A majority of people around us suffer from one form of sleep disturbance or the other. Commonly, sleep disturbances are caused by sleep disorders such as restless leg syndrome, sleep apnea, insomnia, and narcolepsy. These disturbances have wide-ranging effects: they hold the potential to cause tumult in your work performance, mental health, relationships, safety, thinking, and even the development of certain diseases, such as cardiovascular disorders and diabetes.
Not getting enough sleep can unequivocally deteriorate your life’s quality, which is not something you deserve. Let us look at some typical causes of sleep disturbances, their symptoms, and how you can treat them.
What are Sleep Disorders?
Sleep disorders are a group of medical conditions that negatively affect the ability to sleep properly and regularly. They may be caused by health complications or secondary factors such as stress. Sleep disorders are becoming alarmingly common all around the globe. In fact, more than one-third of the total adults in the United States get less than seven hours of sleep in a usual 24-hour period. Additionally, more than 70% of high school students sleep less than eight hours on weeknights.
Most people experience sleep apnea, insomnia, or other sleep disturbances occasionally, either due to stress caused by hectic schedules or some other emotional factors. However, they can become serious illnesses if they start occurring regularly and begin interfering with the quality of one’s life.
Depending upon their disturbing condition, people may experience different troubles before sleeping. Some may have a hard time falling asleep, waking up, or suffer from day sleepiness and grogginess. A lack of sleep can hamper daily life functioning and adversely affect concentration, mood, overall health, and energy.
In cases when sleep disturbances are caused by underlying physical or mental health conditions, taking appropriate medication and treatment can cure them. If an underlying cause is not the reason behind sleep disturbances, you may have to undertake a combination of minute lifestyle changes and medication for treatment.
Types of Sleep Disorders
Various kinds of sleep disorders are generally categorized into groups that show how they affect or happen. They can be classified according to breathing problems, natural sleep-wake cycles, behaviors, sleeping difficulties, or how sleepy one feels during the day.
Here are some common types of sleep disturbances:
- Insomnia – characterized by difficulty falling asleep to staying asleep during the night.
- Restless leg syndrome – a kind of sleep movement disorder, also known as Willis-Ekbom disease, which causes an uncomfortable sensation and urges to move the legs continuously while sleeping
- Sleep apnea – characterized by abnormal sleep breathing patterns during sleeping. Sleep apnea has various kinds.
- Narcolepsy – entails extreme sleepiness throughout the day and suddenly falling asleep during the day.
Causes of Sleep Disorders
Sleep disorders have a wide array of causes and factors. But all of them indicate one output: disrupted natural slumber cycle and daytime wakefulness. Some common factors that may cause sleep disorders are mentioned ahead:
- Physical causes – certain diseases or underlying conditions such as ulcers.
- Medical conditions – medical conditions such as asthma.
- Psychiatric complications – mental health disorders such as depression and anxiety disorders.
- Environmental conditions – such as alcohol consumption.
- Genetics – certain sleep disturbances are genetic.
- Aging – approximately half of adults over the age of 65 experience some sort of a sleeping disorder. Research is underway to determine whether it is a natural process of aging or is caused by certain medications that older people generally use.
- Medications – certain medications can interfere with the body’s slumber cycle.
- Schedules that interfere with the body’s natural biological clock – like when working the night shift.
Additional Causes of Sleep Disorders
Respiratory problems and allergies
Upper respiratory tract infections, colds, and allergies can make breathing quite challenging, especially at night. Individuals unable to breathe through their noses may also face sleeping difficulties.
Chronic pain
Chronic pain can unequivocally make sleeping difficult. It can also wake you up from a deep medication-induced slumber. Some of the most prominent causes of constant pain may include the following:
- Fibromyalgia
- Inflammatory bowel disease
- Chronic fatigue syndrome
- Arthritis
- Continuous lower back pain
- Persistent headaches
Frequent urination
Frequent urination, or nocturia, may disturb your sleep schedule by causing you to wake up repeatedly during the night. Urinary tract infections or hormonal imbalances can be contributing factors to this condition. It is imperative to consult a medical professional immediately if frequent urination is accompanied by bleeding or pain.
Anxiety and Stress
Stress, anxiety, and other mental disorders can adversely affect sleep quality and duration. They can also make it difficult to fall asleep, to stay asleep. Sleep talking, sleepwalking, or constant nightmares can also be among the most common sleep disturbances.
Aging
About half of all adults over the age of 65 have some sort of sleep disorder. It is not clear if it is a normal part of aging or a result of medicines that older people commonly use.
Symptoms of Sleep Disorders
Sleep disturbance symptoms depend upon the type and severity of a sleeping disorder. They can also vary when sleep disorders result from underlying medical conditions.
However, the most common symptoms of sleep disturbances include the following:
- Strong urge to take daytime naps.
- Difficulty falling or staying asleep.
- Unusual breathing patterns.
- Grogginess or fatigue during the day.
- Unconscious changes to your sleep schedule.
- Unpleasant or unusual urges to move when falling asleep.
- Unusual experiences or movements when falling asleep.
- Decreased concentration.
- Weight gain.
- Depression.
- Hampered performance at school or work.
- Anxiety or irritability.
How are Sleep Disorders Diagnosed?
A medical professional performs physical examinations to collect necessary information about a patient’s medical history, symptoms, and current condition. They may also ask for specific tests, such as the following:
Polysomnography (PSG)
Polysomnography is a lab sleep study that assesses body movements, brain waves, and oxygen levels to determine their effect on sleep. You can also perform a home sleep study (HST) on your own to help diagnose conditions like sleep apnea.
Multiple sleep latency tests (MSLT)
MSLT is a daytime napping study generally used in collaboration with a PSG test at night to diagnose narcolepsy.
Electroencephalogram (EEG)
EEG is a diagnostic test that evaluates the electronic activity in the brain. It is a part of polysomnography and also detects potential problems related to this activity.
How are Sleep Disorders Treated?
Sleep disorder treatment varies depending upon the kind of condition, its severity, and underlying causes. However, treatment generally entails a concoction of lifestyle changes and medical treatments.
Medical treatments
Medical treatments for sleep disorders can include any of those mentioned ahead:
- Melatonin supplements
- Cold medication or allergy
- Medications for underlying health issues
- A dental guard (typically for teeth grinding)
- Breathing surgery or devices (generally for sleep apnea)
- Sleeping pills
Lifestysleep care onlinele changes
Minute lifestyle changes can bring about considerable improvement in the quality of your sleep. They work exceptionally well when supplemented with medications. You may need to consider:
- Devising and sticking to a sleep schedule, even on the weekends.
- Reducing sugar intake.
- Eating more fish and vegetables.
- Avoid excess water drinking before bedtime.
- Exercising and stretching to reduce stress and anxiety.
- Reducing caffeine intake, especially in the evening or late afternoon.
- Limiting alcohol consumption and smoking.
- Shifting to low-calorie meals before bedtime.
- Maintaining a healthy body weight.
You can consult a certified sleep specialist at SleepRX according to your schedule by booking an appointment online! Head over to SleepRX to know more.
