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Sleep disorders are conditions that interfere with or prevent you from getting enough restful sleep, resulting in daytime sleepiness and other symptoms. Everybody occasionally struggles with sleep issues. But, you may have a sleep disorder if you: routinely have trouble falling asleep; frequently feel lethargic throughout the day despite having slept for at least seven hours the night before; or have a decreased or impaired capacity to carry out regular daily activities. Generally, experts advise individuals to get seven to nine hours of sleep per night, while, some people need more while others need less. Among all age groups, more than 100 million Americans do not get enough sleep. Not getting enough sleep can have unwanted effects on daily activities like work performance, relationships, health, and safety.
The sleeping disorder causes by various factors. Although the sleeping disorders causes might differ from person to person, some of the factors include:
Stress (Physical or mental stress)
Mental health disorders (such as depression and anxiety disorders)
Caffeine, nicotine, and alcohol
Genetics (like, narcolepsy)
Medications
Poor sleep habits
Eating too much late in the evening
Medical conditions
Sleep-related disorders
Changes in sleep patterns (Travel or work schedule)
Aging
Sleeping disorder symptoms may include:
Having trouble going to sleep at night.
Waking up in the middle of the night.
Early morning awakening.
After a night's sleep, don't feel energized.
Drowsiness or fatigue during the day.
Agitation, anxiety, or depression.
Trouble paying attention, concentrating, or remembering.
Increased mistakes or mishaps.
Ongoing concerns with sleep.
Insomnia: The inability to fall asleep or stay asleep at night can be brought on by stress, jet lag, a medical condition, the medications you take, or even how much caffeine you consume. Other sleep issues or mental health issues like anxiety and depression might also contribute to insomnia.
Sleep apnea: Sleep apnea is also known as a sleeping disorder breathing like pauses in breathing. This is a severe medical disorder in which the body consumes less oxygen. You might wake up in the middle of the night as a result.
There are two types of sleeping disorder breathing:
Obstructive sleep apnea: This sleeping disorder breathing is brought on by a blockage of the airway, which typically occurs when the soft tissue in the back of the throat compresses while a person is asleep.
Central sleep apnea: The airway is not closed in this sleep disorder center, but the brain fails to signal the body to breathe.
Restless legs syndrome (RLS): RLS is a sleep problem that makes you feel the need to move your legs (or arms) all night long. Whether you're sleeping or lying down, you could feel the want to move. This impulse is typically brought on by unpleasant, tingling, painful, or creeping sensations.
Narcolepsy: It is a sleep condition characterized by excessive and uncontrollable daytime sleepiness. It results from a dysfunction of the brain system that regulates waking and sleeping.
There is a wide range of Sleeping disorder treatment recommended by medical providers. Consult your doctor or another authorized healthcare provider before using any medicine for sleeplessness. When stimulus control, relaxation exercises, and other CBT-i strategies fail to help people get better sleep, many turn to medicine as a final resort. The following techniques are effective for Sleeping disorder treatment:
Counseling: Cognitive-behavioral therapy is advised by certain health specialists. With the help of this form of counseling, you can recognize, challenge, and change the stressful ideas that may keep you awake at night.
Maintain a sleep schedule, such as the same bedtime and wake-up time even on weekends.
Avoid taking naps, particularly in the afternoon.
Customized bedroom setting (quiet, cool, and dark are best).
Regular physical activity can include mindfulness exercises, meditation, yoga, and massage.
Avoid consuming alcohol, caffeine, and large meals in the evening.
Based on your specific condition, your medical provider will recommend Sleeping disorder medication, which may include the following pills and supplements:
Insomnia can occasionally be treated with sleep medications like Ambien or zolpidem.
For restless legs syndrome, Gabapentin is an effective treatment.
Narcolepsy can be treated with a variety of wakefulness-promoting stimulants or medicines, such as Modafinil.
A doctor may perform a physical exam and ask about your medical and sleep histories to identify the source of your sleep problem. There might be a need for more testing.
Sleep Diary: Keeping track of your sleeping patterns can assist your doctor in making a diagnosis.
Epworth Sleepiness Scale: It is a standardized questionnaire, to determine your level of daytime drowsiness.
Polysomnogram: It is a test that monitors activity levels while sleeping.
Actigraphy: It is a test that evaluates sleep-wake cycles. Actigraphy is a tiny gadget that is worn on the wrist to track movement.
Mental Health Exam: As insomnia may be a sign of depression, anxiety, or another mental health condition, your initial evaluation may include a mental status exam, a mental health history, and a few simple psychological tests.
The effects of inadequate sleep, both in quantity and quality, go beyond physical fatigue. Since sleepiness impairs cognitive function, it can cause depression, psychological issues, behavioral impairments in children, and memory loss in persons of all ages.
Individuals who don't get enough sleep have trouble making judgments, are agitated, perform poorly, and have shorter reaction times, which puts them at risk for accidents at work and on the road. Insufficient sleep can also have a negative impact on health by raising the risk of diabetes, heart disease, and obesity.
Conclusion-
One of the main reasons we sleep is to keep our bodies healthy and functioning at their best. So, any sleep disturbance would gradually but certainly harm the health if left untreated. While the majority of these are caused by modified lifestyles and elevated stress levels, neglecting them can result in serious health issues like hypertension, diabetes, obesity, depression, and other conditions. Individuals with sleep disorders must get an examination from a certified health practitioner if they experience any of the symptoms.
