the history can be corroborated with this snippet which also brings an interesting perspective in the history of the IRC protocol by putting in context with other programs. Then there's the great split of 1996, where the EFNet/IRCNet split happened. Then there's more recent history, where we see a distinct decline of IRC users, except for a growth in Freenode. Some mentions of Jabber and Slack would also probably be in order. this article was an interesting read for me. --TheAnarcat (talk) 14:57, 25 April 2016 (UTC)

I decided to be just bold and import Stenberg's article as a basis for a new history section, keeping existing references and trying to remove less historically relevant bits and pieces. I skipped over the livinginternet snippets for now and have mentionned Jabber but not slack, for lack of external references...--TheAnarcat (talk) 15:58, 25 April 2016 (UTC)

The Standard (RFC1459) modes Section
Can this section be tidied or clarified a little? In the 'User Modes' section, there are four modes which are 'Channel User Modes' (+q,+o,+h,+v), however +o and +v are also listed in the 'Channel Modes' section.

Something else to note there, is that RFC 1459 does not contain the concept of a 'Channel Owner' (+q) or a 'Half-Op' (+h), so for factual accuracy these should be removed, or added to another small section of common non-rfc modes. FrostyCoolSlug (talk) 13:38, 14 July 2010 (UTC)
 * In addition, the RFC does not state that IRC Operators should have an & prefix. FrostyCoolSlug (talk) 13:46, 14 July 2010 (UTC)
 * ✅ Spigot  Map  14:00, 14 July 2010 (UTC)

Images
Does IRC support images? Can images be transferred over IRC? Is support for display of images dependent on the client? -- Azemocram (talk) 23:52, 29 July 2010 (UTC)
 * Transferring could be every file. if you can display inline images? Don't think that this is in the specs. Some clients create smilies out of the text-smilies. mabdul 13:57, 13 August 2010 (UTC)

IRC doesn't support images, some irc clients may turn image url's or send image files into images in chat, but irc itself doesn't support images. (for the record i'm refering to mIRC here, that client doesn't support any images in chat (aside from links)) 194.151.100.206 (talk) 09:40, 1 July 2014 (UTC)

the big four
since you gave a "reference" for the biggest IRC networks shouldn't we change the big four to the actual big four as you partially did? I mean the (our) list is incorrect... (I don't have access to any computer at the moment, will come back constantly in a week or so) mabdul 13:51, 11 April 2011 (UTC)

 * I assume this was a question for me? It isn't quite that simple. netsplit.de's top 100 is also only ranking by number of users, however if you look at the stats, the number of channels and servers is disproportionately smaller than the other networks. A quick solution would be to multiply the number of users by the number of channels by the number of servers. Taking the results of these numbers, the top 10 works out like this:

 * So you can see how much smaller Ustream.tv's "network" really is in proportion to both EFnet and Undernet. Ustream.tv's proprietary software is also what is being measured, so that alone would allow us to discount that "network". We also have published sources for the "big four", which are backed up with the stats from netsplit.de once the numbers are averaged. --Tothwolf (talk) 15:19, 11 April 2011 (UTC)
 * Yes keeping the big four as they are makes the most sense, Ustream.tv doesn't seem to be a traditional network and there's no reference to say it has ever been named as one of the big four even if it was larger. IRWolfie- (talk) 21:08, 11 April 2011 (UTC)
 * I did a little more research on Ustream.tv's IRC support and it's a little interesting. Apparently they run customized servers and have an embedded client called "UStream chat" on their website. A normal client can be used, but it still requires an account on their site and the use of the /PASS command with the account password. --Tothwolf (talk) 21:50, 11 April 2011 (UTC)

 * Comparism
 * In recent times of icq, facebook, and msn, I wonder if IRC is still the biggest chat system world wide (in terms of user coverage)? Any figures? — Preceding unsigned comment added by 77.176.228.194 (talk) 17:21, 29 June 2011 (UTC)

 * Freenode?
 * The Freenode page lists it as having 70,000 users and 40,000 channel which should clearly put it in the big four, correct?
 * comment added by mindstab, 2012 April 5

Force join
Recently I had an incident of which I randomly joined the #freenode server. I was in chat when the #freenode server just came up. It happened about 6 times before I just left the server open. Can I get an elaboration? Tez011 (talk) 14:31, 17 August 2011 (UTC)

Unclear jargon
The word "opered" is jargon that is not explained, and its meaning is not entirely clear from context. In its first usage, it appears to be a typo for "opened." IAbookman (talk) 14:09, 18 August 2011 (UTC)

Requested move

 * The following discussion is an archived discussion of the proposal. Please do not modify it. Subsequent comments should be made in a new section on the talk page. No further edits should be made to this section.

No consensus to move. Vegaswikian (talk) 02:15, 27 September 2011 (UTC)

Internet Relay Chat → Internet relay chat –

Per WP:CAPS and WP:TITLE: this is a generic, common term, not a propriety or commercial term, so the article title should be downcased. In addition, WP:MOS says that a compound item should not be upper-cased just because it is abbreviated with caps. Matches the formatting of related article titles. Tony  (talk)  04:12, 20 September 2011 (UTC)

 * Oppose (added post-discussion --Lexein (talk) 15:55, 20 September 2011 (UTC)) : No, this is the proper name of a creation, an invention and protocol. The word "Relay" is not generic, it is technically specific to the protocol and implementation, and "Chat" is the specific product of the protocol and implementation. Compare Hypertext Markup Language, which was attacked for similar nonsensical decapitalization, resolved only by renaming to HTML, all caps. There has been ongoing panicky insistence on applying decapitalizarion suggestions (used occasionally elsewhere) as ironclad rules at WP - we should avoid this. --Lexein (talk) 04:51, 20 September 2011 (UTC)
 * The name of a creation, an invention ... like "telephone"? Just because a thing is an invention doesn't mean it's a proper noun. Is IRC (abbreviated with caps, of course) a proprietary, licenced technology? The lead talks in terms such as "Client softare is now available for every major operating system that supports Internet access". It uses lowercase "n" for "IRC networks", and "s" for "IRC servers". More tellingly, it says, "All client-to-server IRC protocols in use today are descended from the protocol implemented in the irc2.4.0 version of the IRC2 server, and documented in RFC 1459." Aha, so there are many Internet relay chat protocols, not just one. It's a set of technologies. Sounds like your caps are needed for the original one documented in RFC 1459, and that since then the cat's out of the bag and it's like "computer" or "network" ... just a common noun. Tony   (talk)  06:37, 20 September 2011 (UTC)
 * Inappropriate comparison with single-word inventions which have entered the common lexicon. Internet Relay Chat is an atomic thing. There is no Internet Relay Chat Network, though Dave's Internet Relay Chat Network might be a name for a particular network; point is, IRC modifies "network", and modifies "servers" - it is still atomic as a protocol and separate thing. Internet Relay Chat refers primarily to the protocol, and secondarily to the chat, so it is primarily a proper name. We don't say, "I was on the Internet last night, using relay chat", or I was connected to an Internet relay last night, chatting."  All three words together form an atomic, unique thing. I would agree with the separate use of lowercase "relay" or "chat" when used as a thing: an IRC server, or a conversation, following the introduction of the full term, w/caps. This follows the example of works discussing Hypertext Markup Language later using lowercase "markup" and "language" as referring to parts of the total concept, but only after introducing it first fully capitalized. --Lexein (talk) 07:43, 20 September 2011 (UTC)
 * I've never heard about treating single- and multiple-word items differently: this seems to be an ad-hoc, localised innovation to try to sneak this through as capitalised when it shouldn't be. No one would say, "I was on the Internet last night, using relay chat", because it's unidiomatic. You'd say, "I was using Internet relay chat last night"; even then, we usually abbreviate it, orally, so the examples are slightly awkward. Similarly, an ISP (that's "Internet service provider", not "Internet Service Provider", even though someone originally coined the term) probably wouldn't say to a potential customer that they need an asymmetric digital subscriber line connection; they'd refer to "an ADSL connection". We upcase acronyms and initialisms, but many style guides, including our own, say not to reverse-engineer the upcased abbreviation when expanding the item, unless of course it really is a proper noun. IRC is just a technical term now, given that it's a whole class of technologies, not the original one. Tony   (talk)  08:16, 20 September 2011 (UTC)
 * Calling anything "sneaky" assumes bad faith. Also, you haven't answered my use case, HTML. The problem is not with me, it is with the enforcement of arbitrary capitalization standards which capitalize article names against the wishes of artists and authors of works, and against the proper names of historical items. It is enforcement for the sake of enforcement for no other reason than personal certitude, not in accordance with any external widely applied standards.  It goes far too far beyond the lowercasing of "the" and "and." It pains me to see editors, one by one, falling victim to the weird, twisted logic employed to rob all creators of the proper representation of the names of things. It is a laughable situation, and one which damages Wikipedia's reputation, as not even being able to get the names of things right.
 * To your response: I do not agree that "just a technical term now" applies, given that the name of the protocol and its implementation have not changed, and will not be changed. The fact that colloquially people don't write out "Internet Relay Chat" is not a justification for stripping the proper capitalization from this historical innovation.  Before I would rename this article, I would split it - one for the protocol, its history and implementation details, and another for colloquial use.
 * There has been no "reverse engineering" abbreviation to full name. The name has never changed. Furthermore, that "no reverse engineering abbreviations" is made up and is not supported anywhere outside Wikipedia, it is fabricated for the purpose of pushing an unsupported, and unsupportable agenda. It's ridiculous, and stands in the way of Wikipedia doing its job, starting with getting the names of things right. It should be rewritten from scratch. In the meantime, it should properly be ignored as silly. --Lexein (talk) 09:28, 20 September 2011 (UTC)

