Sleep Disorders: Causes, Diagnosis, and Treatment

Do you know that Sleep Disorders can affect your overall health?

Sleep Disorders are conditions that result in changes in the way to sleep.

Moreover, they can affect your health, safety, and quality of life.

Sleep deprivation can affect your ability to drive safely and increase your risk of other health conditions.

Some of the signs and symptoms of sleep disorders include excessive daytime sleepiness, irregular breathing, or an increase in movement during sleep.

Other signs and symptoms include irregular sleep and wake cycle and difficulty falling asleep.

It is important to note that there are different types of sleep disorders.

Many doctors group it into categories that explain why they happen and how they affect you.

These disorders can also be grouped according to behaviors, problems with your natural sleep-wake cycle, breathing problems, difficulty sleeping, or how sleepy you feel during the day.

Keep on reading to learn more about it in detail.

Understanding Sleep Disorders

Sleep disorders are a group of conditions that affect your ability to sleep properly on regular basis.

Whether they occur due to any health condition or by too much stress, sleep disorders are becoming increasingly common in the United States.

According to a study, one-third of adults in the United States reports getting fewer than 7 hours of sleep in a 24-hour period.

Moreover, about 70% or more of high school students report getting fewer than 8 hours of sleep on weeknights.

However, you might occasionally experience sleeping problems due to stress, hectic schedules, and other outside influences.

But when these issues begin to occur on a regular basis and interfere with daily life, they may indicate a sleeping disorder.

Depending on the type of sleep disorder, you may have a difficult time falling asleep and feel extremely turd throughout the day.

The lack of sleep can also have a negative impact on your energy, mood, concentration, and overall health.

In some cases, sleep disorders can be a symptom of another medical or mental health condition.

These sleeping problems may eventually go away once you obtain treatment for the underlying cause.

When sleep disorders are not due to another condition, treatment normally involves a combination of medical treatment and lifestyle changes.

It is important to receive diagnosis and treatment right away if you suspect you might have sleep disorders.

When you do not get treatment, the negative effects of sleep disorders can lead to further health consequences.

They can also affect your performance at work, cause strain in relationships, and impair your ability to perform daily activities.

There are different types of sleep disorders and may be due to other underlying health conditions.

Let’s discuss them as follows:

Insomnia

Insomnia refers to the inability to fall asleep or to remain asleep.

It can be due to jet lag, stress, anxiety, hormones, or digestive problems and may also be symptoms of another condition.

Moreover, insomnia can be problematic for your overall health and quality of life.

It can potentially cause:

Depression, difficulty concentrating, irritability, weight gain, and impaired work or school performance.

Unfortunately, insomnia is extremely common and about 50% of American adults experience it at some point in their lives.

The disorder is most prevalent among older adults and women.

Many doctors classify insomnia as one of three types:

Chronic: When insomnia happens on a regular basis for at least 1 month.

Intermittent: Insomnia that occurs periodically.

Transient: When insomnia lasts for just a few nights at a time.

Sleep Apnea

Doctors characterize sleep apnea by pauses in breathing during sleep.

This is a serious medical condition that causes your body to take in less oxygen.

It can also cause you to wake up during the night.

There are two types of sleep apnea:

Obstructive Sleep Apnea: It occurs when the flow of air stops because airway space is obstructed or too narrow

Central Sleep Apnea: Where there is a problem in the connection between the brain and the muscles that control your breath.

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Parasomnia

Parasomnia is a sleep disorder that causes abnormal behavior while sleeping.

The behavior can occur during any stage of sleep, including the transition from wakefulness to sleeping and vice versa.

If you have parasomnia, you might move around, talk, or do unusual things during sleep.

Other people might think you are awake, however, you are actually unconscious, and you do not remember the incident.

Moreover, parasomnia includes:

• sleepwalking
• teeth grinding or jaw clenching
• nightmares
• groaning
• bedwetting
• sleep talking

Restless Leg Syndrome

Restless Leg Syndrome, RLS is an overwhelming need to move your legs.

This urge is sometimes accompanied by a tingling sensation in the legs.

While these symptoms can occur during the day, they are most prevalent at night.

One of the most serious concerns for people with RLS is that it interferes with sleep, causing daytime sleepiness and fatigue.

RLS and sleep deprivation can also put you at a risk for other health problems like depression if you do not get treatment.

Moreover, RLS is often associated with certain health conditions.

These include deficit hyperactivity disorder, ADHA, and Parkinson’s disease,  however, the exact cause is not always known.

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Narcolepsy

Narcolepsy is characterized by “sleep attacks” that occur while awake.

This means that you will suddenly feel extremely tired and fall asleep without warning.

