There are different conditions, things and activities which affects the human health in countless ways. Sleep disorder is also one of the major conditions which negatively affect the human health and causes different physical, psychological and mental issues to an individual.
This article will define the sleeping disorder, types of sleep disorders, symptoms of sleep disorders, causes of sleep disorders, and finally treatment and diagnose of sleep disorders.
So, readers are suggested to read this article completely so that they may get full knowledge about the sleep disorder.
Defining Sleep disorders:
These are group of disorders that affect the sleep ability of people on regular basis.
Sleep disorders can be caused by underlying health issues, stress, mental and physical issues. When sleeplessness of a person continues for long time or that person experiences sleeping issues on regular basis then that can be sleeping disorder.
The impacts of sleep disorders vary from type to type and a person can witness tiredness, negative effect on mood, energy, and concentration.
There are different kinds of medical and physical treatments to cure the sleep disorder.
Different types of sleep disorders:
There are different types of sleep disorders which are caused by different mental and physical issues. The different types of sleep disorders are given below;
Insomnia:
In this type of sleep disorder, a person cannot sleep or fails to remain sleep. It can affect the overall health of the person.
Causes of Insomnia:
The main causes of this type of sleep disorder are given below.
- Stress
- Anxiety
- Hormones issues
- Digestive problems
Impacts of Insomnia:
The main impacts of this type of sleep disorder are given below.
- Depression
- Irritability
- Weight gain
- Difficulty in concentrating
Types of Insomnia:
The main types of this type of sleep disorder are given below.
- Chronic Insomnia:
This type of insomnia happens on regular basis and lasts for at least one month.
- Intermittent Insomnia:
This insomnia happens periodically and does not last for regular time or continuously.
- Transient Insomnia:
In this type of insomnia the disorder lasts for just a few nights.
Sleep Apnea:
In this sleep disorder a person can face difficulty in breathing which causes loss of sleep. in such a type, the people take less oxygen during sleep which causes waking up frequently during the night.
Types of Sleep Apnea:
The main types of this type of sleep disorder are given below.
- Obstructive Sleep Apnea:
In this type of sleep apnea a person faces less oxygen because the flow of air stops due to the narrow airway space.
- Central Sleep Apnea:
In this type of sleep apnea, the disorder occurs due to the problem in the connection between brain and the muscles controlling the breath in an individual, thus, a person losses sleep.
Parasomnias:
In this type of sleep disorder a person acts different types of abnormal movements and behaviors during sleeping. The different movements and behaviors caused by Parasomnias are given as;
- Sleep talking
- Sleepwalking
- Nightmares
- Groaning
- Bedwetting
- Jaw clenching
- Teeth grinding
Narcolepsy:
It is called as ‘sleep attacks’ while awaking. In this type of sleep disorder a person will suddenly get tired and goes to sleep without any warning or even moving to bed.
It also causes sleep paralysis and when a person wakes up after this type of sleep then that person will be unable to do any physical activity even cannot walk. It is associated with neurological disorder.
Restless Leg Syndrome:
In this type of sleep disorder a person often feels urge to move leg even while sleeping thus losses the sleep and causes sleeplessness.
Symptoms of Sleep Disorders:
As there are different types of sleep disorders and every disorder has its own type of symptoms. But some of the general symptoms of sleep disorders are given below.
- Difficulty in sleeping
- Oversleeping
- Fatigue in daytime
- Strong inclination to sleep during the day time
- Improper pattern of breathing
- Moving while asleep
- Changes to sleeping hours
- Anxiety
- Irritability
- Lower work performance
- Reduce of concentration
- Weight gain
- depression
Above mentioned symptoms of sleep disorders are considered as general symptoms in every type of sleep disorders. So, if you are witnessing any of the above symptoms then you should contact the medical experts as soon as possible.
Causes of sleep disorders:
There are different causes of sleep disorders; these can be physical, mental or underlying health conditions. Following are the main causes of sleep disorders in an individual.
Cause 1: Allergies and respiratory issues:
The sleep disorders can be caused by allergies and cold. Similarly, it can be caused by respiratory issues like breathing difficulties during sleep. Furthermore, difficulties in breathing through nose can also cause sleep disorders in an individual.
Cause 2: Unusual Urination:
Unusual and frequent urination also leads to sleep disorders. Due to frequent need of urination the sleep of an individual fades away and it results in sleeplessness. Similarly, bleeding and pain during urination also disturbs the sleep of an individual. In this way, the frequent urination causes sleep disorders.
Cause 3: Chronic Pain in an individual:
Chronic pain also leads to sleep disorders in an individual. The chronic pain includes headache which disturbs the sleep of an individual and causes sleeplessness. Similarly, chronic pain in the shape of back pain also hinders the sleep and leads to sleep disorders. Furthermore, arthritis, inflammatory bowel disease, and other chronic issues lead to sleep disorders.
Cause 4: Stress and Anxiety:
Stress and anxiety in an individual also causes sleep disorders. If a person is facing stress issues then that person is unable to relax or even sleep thus it leads to sleep disorders. Similarly, anxiety issues causes sleeplessness in an individual and leads to long term issues of sleep disorders. Thus, stress and anxiety leads to sleep disorders in an individual.
Cause 5: Weight Gain:
Weight gain is also one of the important factors which causes sleep disorders. If an individual gains weight then the sleeping and resting schedule of that person totally changes overtime. It is proved by many researches that weight gain leads to sleep disorders.
How sleep disorders are assessed?
Doctors perform different types of tests to assess the type and level of sleep disorders of an individual. Following are some of the basic tests to assess the conditions of sleep disorders in an individual.
Polysomnography (PSG) is a lab test that evaluates body movements, oxygen level, and brain waves of an individual to assess the sleep disorders of a person.
Electroencephalogram (EEG) is a test that evaluates and assesses the electric activity in the brain of an individual. This test is conducted along with Polysomnography test.
Multiple sleep latency test (MSLT) is also a test to assess the sleep disorders.
How sleep disorders are treated?
As there are different types of sleep disorders and treatment of every kind is also different from one another. There are some medical treatments along with lifestyle changes to treat sleep disorders.
Medical treatment for sleep disorders:
There are some medical treatments suggested by medical experts for the treatment of sleep disorders, which include.
- The use of sleeping pills
- Allergy or cold medication
- Medication for anxiety and stress
- Medication for underlying health issue, if any
- Melatonin supplements
- Breathing device
- Dental guard (if an individual is facing issue of teeth grinding)
Lifestyle changes to treat sleep disorders:
Along with medical treatment there are some lifestyle changes to treat the sleep disorders. The lifestyle changes include;
- Reducing anxiety and stress by daily exercise.
- Increasing the eating of vegetables and fish
- Reducing the usage of sugar
- Scheduling a strict sleeping time
- Reducing use of water drinking before sleeping
- Limiting the usage of alcohol and other such substances
- Reducing weight, if a person is overweight
Sleep disorders affect the overall physical, mental, and health issues of an individual. This article clearly indicated the types, symptoms, and treatment of sleep disorders to help the readers to aware them regarding the issues connected with sleep disorders.
We hope that after reading this article, the readers will be able to know about the sleep disorders and its full details. We also hope that readers will share this article with their loving ones to aware them regarding issue of sleep disorders.