 * As far as I'm concerned, citing "Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line" -> Asymmetric digital subscriber line above and not mentioning you had just pushed through this requested move is inappropriate. As someone who sees that term on standards documents just about daily, had I seen that requested move, I would have opposed it as well. The WP:TITLEFORMAT section of WP:TITLE explicitly states: "Use lower case, except for proper names" yet this is being ignored in the case of proper names of protocols and standards. It would seem to me we need an explicit exception to this silly MOS rule for protocols and standards because clearly common sense isn't in use. --Tothwolf (talk) 12:32, 22 September 2011 (UTC)

 * Oppose. Sources overwhelmingly use uppercase; if MOS rules demand a different capitalization, then MOS rules are wrong. Internet Relay Chat is a proper noun used for a protocol, just like Hypertext Transfer Protocol, Transmission Control Protocol, etcetera. Ucucha (talk) 12:12, 20 September 2011 (UTC)
 * You know very well that's not the way it works, and that you're sitting there passing or failing FACs is appalling, in that case. Now, is it a single, unique protocol? Tony   (talk)  12:24, 20 September 2011 (UTC)
 * It is a single unique protocol, with subprotocols and commands allowing expansion over time, per the various RFCs. Just like HTTP, TCP. --Lexein (talk) 15:55, 20 September 2011 (UTC)

 * Oppose. It is a proper noun. — Dgtsyb (talk) 12:26, 20 September 2011 (UTC)
 * Comment. AFAIK IRC refers to an Internet group communications solution that is based on a specific protocol, the IRC protocol. I do not think it refers to Internet chatting in a more general way. I think the burden to prove that there is a general meaning for this term should rely on the person who wishes to lower-case it. My 2 cents, Nageh (talk) 20:55, 20 September 2011 (UTC)
 * Support This is not a proper name, just a technical term that is commonly up-cased to match its acronym. The MoS does not support that style. Don't be fooled by acronyms/initialisms - use lower case. Joja  lozzo  02:35, 21 September 2011 (UTC)
 * Oh, please. It's not a "term", except colloquially. It's the title of the specification, protocol, and implementation and has never changed.  I would say, don't be fooled by overzealous, nonsensical, over-reaching, local, made-up, (either fetishistic, or otherwise control freak) rules, which stand in the way of Wikipedia doing its job, part of which is getting the names of things right.  Proper names exist outside of Wikipedia - the fact that they are not allowed to persist inside Wikipedia is an aberration, unsupported by widely practiced standards of other encyclopedias and scholarly works.  --Lexein (talk) 04:35, 21 September 2011 (UTC)
 * OK, like "telephony" was originally the title of an implementation. Let's get over this obsessive upcasing of anything that is vaguely technical, and restrict upcasing, as required by our site policies and guidelines, to items that are unambiguously proper names. And no, what someone does "outside" doesn't dictate what we do, or WP would be an unholy mess. Every publication, including ours, has house rules. Tony   (talk)  06:42, 21 September 2011 (UTC)
 * We are not talking about an implementation here, but about a single, specific solution. I'm not sure how you can compare this to telephony, which is the general concept of communicating in voice over distance. Anyway, as I said above it depends on whether there is a general meaning for "Internet relay chat" or whether the meaning applies only for the specific, standardized protocol. I am uncertain about the more general usage, which is why I just commented, but I do think that if the name is wished to be lower-cased this more general usage must be proven via references. Nageh (talk) 07:40, 21 September 2011 (UTC)
 * Tony: "Vaguely technical" - that's blinkered: deliberately not seeing or understanding, sorry. Where is this bias against getting the names of things right coming from? House rules should have some grounding in reality, since the aim of Wikipedia is after all, to be an encyclopedia, comparable, presumably favorably, with other encyclopedias.
 * Nageh: There is no general usage with the capitalization "Internet relay chat", except by mistake, or ignorance. The "United states of America", or "North america" : both are just wrong, against the proper name and proper usage. --Lexein (talk) 07:49, 21 September 2011 (UTC)
 * Geographical names are always upcased. Technical terms not so unless there's a particular reason. Perhaps we could more usefully negotiate what those reasons are, to guide future discussions; there's quite a big grey area in telecom and computing, it seems to me, and non- and semi-experts (as well as experts) need to be in greater agreement about up and down. Tony   (talk)  08:38, 21 September 2011 (UTC)
 * As well as distinguish noun from verb. "Internet Relay Chat" is a noun, "to chat" is a verb. I'm fine with lowercaseing the verb, of course. But nouns always get the proper name form, if there is one, and here, there very specifically, historically, is one. "Bell Telephone Co.", noun, "to telephone", verb, "to use a telephone", lowercase noun.  "Transmission Control Protocol", noun, upper. "Per section IIa of the protocol", lower, except in the case of matters of state or medicine. These are all fine rules which work everywhere, except, apparently, here. --Lexein (talk) 09:25, 21 September 2011 (UTC)
 * There's always a possibility that I could be convinced to change my position but I have better things to do than participate in disrespectful discussion. Joja  lozzo  15:10, 21 September 2011 (UTC)
 * Well, that's too bad. My position is that there is a fundamental disrespect for authors and creators of works, and the readers of Wikipedia, built into the current MOS, against calling things by their proper names; it is against this that I reason, argue, and rail.  You should see that as a valid position, rather than sniffing and refusing to contribute to the discussion. --Lexein (talk) 01:42, 22 September 2011 (UTC)

 * Oppose This is a proper noun. - MrOllie (talk) 15:15, 21 September 2011 (UTC)
 * Oppose Internet Relay Chat as per rfc1459 and capitalisation example MAVEN. --Hm2k (talk) 16:04, 21 September 2011 (UTC)
 * Oppose "Internet Relay Chat" is this Internet protocol's proper name. This rename request would be like renaming World Wide Web to "World wide web", File Transfer Protocol to "File transfer protocol", Domain Name System to "Domain name system", Simple Mail Transfer Protocol to "Simple mail transfer protocol", etc. In short, it ain't gonna happen. --Tothwolf (talk) 02:17, 22 September 2011 (UTC)
 * Oppose This is the specific IRC protocol, as defined by a rfc. This not about the generic concept of "chat that happens to be relayed over internet". --Enric Naval (talk) 21:27, 26 September 2011 (UTC)
 * The above discussion is preserved as an archive of the proposal. Please do not modify it. Subsequent comments should be made in a new section on this talk page. No further edits should be made to this section.