Moreover, this disorder can cause sleep paralysis, which can also make you physically unable to move right after waking up.

Though narcolepsy may occur on its own, it is often associated with certain neurological disorders like multiple sclerosis.

In most cases, it also causes unexpected and temporary loss of muscle control or cataplexy.

You might mistake it for seizure, especially in children.

However, this condition is not deadly by itself, however, episodes can lead to accidents, injuries, or life-threatening situations.

Symptoms of Sleep Disorders

symptoms differ depending on the severity and type of sleeping disorder.

Moreover, they may also vary when sleep disorders are a result of another condition.

However, some other general symptoms of sleep disorders are:

• difficulty falling or staying asleep
• daytime fatigue
• strong urge to take naps during the day
• unusual breathing patterns
• unusual or unpleasant urges to move while falling asleep
• irritability or anxiety
• impaired performance at work or school
• lack of concentration
• depression
• weight gain
• other experiences or unusual movement while asleep
• unintentional changes to your sleep or wake schedule

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Causes of Sleep Disorders

There are many conditions, diseases, and disorders that can cause sleep disturbances.

In most cases, sleep disorders develop as a result of an underlying health condition.

Let’s discuss them as follows:

Allergies and Respiratory Problems

Allergies, colds, and upper respiratory infections make it challenging to breathe at night.

Moreover, the inability to breathe through your nose can also lead to sleeping difficulties.

Frequent Urination

Nocturia or frequent urination may also disrupt your sleep by causing you to wake up during the night.

It is important to note that hormonal imbalances and diseases of the urinary tract can contribute to the development of this condition.

Make sure to call your doctor right away if frequent urination is accompanied by bleeding or pain.

Chronic Pain

Constant pain can often make it difficult to sleep.

Moreover, it might even wake you up right after you fall asleep.

Arthritis, chronic fatigue syndrome, fibromyalgia, inflammatory bowel disease, persistent headaches, and continuous lower back pain are some of the most common causes of chronic pain.

In some cases, chronic pain may even exacerbate sleep disorders.

For instance, doctors believe the development of fibromyalgia might be linked to sleeping problems.

Stress and Anxiety

One of the factors that negatively impact on quality of sleep is stress and anxiety.

Furthermore, it can be difficult for you to fall asleep or to stay asleep.

Nightmare, sleep talking, or sleepwalking may also disrupt your sleep.

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Diagnosing Sleep Disorders

In order to diagnose sleep disorders, your doctor will perform a physical exam and gather information about your symptoms and medical history.

They may also order different tests like:

Polysomnography, PSG: This is a lab sleep study that helps to evaluate oxygen levels, body movement,s and brain waves.

It helps to determine how they disrupt sleep vs, home sleep study, HST that your doctor will perform in your on and helps to diagnose sleep apnea.

Electroencephalogram, EEG: With this test, your doctor will assess electrical activity in your brain.

Moreover, it can help to detect any potential problems associated with this activity and is a part of polysomnography.

Multiple Sleep Latency Test, MSLT: A daytime napping study can help in conjunction with a PSG at night to help diagnose narcolepsy.

It is important to note that these tests can be crucial in determining the right course of treatment for sleep disorders.

Medical Treatments

One of the important things to note is that treatment for sleep disorders can vary depending on the type and underlying cause.

However, it often includes a combination of medical treatment and lifestyle changes.

Medical treatment for sleep disturbances might include:

• sleeping pills
• melatonin supplements
• allergy or cold medication
• medication for any underlying health condition
• breathing device or surgery, often in case of sleep apnea
• a dental guard in case of teeth grinding

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Lifestyle Changes

Lifestyle adjustments can help to improve your quality of life, especially when you take them along with medical treatments.

You may want to consider the following:

Incorporate more vegetables and fish into your diet, and reduce your sugar intake.

Take steps to reduce stress and anxiety by exercising and stretching.

Create and stick to a regular sleep schedule.

Drink less water before bedtime.

Limit your caffeine intake, especially in the late afternoon or evening.

Decrease the use of tobacco and alcohol.

Eat smaller low-carbohydrate meals before bedtime.

Maintain a healthy weight that is based on the recommendations of your doctor.

Going to bed and waking up at the same time every day can also help to improve your quality of sleep.

While you might be tempted to sleep in on the weekends, this can often make it more difficult to wake up and fall asleep during the workweek.

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Outlook for People with Sleep Disorder

The effects f sleep disorders can be so disruptive that you may likely want immediate relief, however, long-term cases take a little bit more time to resolve.

However, if you stick with your treatment plan and regularly communicate with your doctor, you can find your way to better sleep.