Most people experience sleeping disorders at some point in their lives. This is characterized by sleeping patterns which differ from the usual, causing deprivation of sleep and good rest. Experiencing it sometimes is fine, however, the danger of getting your immune system weak and health damaged because of long term sleeping problems is another story.
Lacking sleep causes individuals to have a hard time maintaining energy and coping up with the daily routine. But the good news here is, chronic sleep disorders could be treated, so that individuals can lead a healthy and normal life through getting adequate amount of sleep. Should there be any difficulty in sleeping, or any feeling of fatigue even taking a good night’s sleep, have an appointment with the doctor and seek for treatment.
You may have one of these sleeping disorders. Read on and know if you might be experiencing one:
Insomnia
Insomnia is the most common form of sleep disorder. This is characterized by having a hard time in falling asleep, or waking up before the completion of the prescribed hours of sleep and the like. Insomnia could be short-term or chronic and is mostly experienced by old people, and in special cases, by children and individuals in their teenage years. Having such sleep disorder could be linked from working in alternate shift, stress, poor habits during sleep, anxiety, excessive consumption of caffeine or alcohol and many causes. There are also certain medications that could disrupt sleeping patterns.
Some of the most common forms of treatment for insomnia are: relaxation techniques, sleep and anti-anxiety medications, therapy for cognitive behavior and many others. Depending on the patient’s condition, any of these techniques could be used one at a time, or in combination with another technique.
Narcolepsy
If insomnia refers to difficulty in getting a good night’s sleep, narcolepsy is all otherwise. Narcolepsy is associated with excessive and spontaneous sleeping. This sleeping disorder is genetic and neurological, thus, it could not be acquired by being subject to stress and the like.
People suffering from this kind of sleeping disorder suddenly feels the urge to sleep. Mostly, this sleep lasts from seconds to thirty minutes. One thing common with narcolepsy and insomnia is the result. Even if sufferers experience excessive sleep, it is still more likely for these individuals to often feel tired. This condition is chronic and has no cure, but it could be managed using some medications and behavioral therapies.
Restless Leg Syndrome
This sleeping disorder is associated with a burning or tingling sensation in the legs during sleep, or even when sitting. There is no specific cure for this sleep disorder- leg movements will only be the sure way to find relief. Other techniques for relief are: some medications for insomnia, relaxation and change of lifestyle. When asleep, the individual tends to wake the person up because of the leg movements that is somewhat similar to jerking. Similar to RLS, or the restless leg syndrome is the periodic limb movement.
Sleep Apnea
This sleep disorder is characterized with interrupted sleep due to a respiration problem. Obstructive sleep apnea is the most common form of this sleep disorder. People who are suffering from sleep apnea normally have weak-than-the-usual muscles within the windpipe and the surrounding areas. This could be because of aging, but there are still other factors such as obesity, alcohol and the use of sedatives.
Patients with sleep apnea could be given relief by sleeping on a special kind of bedding, using air masks or mouth appliances. For those who acquired sleep apnea due to obesity or overuse of alcohol, lifestyle change might just do wonders. In rare cases, doctors recommend surgery to address the problem.
Sleep apnea could also be a sign of a more serious problem concerning the brain cells. Should you experience interruption of sleep due to breathing problems, consult the doctor.