IRC-Galleria?
An editor has suggested a link to the IRC-Galleria article ("the largest social networking website in Finland") be included in the See Also section of this article. I do not believe the link belongs here, any more than does, say, a link to 4chan or Facebook. Perhaps it should be listed on the IRC dab page (and it may be; I've not looked), but I do not believe it belongs in this article.

I reverted the addition of the link for this reason. Does anyone have any thoughts on the matter? — UncleBubba ( T @ C ) 03:20, 7 December 2011 (UTC)

Over-detailed?
An editor (the same one who tried to add IRC-Galleria to the EL list) has added an "over detailed" and "condense" tag to the beginning of this article. I disagree, but am not uninvolved, so I would like other opinions.

This page attempts to cover a technical topic and has roughly the same number of sections and level of detail as do the HTTP and FTP pages. I don't see that as problematic.

Anyone have any thoughts? — UncleBubba ( T @ C ) 14:28, 9 December 2011 (UTC)

 * I have removed the templates for the reasons stated above. — Uncl</b><b style="color:darkred">eBubba</b> ( T @ C ) 14:34, 2 January 2012 (UTC)

What to do with the "Big Four"?
The list of "Big Four" has changed. Now freenode has passed most networks from the old Big Four currently described. EFNet is way under freenode, Undernet, QuakeNet and IRCNet. So maybe we don't have a Big Five, but really a new Big Four with freenode instead of EFNet.

Then again, size measures are subjective and we would need references to support a current version. Is it worth it? I am on IRC 24/7 for years and I never heard of the "Big Four" except on Wikipedia. Is it a useful, known concept that is worth covering here? --Chealer (talk) 17:09, 28 April 2012 (UTC)

Bots
Following code does not belong in the main article because it is presumptive in nature, includes "you" statements and violates MOS. Copied and pasted from unsourced text file or Web site

Best Practices for Combating Viruses, Worms, Trojans, and Bots The first steps to protecting your computer are to ensure that your OS is up to date. This means regularly applying the most recent patches and fixes recommended by the OS vendor. Secondly, you should have antivirus software installed on your system and download updates frequently to ensure that your software has the latest fixes for new viruses, worms, Trojans, and bots. Additionally, you want to make sure that your antivirus program can scan e-mail and files as they are downloaded from the Internet. This will help prevent malicious programs from reaching your computer. You may also want to consider installing a firewall. Additional Definitions and References — Preceding unsigned comment added by 97.115.25.199 (talk) 03:19, 18 April 2014 (UTC)

Really guys?
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/timeline/26d0b8c3bfdb0d6e20934a9fea2e8eb3.png

It would be nice if who ever created this image would learn how to edit images. And then maybe create a new image where the key isn't included or at least isn't screwed up to where we can't use it. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 96.254.154.93 (talk) 04:27, 4 May 2014 (UTC)
 * I decided to fix the issue. I also added the rizon network to the timeline. — comment added by Redomar (talk) 17:10, 8 May 2014 (UTC)

Can some one replace of crop the last part out of http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Screenshot-XChat-_Moniker42_@_FreeNode_-_-ubuntuforums_(%2Btn)-1.png??
can some one replace this image? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Screenshot-XChat-_Moniker42_@_FreeNode_-_-ubuntuforums_(%2Btn)-1.png, its kinda insulting 194.151.100.206 (talk) 09:54, 1 July 2014 (UTC)

User mode nick prefix symbols?
Why the article doesn't got all the user mode nick prefix symbols? --TiagoTiago (talk) 21:41, 22 January 2015 (UTC)
 * they vary by server/network — Preceding unsigned comment added by OMPIRE (talk • contribs) 28 January 2015 (UTC)

 * This seems to talk about them as if they were standard everywhere... --TiagoTiago (talk) 03:34, 3 February 2015 (UTC)

 * I have never seen the symbols any different, but the colors do change depending on what client you are using. <font COLOR="lime">Rider ranger47   Talk 20:29, 3 February 2015 (UTC)

 * Yeah, I'm pretty sure the colors are specific to that client. I'm just focusing on the symbols here.--TiagoTiago (talk) 02:35, 5 February 2015 (UTC)
 * A few more examples of pages that seem to agree on the symbols: 1, 2 , 3 , 4 --TiagoTiago (talk) 02:48, 5 February 2015 (UTC)
 * "Admin" can be either <tt>&</tt> or <tt>!</tt> depending on the IRCd, though the former is more common. nyuszika7h (talk) 09:08, 27 August 2015 (UTC)

twitch.tv
IRC is seeing a resurgence thanks to twitch.tv. Thankfully I have been on IRC before twitch's time so I can see the evolution first-hand. If anybody thinks they need to add anything, type away. Thanks, ian. 137.124.161.17 (talk) 02:17, 26 January 2016 (UTC)

Too many articles
Here are 3 articles that are very similar: - Internet Relay Chat script - IRC bot - Internet Relay Chat services

While I know there are technical differences between these 3 things, it seems like having this material spread out over 4 articles (if you also include Internet Relay Chat) is unhelpful.

Also, what's up with the arbitrary choice of "IRC" vs "Internet Relay Chat"? For pretty much all articles of the form "Internet Relay Chat ____", I believe "IRC _____" is probably more suitable. (See ex. TCP congestion control)

104.228.101.152 (talk) 21:06, 3 February 2017 (UTC)

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— Preceding unsigned comment added by 50.172.70.34 (talk) 04:50, 7 May 2017 (UTC)

Efnet Bot Nest
By my diligent count there are around 1500-1800 actual human users on Efnet, the remainder are various botnets, clones, and zombie BNC or screened irssi instances. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 2602:63:C297:5000:9DA6:689E:5BB6:9FD5 (talk) 16:19, 24 May 2018 (UTC)

Drew Gooden (YouTuber)
I think it’s time this man got a wiki page. His twitter bio is a good source of information but but I also have other knowledge on him. For example he calls his fans little stinkers because when he was a young child he thought it would be funny to throw his dogs faeces into a fan. His mother proceeded to call him a little stinker until the age of 13. Lil Chips (talk) 20:31, 19 June 2018 (UTC)

Family Members
Are family members allowed to edit? In my particular case, my brother is on Wikipedia but I'm his sister, and there are much information that is incorrect. I understand that I have to be neutral, and not bias. JaraLynn (talk) 21:27, 25 August 2018 (UTC)

"IRC clients are available for every major OS platform that supports internet access" is no longer true...
KaiOS, the feature phone Linux operating system, has no IRC clients available, so I was wondering if this statement is still true? — Preceding unsigned comment added by 122.174.218.135 (talk) 16:25, 10 October 2018 (UTC) Well, KaiOS is used by 135 Million people worldwide. That's a lot of people, but I think that it's not that big compared to the likes of Microsoft Windows and Apple macOS (1.5 billion and 100 million, respectively, not accounting for people with Boot Camp or owning both a Mac and PC). Also, there are IRC clients run over the web, like KiwiIRC, so a KaiOS user could use that. However, it'd be clunky even with T9 autotype and voice dictation. XxBradMacxX (talk) 23:58, 26 March 2021 (UTC)

Help to submit my draft article
I found it difficult to submit my article which I contributed Abubakar Zaria (talk) 10:39, 7 July 2020 (UTC)

