A sleep disorder is a medical condition that affects the sleep patterns of a person or animal. Some disorders are serious enough to interfere with normal physical, mental and emotional functioning.
Millions of Americans suffer from extremely severe sleep disorders that can distress their health if left untreated. In fact, ninety-five percent of people suffering from this malady remain undiagnosed. In this article, we’ll talk about these sleep syndromes and the treatments available.
More than 100 different disorders of sleeping and waking have been identified and grouped in four main categories:
- Problems with falling and staying asleep
- Problems with staying awake
- Problems with adhering to a regular sleep schedule
- Sleep-disruptive behaviors
Insomnia includes any combination of difficulty with falling asleep, staying asleep, intermittent wakefulness and early-morning awakening. Episodes may be transient, short-term, or chronic.
Insomnia can have associated health problems, such as anxiety disorders. The most common factors that contribute to insomnia include a poor sleeping environment, caffeine, certain medications, illness, heavy smoking and daytime napping.
If you’re having trouble staying awake or experience excessive daytime sleepiness, then you could be suffering from hypersomnias. Hypersomnias include sleep apneas, narcolepsy and restless leg syndrome. Sleep apnea can cause breathing to stop intermittently during sleep, resulting in the person being awakened repeatedly.
Narcolepsy is a condition of daytime sleep attacks despite adequate sleep at night. A person with narcolepsy may suddenly fall asleep in any situation, without warning.
Restless leg syndrome is characterized by an uncomfortable sensation, usually in the legs, that occurs primarily at night and when a person is relaxed. The uncomfortable sensation diminishes when the legs are moved.
Sleep disorders can also occur when a consistent sleep and wake schedule is disrupted. This often occurs when traveling between times zones and with shift workers on rotating schedules, particularly nighttime workers.
Sleep disruptive behaviors are abnormal behaviors during sleep and are fairly common in children but are also experienced by adults. They include night terrors, sleep walking and REM sleep behavior disorder. Symptoms of these disorders include difficulty falling asleep, fatigue, loud snoring, anxiety and difficulty concentrating.
Simple things like reducing your caffeine intake, avoiding sweets and practicing relaxation techniques like yoga can help you to enjoy a better night of sleep. However, some sleep disorders will require medical attention.
Talk to your doctor about your symptoms and find out more about the treatments available. You may be referred to a sleep specialist who can perform tests and determine which course of treatment is best for you. This may include a combination of medication, lifestyle changes and using sleep enhancing apparatus. Regardless of the technique, a good night’s sleep is priceless.
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