Immediate concern needs clarification
I am deeply troubled how I might be perceived in my good intentions to make facts on Wikipedia for the better and safety of other people. Due to my Autism and intellectual delay the way I understand things and how I communicate can be greatly misunderstood by others, I am now going to declose my concerns to you as I feel some users will misunderstand my concerns if there not aware of things. I recently edited O'Donovan page as I felt I contributed to the page in a positive manner, I felt when it was edited that someone may have had a grudge against the family because of the removal so in turn because of that I said O'Donovan family should only edit because I felt they was under attack this was my understanding. I then looked further in to Wikipedia policy and stopped editing after advice. Secondly I was shocked to find a user called orangemike beileved there might of by death threats in edits. Firstly, I am a victim of people who have targeted me in the past who have tried to exploit me and others like me, I am a religious person and I have an understanding in Safeguarding vulnerable adults which I am. When I was editing the page khawarij sect I felt I had to remove the connection between Salafism and the Khawarij as these are two different sects. Although some Khawaraji have used the guise of Salafism they also have used the guise in Deobandis. So when there is information connected to a sect that is religiously not connected and Muslims have called against them, it makes me and others feel fear that our friends could be targeted although law-abiding worshipers could be viewed like the khawaraji and someone bring harm to us. I have to put that out there because people who might not like muslims might see information with a connection to sects and target the mosques and that's my concern if you don't think that's a reality it had been such as someone who attacked a mosque in London because they felt it was an extremist mosque which it was not. These are my concerns and I feel they are been misunderstood. IrishDonovan (talk) 10:34, 18 July 2020 (UTC)

"IRC adapter" is not explained
irssi.org: "'Irssi Chat Client. Your text mode chatting application since 1999. IRC built-in. Multi-protocol friendly for module authors. Shipped-by-default Perl scripting with a wide range of available extensions. Integrates into the UNIX stack: Your window manager, your terminal emulator, your remote connection, your terminal multiplexer, your IRC bouncer, your IRC adapter.'"
 * "IRC adapter" does not occur in any article.
 * "remote connection" does not disambiguate
 * References
 * https://github.com/nandub/hubot-irc This is the IRC adapter for hubot
 * https://metacpan.org/pod/Hubot::Adapter::Irc
 * https://www.npmjs.com/package/modum-irc-adapter
 * https://github.com/akrennmair/joe-irc-adapter
 * https://joe-bot.net/recipes/adapter/
 * lita-irc an adapter for Lita that allows you to use the robot with IRC.
 * Good uses for an IRC bot in an IT department reddit
 * Curated list of awesome IRC resources
 * .... 0mtwb9gd5wx (talk) 21:57, 30 May 2021 (UTC)

Non-working external link
https://irc-source.com/ form the external links does not seem to work. — Preceding unsigned comment added by Vaganyik (talk • contribs) 01:15, 25 August 2021 (UTC)

Image not a Sun server?
It seems the image of the first IRC server doesn't actually display what it says it does. Has the server been in a strange case or something? It seems to have an Apple logo on it. — Preceding unsigned comment added by SimonTheSaint (talk • contribs) 05:52, 14 March 2022 (UTC)
 * This is a Sun server - the Sun logo is about halfway down on the righthand side. The other two logos (one of which is Apple) appear to be for attached components. Mind  matrix  12:35, 14 March 2022 (UTC)

"AccessIRC" listed at Redirects for discussion
An editor has identified a potential problem with the redirect AccessIRC and has thus listed it for discussion. This discussion will occur at Redirects for discussion/Log/2022 June 30 until a consensus is reached, and readers of this page are welcome to contribute to the discussion. 1234qwer1234qwer4 16:48, 30 June 2022 (UTC)

"IRC networj" listed at Redirects for discussion
An editor has identified a potential problem with the redirect IRC networj and has thus listed it for discussion. This discussion will occur at Redirects for discussion/Log/2022 July 1 until a consensus is reached, and readers of this page are welcome to contribute to the discussion. 1234qwer1234qwer4 22:37, 1 July 2022 (UTC)

Requested move 29 January 2024
<div class="boilerplate mw-archivedtalk" style="background-color: #efe; margin: 0; padding: 0 10px 0 10px; border: 1px dotted #aaa;">
 * The following is a closed discussion of a requested move. Please do not modify it. Subsequent comments should be made in a new section on the talk page. Editors desiring to contest the closing decision should consider a move review after discussing it on the closer's talk page. No further edits should be made to this discussion.

The result of the move request was: moved. (closed by non-admin page mover) Bensci54 (talk) 17:15, 5 February 2024 (UTC)

Internet Relay Chat → IRC – Per WP:COMMONNAME and MOS:ACROTITLE, this acronym is primarily used for this subject and the subject is primarily referred to by its acronym. PhotographyEdits (talk) 11:25, 29 January 2024 (UTC)
 * Note: WikiProject Internet culture has been notified of this discussion. Vanderwaalforces (talk) 17:23, 29 January 2024 (UTC)
 * Note: WikiProject Computing has been notified of this discussion. Vanderwaalforces (talk) 17:23, 29 January 2024 (UTC)
 * Note: WikiProject Telecommunications has been notified of this discussion. Vanderwaalforces (talk) 17:24, 29 January 2024 (UTC)

<div style="padding-left: 1.6em; font-style: italic; border-top: 1px solid #a2a9b1; margin: 0.5em 0; padding-top: 0.5em">The discussion above is closed. <b style="color: #FF0000;">Please do not modify it.</b> Subsequent comments should be made on the appropriate discussion page. No further edits should be made to this discussion.
 * Support. Even when IRC was still popular, everyone called it IRC and not Internet Relay Chat. IRC already redirects to this article so the primary topic won't change. J I P  | Talk 18:56, 29 January 2024 (UTC)
 * Support per MOS:ACROTITLE, specifically "In general, if readers somewhat familiar with the subject are likely to only recognise the name by its acronym, then the acronym should be used as a title." -Ljleppan (talk) 12:51, 30 January 2024 (UTC)

The importance of IRC in the development of the internet - the hardware and bandwidth overhead requirements
The importance of IRC is that it was one of the first examples of a tool/platform that enabled, relatively easily, "hosting side" or "Service side" capabilities to non-corporate nonprofessionals with home client hardware with a residential internet connection. The clients incorporated sufficient built in, usually GUI-based or GUI-facilitated, functionality to provide rudimentary channel hosting capabilities (Ableit lacking the ability to effectively host your own network). No need to know how to script HTML or any other coding. Additionally, it was the 1st example of a wide-spread avaible "realtime interactive" chat/communications environment.

in fact, the "Realtime chat" concept, is *still* a relatively minimally used and minimally developed field of technology to the point that this functionality CONTINUES TO BE a major reason why people still seek out IRC (that, and being old crusty neckbeards angrily dismissive of change; PROTIP:  you have an exceptionally high likelihood of finding an operational CRT monitor in the home of a heavy user of IRC in '24)

the ability to use IRC for this tyhpe of relationship (in which the "user" is another residential internet connected user just like the "host" with a very "symmetrical" arrangement of resources) also allowed it to be used for some of its more notorious applications.

notably: IRC was used extensively by military in-theater users, for battlefield intelligence reporting and command and control, purportedly during the baltic wars and the 1st gulf war, in addition to other smaller conflicts that don't have "war" names attached to them. Even in the mid 1990s, laptops existed and since IRC could be used with the bandwidth provided by modem interfaced to an RJ-12 opper wire phone, nascent cellular phone, or satellite phone it meant it could be used almost anywhere in the world to send reports back to a base of operations.

in addition, it also enabled the early hackers to perform realtime command and control of infected computers. The old "botnets" were almost always controlled by headless IRC clients, leading to the policy of blocking various IRC ports in the earliest retail SOHO routers.67.165.122.133 (talk) 00:29, 6 March 2024 (UTC)

title: Talk:IRC


text:
Sleep disorder

A sleep disorder, or somnipathy, is a medical disorder of an individual's sleep patterns. Some sleep disorders are severe enough to interfere with normal physical, mental, social and emotional functioning. Sleep disorders are frequent and can have serious consequences on patients' health and quality of life. Polysomnography and actigraphy are tests commonly ordered for diagnosing sleep disorders.

Sleep disorders are broadly classified into dyssomnias, parasomnias, circadian rhythm sleep disorders involving the timing of sleep, and other disorders including ones caused by medical or psychological conditions. When a person struggles to fall asleep or stay asleep with no obvious cause , it is referred to as insomnia, which is the most common sleep disorder. Others include sleep apnea, narcolepsy and hypersomnia (excessive sleepiness at inappropriate times), sleeping sickness (disruption of sleep cycle due to infection), sleepwalking, and night terrors.

Sleep disruptions can be caused by various issues, including teeth grinding (bruxism) and night terrors. Management of sleep disturbances that are secondary to mental, medical or substance abuse disorders should focus on the underlying conditions.

Primary sleep disorders are common in both children and adults. However, there is a significant lack of awareness of children with sleep disorders, due to most cases being unidentified. Several common factors involved in the onset of a sleep disorder include increased medication use, age-related changes in circadian rhythms, environmental changes, lifestyle changes, pre-diagnosed physiological problems, or stress. Among the elderly, the risk of developing sleep disordered breathing, periodic limb movements, restless legs syndrome, REM sleep behavior disorders, insomnia, and circadian rhythm disturbances is especially increased.

Causes
A systematic review found that traumatic childhood experiences (such as family conflict or sexual trauma) significantly increases the risk for a number of sleep disorders in adulthood, including sleep apnea, narcolepsy, and insomnia.

In addition, an evidence-based synopsis suggests that idiopathic REM sleep behavior disorder (iRBD) may have a hereditary component. A total of 632 participants, half with iRBD and half without, completed self-report questionnaires. The results of the study suggest that people with iRBD are more likely to report having a first-degree relative with the same sleep disorder than people of the same age and sex that do not have the disorder. More research needs to be conducted to further understand the hereditary nature of sleep disorders.

A population susceptible to the development of sleep disorders includes people who have experienced a traumatic brain injury (TBI). Because many researchers have focused on this issue, a systematic review was conducted to synthesize their findings. The results indicate that individuals who experienced a TBI are most disproportionately at risk for developing narcolepsy, obstructive sleep apnea, excessive daytime sleepiness, and insomnia.

Sleep disorders and neurodegenerative diseases
Neurodegenerative diseases have often been associated with sleep disorders, mainly when they are characterized by abnormal accumulation of alpha-synuclein, such as multiple system atrophy (MSA), Parkinson's disease (PD)  and Lewy body disease (LBD). For instance, people diagnosed with PD have often presented different kinds of sleep concerns, commonly in regard to insomnia (around 70% of the PD population), hypersomnia (more than 50% of the PD population), and REM sleep behavior disorder (RBD) - that may affect around 40% of the PD population and it is associated with increased motor symptoms. Furthermore, RBD has been highlighted as a strong precursor for future development of those neurodegenerative diseases over several years in prior, which seems to be a great opportunity for improving the treatments of the disease.

The neurodegenerative conditions are commonly related to structural brain impairment, which might disrupt the states of sleep and wakefulness, circadian rhythm, motor or non motor functioning. On the other hand, sleep disturbances are frequently related to worsening patient's cognitive functioning, emotional state and quality of life. Furthermore, these abnormal behavioral symptoms negatively contribute to overwhelming their relatives and caregivers. The limited research related to it and the increasing life expectancy calls for a deeper understanding of the relationship between sleep disorders and neurodegenerative disease.

Sleep disturbances and Alzheimer's disease
Sleep disturbances have been also observed in Alzheimer's disease (AD), affecting about 45% of its population. When based on caregiver reports, this percentage increases to about 70%. As well as in PD population, insomnia and hypersomnia are frequently recognized in AD patients, which have been associated with accumulation of beta-amyloid, circadian rhythm sleep disorders (CRSD) and melatonin alteration. Additionally, changes in sleep architecture are observed in AD. Although sleep architecture seems to naturally change with age, its development appears aggravated in AD patients. SWS potentially decreases (and is sometimes absent), spindles and the length of time spent in REM sleep are also reduced, while its latency increases. Poor sleep onset in AD has been associated with dream-related hallucination, increased restlessness, wandering and agitation that seem related to sundowning - a typical chronobiological phenomenon presented in the disease.

In Alzheimer's disease, in addition to cognitive decline and memory impairment, there are also significant sleep disturbances with modified sleep architecture. The latter may consist in sleep fragmentation, reduced sleep duration, insomnia, increased daytime napping, decreased quantity of some sleep stages, and a growing resemblance between some sleep stages (N1 and N2). More than 65% of people with Alzheimer's disease have this type of sleep disturbance.

One factor that could explain this change in sleep architecture is a change in circadian rhythm, which regulates sleep. A disruption of the circadian rhythm would generate sleep disturbances. Some studies show that people with AD have a delayed circadian rhythm, whereas in normal aging, an advanced circadian rhythm is present.

In addition to these psychological symptoms, at a neurological level there are two main symptoms of Alzheimer's disease. The first is an accumulation of beta-amyloid waste forming aggregate "plaques". The second is an accumulation of tau protein.

It has been shown that the sleep-wake cycle acts on the beta-amyloid burden, which is a central component found in AD. As individuals awaken, the production of beta-amyloid protein will be more consistent than its production during sleep. This is explained by two phenomena. The first is that the metabolic activity will be higher during waking, thus resulting in greater secretion of beta-amyloid protein. The second is that oxidative stress will also increase, which leads to greater AB production.

On the other hand, it is during sleep that beta-amyloid residues are degraded to prevent plaque formation. The glymphatic system is responsible for this through the phenomenon of glymphatic clearance. Thus, during wakefulness, the AB burden is greater because the metabolic activity and oxidative stress are higher, and there is no protein degradation by the glymphatic clearance. During sleep, the burden is reduced as there is less metabolic activity and oxidative stress (in addition to the glymphatic clearance that occurs).

Glymphatic clearance occurs during the NREM SWS sleep. This sleep stage decreases in normal aging, resulting in less glymphatic clearance and increased AB burden that will form AB plaques. Therefore, sleep disturbances in individuals with AD will amplify this phenomenon.

The decrease in the quantity and quality of the NREM SWS, as well as the disturbances of sleep will therefore increase the AB plaques. This initially occurs in the hippocampus, which is a brain structure integral in long-term memory formation. Hippocampus cell death occurs, which contributes to diminished memory performance and cognitive decline found in AD.

Although the causal relationship is unclear, the development of AD correlates with the development of prominent sleep disorders. In the same way, sleep disorders exacerbate disease progression, forming a positive feedback relationship. As a result, sleep disturbances are no longer only a symptom of AD; the relationship between sleep disturbances and AD is bidirectional.

At the same time, it has been shown that memory consolidation in long-term memory (which depends on the hippocampus) occurs during NREM sleep. This indicates that a decrease in the NREM sleep will result in less consolidation, resulting in poorer memory performances in hippocampal-dependent long-term memory. This drop in performance is one of the central symptoms of AD.

Recent studies have also linked sleep disturbances, neurogenesis and AD. The subgranular zone and the subventricular zone continued to produce new neurons in adult brains. These new cells are then incorporated into neuronal circuits and the subgranular zone, which is found in the hippocampus. These new cells contribute to learning and memory, playing an essential role in hippocampal-dependent memory.

However, recent studies have shown that several factors can interrupt neurogenesis, including stress and prolonged sleep deprivation (more than one day). The sleep disturbances encountered in AD could therefore suppress neurogenesis—and thus impair hippocampal functions. This would contribute to diminished memory performances and the progression of AD, and the progression of AD would aggravate sleep disturbances.

Changes in sleep architecture found in patients with AD occur during the preclinical phase of AD. These changes could be used to detect those most at risk of developing AD. However, this is still only theoretical.

While the exact mechanisms and the causal relationship between sleep disturbances and AD remains unclear, these findings already provide a better understanding and offer possibilities to improve targeting of at-risk populations—and the implementation of treatments to curb the cognitive decline of AD patients.

Schizophrenia
In individuals with psychiatric illnesses sleep disorders may include a variety of clinical symptoms, including but not limited to: excessive daytime sleepiness, difficulty falling asleep, difficulty staying asleep, nightmares, sleep talking, sleepwalking, and poor sleep quality. Sleep disturbances - insomnia, hypersomnia and delayed sleep-phase disorder - are quite prevalent in severe mental illnesses such as psychotic disorders. In those with schizophrenia, sleep disorders contribute to cognitive deficits in learning and memory. Sleep disturbances often occur before the onset of psychosis.

Sleep deprivation can also produce hallucinations, delusions and depression. A 2019 study investigated the three above-mentioned sleep disturbances in schizophrenia-spectrum (SCZ) and bipolar (BP) disorders in 617 SCZ individuals, 440 BP individuals, and 173 healthy controls (HC). Sleep disturbances were identified using the Inventory for Depressive Symptoms - clinician rated scale (IDS-C). Results suggested that at least one type of sleep disturbance was reported in 78% of the SCZ population, in 69% individuals with BD, and in 39% of healthy controls. The SCZ group reported the most number of sleep disturbances compared to the BD and HC groups; specifically, hypersomnia was more frequent among individuals with SCZ, and delayed sleep phase disorder was three times more common in the SCZ group compared to the BD group. Insomnias were the most frequently reported sleep disturbance across all three groups.

Bipolar disorder
One of the main behavioral symptoms of bipolar disorder is abnormal sleep. Studies have suggested that 23-78% of individuals with bipolar disorders consistently report symptoms of excessive time spent sleeping, or hypersomnia. The pathogenesis of bipolar disorder, including the higher risk of suicidal ideation, could possibly be linked to circadian rhythm variability, and sleep disturbances are a good predictor of mood swings. The most common sleep-related symptom of bipolar disorder is insomnia, in addition to hypersomnia, nightmares, poor sleep quality, OSA, extreme daytime sleepiness, etc. Moreover, animal models have shown that sleep debt can induce episodes of bipolar mania in laboratory mice, but these models are still limited in their potential to explain bipolar disease in humans with all its multifaceted symptoms, including those related to sleep disturbances.

Major depressive disorder (MDD)
Sleep disturbances (insomnia or hypersomnia) are not a necessary diagnostic criterion—but one of the most frequent symptoms of individuals with major depressive disorder (MDD). Among individuals with MDD, insomnia and hypersomnia have prevalence estimates of 88% and 27%, respectively, whereas individuals with insomnia have a threefold increased risk of developing MDD. Depressed mood and sleep efficiency strongly co-vary, and while sleep regulation problems may precede depressive episodes, such depressive episodes may also precipitate sleep deprivation. Fatigue, as well as sleep disturbances such as irregular and excessive sleepiness, are linked to symptoms of depression. Recent research has even pointed to sleep problems and fatigues as potential driving forces bridging MDD symptoms to those of co-occurring generalized anxiety disorder.

Treatment
Treatments for sleep disorders generally can be grouped into four categories:
 * Behavioral and psychotherapeutic treatment
 * Rehabilitation and management
 * Medication
 * Other somatic treatment

None of these general approaches are sufficient for all patients with sleep disorders. Rather, the choice of a specific treatment depends on the patient's diagnosis, medical and psychiatric history, and preferences, as well as the expertise of the treating clinician. Often, behavioral/psychotherapeutic and pharmacological approaches may be compatible, and can effectively be combined to maximize therapeutic benefits.

Management of sleep disturbances that are secondary to mental, medical, or substance abuse disorders should focus on the underlying conditions. Medications and somatic treatments may provide the most rapid symptomatic relief from certain disorders, such as narcolepsy, which is best treated with prescription drugs such as modafinil. Others, such as chronic and primary insomnia, may be more amenable to behavioral interventions—with more durable results.

Chronic sleep disorders in childhood, which affect some 70% of children with developmental or psychological disorders, are under-reported and under-treated. Sleep-phase disruption is also common among adolescents, whose school schedules are often incompatible with their natural circadian rhythm. Effective treatment begins with careful diagnosis using sleep diaries and perhaps sleep studies. Modifications in sleep hygiene may resolve the problem, but medical treatment is often warranted.

Special equipment may be required for treatment of several disorders such as obstructive apnea, circadian rhythm disorders and bruxism. In severe cases, it may be necessary for individuals to accept living with the disorder, however well managed.

Some sleep disorders have been found to compromise glucose metabolism.

Allergy treatment
Histamine plays a role in wakefulness in the brain. An allergic reaction over produces histamine, causing wakefulness and inhibiting sleep. Sleep problems are common in people with allergic rhinitis. A study from the N.I.H. found that sleep is dramatically impaired by allergic symptoms, and that the degree of impairment is related to the severity of those symptoms. Treatment of allergies has also been shown to help sleep apnea.

Acupuncture
A review of the evidence in 2012 concluded that current research is not rigorous enough to make recommendations around the use of acupuncture for insomnia. The pooled results of two trials on acupuncture showed a moderate likelihood that there may be some improvement to sleep quality for individuals with insomnia. This form of treatment for sleep disorders is generally studied in adults, rather than children. Further research would be needed to study the effects of acupuncture on sleep disorders in children.

Hypnosis
Research suggests that hypnosis may be helpful in alleviating some types and manifestations of sleep disorders in some patients. "Acute and chronic insomnia often respond to relaxation and hypnotherapy approaches, along with sleep hygiene instructions." Hypnotherapy has also helped with nightmares and sleep terrors. There are several reports of successful use of hypnotherapy for parasomnias specifically for head and body rocking, bedwetting and sleepwalking.

Hypnotherapy has been studied in the treatment of sleep disorders in both adults and children.

Music therapy
Although more research should be done to increase the reliability of this method of treatment, research suggests that music therapy can improve sleep quality in acute and chronic sleep disorders. In one particular study, participants (18 years or older) who had experienced acute or chronic sleep disorders were put in a randomly controlled trial, and their sleep efficiency, in the form of overall time asleep, was observed. In order to assess sleep quality, researchers used subjective measures (i.e. questionnaires) and objective measures (i.e. polysomnography). The results of the study suggest that music therapy did improve sleep quality in subjects with acute or chronic sleep disorders, though only when tested subjectively. Although these results are not fully conclusive and more research should be conducted, it still provides evidence that music therapy can be an effective treatment for sleep disorders.

In another study specifically looking to help people with insomnia, similar results were seen. The participants that listened to music experienced better sleep quality than those who did not listen to music. Listening to slower pace music before bed can help decrease the heart rate, making it easier to transition into sleep. Studies have indicated that music helps induce a state of relaxation that shifts an individual's internal clock towards the sleep cycle. This is said to have an effect on children and adults with various cases of sleep disorders. Music is most effective before bed once the brain has been conditioned to it, helping to achieve sleep much faster.

Melatonin
Research suggests that melatonin is useful in helping people fall asleep faster (decreased sleep latency), stay asleep longer, and experience improved sleep quality. To test this, a study was conducted that compared subjects who had taken melatonin to subjects with primary sleep disorders who had taken a placebo. Researchers assessed sleep onset latency, total minutes slept, and overall sleep quality in the melatonin and placebo groups to note the differences. In the end, researchers found that melatonin decreased sleep onset latency and increased total sleep time but had an insignificant and inconclusive impact on the quality of sleep compared to the placebo group.

Sleep medicine
Due to rapidly increasing knowledge and understanding of sleep in the 20th century, including the discovery of REM sleep in the 1950s and circadian rhythm disorders in the 70s and 80s, the medical importance of sleep was recognized. By the 1970s in the US, clinics and laboratories devoted to the study of sleep and sleep disorders had been founded, and a need for standards arose. The medical community began paying more attention to primary sleep disorders, such as sleep apnea, as well as the role and quality of sleep in other conditions.

Specialists in sleep medicine were originally and continue to be certified by the American Board of Sleep Medicine. Those passing the Sleep Medicine Specialty Exam received the designation "diplomate of the ABSM". Sleep medicine is now a recognized subspecialty within internal medicine, family medicine, pediatrics, otolaryngology, psychiatry and neurology in the United States. Certification in Sleep medicine shows that the specialist:"has demonstrated expertise in the diagnosis and management of clinical conditions that occur during sleep, that disturb sleep, or that are affected by disturbances in the wake-sleep cycle. This specialist is skilled in the analysis and interpretation of comprehensive polysomnography, and well-versed in emerging research and management of a sleep laboratory."

Competence in sleep medicine requires an understanding of a myriad of very diverse disorders. Many of which present with similar symptoms such as excessive daytime sleepiness, which, in the absence of volitional sleep deprivation, "is almost inevitably caused by an identifiable and treatable sleep disorder", such as sleep apnea, narcolepsy, idiopathic hypersomnia, Kleine–Levin syndrome, menstrual-related hypersomnia, idiopathic recurrent stupor, or circadian rhythm disturbances. Another common complaint is insomnia, a set of symptoms which can have a great many different causes, physical and mental. Management in the varying situations differs greatly and cannot be undertaken without a correct diagnosis.

Sleep dentistry (bruxism, snoring and sleep apnea), while not recognized as one of the nine dental specialties, qualifies for board-certification by the American Board of Dental Sleep Medicine (ABDSM). The qualified dentists collaborate with sleep physicians at accredited sleep centers, and can provide oral appliance therapy and upper airway surgery to treat or manage sleep-related breathing disorders. The resulting diplomate status is recognized by the American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM), and these dentists are organized in the Academy of Dental Sleep Medicine (USA).

Occupational therapy is an area of medicine that can also address a diagnosis of sleep disorder, as rest and sleep is listed in the Occupational Therapy Practice Framework (OTPF) as its own occupation of daily living. Rest and sleep are described as restorative in order to support engagement in other occupational therapy occupations. In the OTPF, the occupation of rest and sleep is broken down into rest, sleep preparation, and sleep participation. Occupational therapists have been shown to help improve restorative sleep through the use of assistive devices/equipment, cognitive behavioral therapy for Insomnia, therapeutic activities, and lifestyle interventions.

In the UK, knowledge of sleep medicine and possibilities for diagnosis and treatment seem to lag. The Imperial College Healthcare shows attention to obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSA) and very few other sleep disorders. Some NHS trusts have specialist clinics for respiratory and neurological sleep medicine.

Children and young adults
According to one meta-analysis of sleep disorders in children, confusional arousals and sleepwalking are the two most common sleep disorders among children. An estimated 17.3% of kids between 3 and 13 years old experience confusional arousals. About 17% of children sleepwalk, with the disorder being more common among boys than girls, the peak ages of sleepwalking are from 8 to 12 years old.

A different systematic review offers a high range of prevalence rates of sleep bruxism for children. Parasomnias like sleepwalking and talking typically occur during the first part of an individual's sleep cycle, the first slow wave of sleep During the first slow wave of sleep period of the sleep cycle the mind and body slow down causing one to feel drowsy and relaxed. At this stage it is the easiest to wake up, therefore many children do not remember what happened during this time.

Nightmares are also considered a parasomnia among children, who typically remember what took place during the nightmare. However, nightmares only occur during the last stage of sleep - Rapid Eye Movement (REM) sleep. REM is the deepest stage of sleep, it is named for the host of neurological and physiological responses an individual can display during this period of the sleep cycle which are similar to being awake'''. '''

Between 15.29% and 38.6% of preschoolers grind their teeth at least one night a week. All but one of the included studies reports decreasing bruxist prevalence as age increased, as well as a higher prevalence among boys than girls.

Another systematic review noted 7-16% of young adults have delayed sleep phase disorder. This disorder reaches peak prevalence when people are in their 20s. Between 20 and 26% of adolescents report a sleep onset latency of greater than 30 minutes. Also, 7-36% have difficulty initiating sleep. Asian teens tend to have a higher prevalence of all of these adverse sleep outcomes—than their North American and European counterparts.

By adulthood, parasomnias can normally be resolved due to a person's growth; however, 4% of people have recurring symptoms.

Effects of Untreated Sleep Disorders
Children and young adults who do not get enough sleep due to sleep disorders also have many other health problems such as obesity and physical problems where it could interfere with everyday life. It is recommended that children and young adults stick to the hours of sleep recommended by the CDC, as it helps increase mental health, physical health, and more.

Insomnia
Insomnia is a prevalent form of sleep deprivation. Individuals with insomnia may have problems falling asleep, staying asleep, or a combination of both resulting in hyposomnia - i.e. insufficient quantity and poor quality of sleep.

Combining results from 17 studies on insomnia in China, a pooled prevalence of 15.0% is reported for the country. This result is consistent among other East Asian countries; however, this is considerably lower than a series of Western countries (50.5% in Poland, 37.2% in France and Italy, 27.1% in USA). Men and women residing in China experience insomnia at similar rates.

A separate meta-analysis focusing on this sleeping disorder in the elderly mentions that those with more than one physical or psychiatric malady experience it at a 60% higher rate than those with one condition or less. It also notes a higher prevalence of insomnia in women over the age of 50 than their male counterparts.

A study that was resulted from a collaboration between Massachusetts General Hospital and Merck describes the development of an algorithm to identify patients with sleep disorders using electronic medical records. The algorithm that incorporated a combination of structured and unstructured variables identified more than 36,000 individuals with physician-documented insomnia.

Insomnia can start off at the basic level but about 40% of people who struggle with insomnia have worse symptoms. There are treatments that can help with insomnia and that includes medication, planning out a sleep schedule, limiting oneself from caffeine intake, and cognitive behavioral therapy.

Obstructive sleep apnea
Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) affects around 4% of men and 2% of women in the United States. In general, this disorder is more prevalent among men. However, this difference tends to diminish with age. Women experience the highest risk for OSA during pregnancy, and tend to report experiencing depression and insomnia in conjunction with obstructive sleep apnea.

In a meta-analysis of the various Asian countries, India and China present the highest prevalence of the disorder. Specifically, about 13.7% of the Indian population and 7% of Hong Kong's population is estimated to have OSA. The two groups in the study experience daytime OSA symptoms such as difficulties concentrating, mood swings, or high blood pressure, at similar rates (prevalence of 3.5% and 3.57%, respectively).

Obesity and Sleep Apnea
The worldwide incidence of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is on the rise, largely due to the increasing prevalence of obesity in society. In individuals who are obese, excess fat deposits in the upper respiratory tract can lead to breathing difficulties during sleep, giving rise to OSA. There is a strong connection between obesity and OSA, making it essential to screen obese individuals for OSA and related disorders. Moreover, both obesity and OSA patients are at higher risk of developing metabolic syndrome. Implementing dietary control in obese individuals can have a positive impact on sleep problems and can help alleviate associated issues such as depression, anxiety, and insomnia. Obesity can influence the disturbance in sleep patterns resulting in OSA. Obesity is a risk factor for OSA because it can affect the upper respiratory system by accumulating fat deposition around the muscles surrounding the lungs. Additionally, OSA can irritate the obesity by prolonging sleepiness throughout the day leading to reduces physical activity and an inactive lifestyle.

Sleep paralysis
A systematic review states 7.6% of the general population experiences sleep paralysis at least once in their lifetime. Its prevalence among men is 15.9%, while 18.9% of women experience it.

When considering specific populations, 28.3% of students and 31.9% of psychiatric patients have experienced this phenomenon at least once in their lifetime. Of those psychiatric patients, 34.6% have panic disorder. Sleep paralysis in students is slightly more prevalent for those of Asian descent (39.9%) than other ethnicities (Hispanic: 34.5%, African descent: 31.4%, Caucasian 30.8%).

Restless leg syndrome
According to one meta-analysis, the average prevalence rate for North America and Western Europe is estimated to be 14.5±8.0%. Specifically in the United States, the prevalence of restless leg syndrome is estimated to be between 5% and 15.7% when using strict diagnostic criteria. RLS is over 35% more prevalent in American women than their male counterparts. Restless Leg Syndrome (RLS) is a sensorimotor disorder characterized by discomfort in the lower limbs. Typically, symptoms worsen in the evening, improve with movement, and exacerbate when at rest.

List of conditions
There are a numerous sleep disorders. The following list includes some of them:
 * Bruxism, involuntary grinding or clenching of the teeth while sleeping
 * Catathrenia, nocturnal groaning during prolonged exhalation
 * Delayed sleep phase disorder (DSPD), inability to awaken and fall asleep at socially acceptable times but no problem with sleep maintenance, a disorder of circadian rhythms. Other such disorders are advanced sleep phase disorder (ASPD), non-24-hour sleep–wake disorder (non-24) in the sighted or in the blind, and irregular sleep wake rhythm, all much less common than DSPD, as well as the situational shift work sleep disorder.
 * Fatal familial insomnia, an extremely rare and universally-fatal prion disease that causes a complete cessation of sleep.
 * Hypopnea syndrome, abnormally shallow breathing or slow respiratory rate while sleeping
 * Idiopathic hypersomnia, a primary, neurologic cause of long-sleeping, sharing many similarities with narcolepsy
 * Insomnia disorder (primary insomnia), chronic difficulty in falling asleep or maintaining sleep when no other cause is found for these symptoms. Insomnia can also be comorbid with or secondary to other disorders.
 * Kleine–Levin syndrome, a rare disorder characterized by persistent episodic hypersomnia and cognitive or mood changes
 * Narcolepsy, characterized by excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS) and so-called "sleep attacks", relatively sudden-onset, irresistible urges to sleep, which may interfere with occupational and social commitments. About 70% of those who have narcolepsy also have cataplexy, a sudden weakness in the motor muscles that can result in collapse to the floor while retaining full conscious awareness.
 * Night terror, Pavor nocturnus, sleep terror disorder, an abrupt awakening from sleep with behavior consistent with terror
 * Nocturia, a frequent need to get up and urinate at night. It differs from enuresis, or bed-wetting, in which the person does not arouse from sleep, but the bladder nevertheless empties.
 * Parasomnias, disruptive sleep-related events involving inappropriate actions during sleep, for example sleepwalking, night-terrors and catathrenia.
 * Periodic limb movements in sleep (PLMS), sudden involuntary movement of the arms or legs during sleep. In the absence of other sleep disorders, PLMS may cause sleep disruption and impair sleep quality, leading to periodic limb movement disorder (PLMD).
 * Other limb movements in sleep, including hypneic jerks and nocturnal myoclonus.
 * Rapid eye movement sleep behavior disorder (RBD), acting out violent or dramatic dreams while in REM sleep, sometimes injuring bed partner or self (REM sleep disorder or RSD)
 * Restless legs syndrome (RLS), an irresistible urge to move legs.
 * Shift work sleep disorder (SWSD), a situational circadian rhythm sleep disorder. (Jet lag was previously included as a situational circadian rhythm sleep disorder, but it does not appear in DSM-5, see Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders for more).
 * Sleep apnea, obstructive sleep apnea, obstruction of the airway during sleep, causing lack of sufficient deep sleep, often accompanied by snoring. Other forms of sleep apnea are less common. Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a medical disorder that is caused by repetitive collapse of the upper airway (back of the throat) during sleep. For the purposes of sleep studies, episodes of full upper airway collapse for at least ten seconds are called apneas.
 * Sleep paralysis, characterized by temporary paralysis of the body shortly before or after sleep. Sleep paralysis may be accompanied by visual, auditory or tactile hallucinations. It is not a disorder unless severe, and is often seen as part of narcolepsy.
 * Sleepwalking or somnambulism, engaging in activities normally associated with wakefulness (such as eating or dressing), which may include walking, without the conscious knowledge of the subject.
 * Somniphobia, one cause of sleep deprivation, a dread/ fear of falling asleep or going to bed. Signs of the illness include anxiety and panic attacks before and during attempts to sleep.

Types

 * Dyssomnias – A broad category of sleep disorders characterized by either hypersomnia or insomnia. The three major subcategories include intrinsic (i.e., arising from within the body), extrinsic (secondary to environmental conditions or various pathologic conditions), and disturbances of circadian rhythm.
 * Insomnia: Insomnia may be primary or it may be comorbid with or secondary to another disorder such as a mood disorder (i.e., emotional stress, anxiety, depression) or underlying health condition (i.e., asthma, diabetes, heart disease, pregnancy or neurological conditions).
 * Primary hypersomnia: Hypersomnia of central or brain origin
 * Narcolepsy: A chronic neurological disorder (or dyssomnia), which is caused by the brain's inability to control sleep and wakefulness.
 * Idiopathic hypersomnia: A chronic neurological disease similar to narcolepsy, in which there is an increased amount of fatigue and sleep during the day. Patients who have idiopathic hypersomnia cannot obtain a healthy amount of sleep for a regular day of activities. This hinders the patients' ability to perform well, and patients have to deal with this for the rest of their lives.
 * Recurrent hypersomnia, including Kleine–Levin syndrome
 * Post traumatic hypersomnia
 * Menstrual-related hypersomnia
 * Sleep disordered breathing (SDB), including (non-exhaustive):
 * Several types of sleep apnea
 * Snoring
 * Upper airway resistance syndrome
 * Restless leg syndrome
 * Periodic limb movement disorder
 * Circadian rhythm sleep disorders
 * Delayed sleep phase disorder
 * Advanced sleep phase disorder
 * Non-24-hour sleep–wake disorder
 * Parasomnias – A category of sleep disorders that involve abnormal and unnatural movements, behaviors, emotions, perceptions, and dreams in connection with sleep.
 * Bedwetting or sleep enuresis
 * Bruxism (Tooth-grinding)
 * Catathrenia – nocturnal groaning
 * Exploding head syndrome – Waking up in the night hearing loud noises.
 * Sleep terror (or Pavor nocturnus) – Characterized by a sudden arousal from deep sleep with a scream or cry, accompanied by some behavioral manifestations of intense fear.
 * REM sleep behavior disorder
 * Sleepwalking (or somnambulism)
 * Sleep talking (or somniloquy)
 * Sleep sex (or sexsomnia)
 * Medical or psychiatric conditions that may produce sleep disorders
 * 22q11.2 deletion syndrome
 * Alcoholism
 * Mood disorders
 * Depression
 * Anxiety disorder
 * Nightmare disorder
 * Panic
 * Dissociative identity disorder
 * Psychosis (such as Schizophrenia)
 * Sleeping sickness – a parasitic disease which can be transmitted by the Tsetse fly.
 * Jet lag disorder – Jet lag disorder is a type of circadian rhythm sleep disorder that results from rapid travel across multiple time zones. Individuals experiencing jet lag may encounter symptoms such as excessive sleepiness, fatigue, insomnia, irritability, and gastrointestinal disturbances upon reaching their destination. These symptoms arise due to the mismatch between the body's circadian rhythm, synchronized with the departure location, and the new sleep/wake cycle needed at the destination.

license: Creative Commons - Attribution Share-Alike - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

title: Sleep disorder


text:
Castalia

Castalia (Κασταλία), in ancient Greek and Roman literature, was the name of a spring near Delphi, sacred to the Muses; it is also known as the Castalian Spring. It is said to have derived its name from Castalia, a naiad-nymph, daughter of the river-god Achelous, who is said to have flung herself into the spring when pursued by the god Apollo.

Mythology
In older traditions, the Castalian Spring already existed by the time Apollo came to Delphi searching for Python. According to some, the water was a gift to Castalia from the river Cephisus.

In his commentary on Statius's Thebaid, Latin poet Lactantius Placidus says that to escape Apollo's amorous advances, Castalia transformed herself into a fountain at Delphi, at the base of Mount Parnassus, or at Mount Helicon. She inspired the genius of poetry to those who drank her waters or listened to their quiet sound; the sacred water was also used to clean the Delphian temples. Apollo consecrated Castalia to the Muses (Castaliae Musae).

The 20th-century German writer Hermann Hesse used Castalia as inspiration for the name of the futuristic fictional utopia in his 1943 magnum opus The Glass Bead Game. Castalia is home to an austere order of intellectuals with a twofold mission: to run boarding schools for boys, and to nurture and play the Glass Bead Game.

authors: Виктор Јованоски

title: Castalia