In this article, you would come to know about what are exactly sleep disorders. What are the causes of sleep disorders and how do treat sleep disorders? You can diagnose and cure your sleep issues by reading this. But it is mandatory to consult your doctor if the problem persists. Take little time and read the whole article till the end.
Sleep disorders are conditions that can alter the ability to sleep properly for a long period of time. Sleep disorders are commonly caused by some health issues, stress, anxiety, or other social issues. This problem is tremendously increasing day by day all over the world, especially in developed countries like the United States, the United Kingdom, and other European Countries.
Sleep no doubt is very important in our lives as we spent a very large proportion of our life in sleeping. Sleep is necessary for not only mental but physical health. It is important for the maintenance of body systems. However, there are people who feel difficulty in falling asleep or they have less sleep. Such a condition is known as Insomnia. If this problem is prolonged it can cause different health issues like Hypertension, Diabetes, Stress, larger chances of obesity, etc. In general sleepless nights create fatigue, anxiety, difficulty to focus, etc
Good sleep is very crucial for the both physical and mental health of a person. But if not getting proper or quality sleep it can cause different issues like dizziness during the day, lack of concentration, inability to work properly mood swings, headache, and many more.
What are the common types of sleep disorders?
Although there are many types of sleep disorders some of them are listed below:-
- insomnia
- Sleep apnea
- Parasomnias
- Restless leg syndrome
- Narcolepsy
- Sleep Paralysis
- Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
- Seasonal Effective Disorder
How many hours of sleep is necessary?
It is generally recommended that adults sleep at least seven to nine hours per night. According to the study by the Sleep Foundation Sleep of America found that adults sleep needs an average of 6 hours per night and 7 to 8 hours on weekends. The poll showed a decreased trend in sleep time for previous years. A common reason for people sleeping fewer hours due to using gadgets at night time.
What are the most common causes of sleep disorders?
There are many causes that can provoke sleepless nights but some are common among many individuals which led to sleep difficulties. Here we discuss some most common causes of sleep disorders.
- Physical (Due to lack of activity or too much hectic work).
- Medical ( Any health issue, allergies, or chronic disease)
- Psychiatric ( Psychological disturbance )
- Environmental ( Noise Pollution)
- Working the night shift
- Genetics ( Narcolepsy is often genetic)
- Medications (some medicines can cause interference with sleep cycles)
- Aging (With the increasing age above 65 sleep cycle gradually reduced)
- Frequent urination.
- Stress and anxiety
What are the symptoms of sleep disorders?
Type and Symptoms of common sleep disorders may vary from person to person. Symptoms and severity can associate with any disease, environmental condition, and level of stress.
The general symptoms of sleep disorders are as under:-
- Difficulty in falling asleep
- Fatigue during daytime
- taking naps during the day
- change in breathing patterns
- while falling asleep unusual urges to move around
- unpleasant experiences during sleep
- accidental changes to your sleep/ unexpectedly wake up
- irritability or restlessness
- Bad performance at the workplace or institution
- Diversion of mind
- Depression
- Obesity
What kind of questions healthcare providers may ask to diagnose a sleep disorder?
Following are a set of questions that your health care provider may ask to diagnose the sleepless disorder.
- How many hours of sleep do you take at night?
- Do your sleeping hours or patterns change?
- Do you take naps during the day?
- How much time do you need to fall asleep?
- Do you suddenly wake up at midnight?
- Do you work a night shift?
What are the 10 best ways to treat sleep disorders naturally?
First better to consult your physician for insomnia but here are some natural remedies or tips which anyone can follow to get a sound sleep. These are really helpful in getting a night of good sleep and getting rid of insomnia.
Avoid heavy or spicy food
It is better not to take spicy or heavy meals after evening. Taking heavy meals can cause stomach trouble, heartburn, or indigestion. This problem leads to a sleepless night. So it’s better not to take heavy meals late at night.
Make a habit of regular exercise
Exercise is a good way of having good sleep. It’s not only good for physical fitness but is also helpful in relaxing the mind and getting rid of sleepless nights. Aerobic exercises are very effective in this regard. but one thing should be kept in mind. These exercises should be taken 2 to 3 hours before bedtime.
Bedroom or Sleeping environment
It is a very important factor in improving sleep. The bedroom or sleeping environment should be comfortable. T.v or computer etc should not be in the bedroom. The temperature of the room should be ideal not so hot or cold.
Take Herbal tea
Herbal tea is found to be a good source of relaxing the mind and a sleep booster. Chamomile tea and passion flower tea are considered the best among all herbal tea for stimulating sleep. But it should not be taken right before sleep time.
Avoid Caffeine in the evening
Caffeine helps you wake up makes you alert and for focusing on something but when you want to sleep, it would act the opposite of falling asleep. So it is advisable not to take caffeine in the form of tea or coffee etc.
Massage Therapy
One big cause of insomnia is stress or anxiety. There is a simple solution for such kinds of problems i.e massage therapy. Massage therapy reduces stress or anxiety and improves sleep eventually. Massage can be done with any suitable oil with the exception of any skin allergy.
Backward Counting
A very unique and effective method for improving sleep is backward counting. In this method, you will have to slowly count down back from 100 to 1. In doing so you will eventually start yawning and sleep next.
Avoid Nap During The Day
A common hurdle of not getting proper sleep at night is taking either a longer nap during the day or the habit of taking a nap afternoon. So for having good sleep you shouldn’t take a long nap and not after 3 pm.
A very ancient and useful therapy for treating a different kinds of illnesses is aroma therapy. It is the use of essential oil(extract from different plants)for different purposes. Lavender oil is considered best for peaceful sleep. You just have to put some drops of lavender oil on your palm and smell it.
Milk with honey or turmeric
A glass of Luke warm milk with a spoon full of honey is a very effective remedy for having sound sleep. You can also turmeric milk for good sleep. It will relax your mind and body and help you sleep earlier.
How common are sleep disorders?
About 70% of people in the USA and likewise in other developed countries are suffering from different types of sleep disorders.
How are sleep disorders diagnosed?
Sleep disorders are first diagnosed by your doctor through physical examination and collect information about your symptoms and medical history. Various tests are also performed for the examination.
Polysomnography Test
This is a type of lab test for a sleep disorder that calculates oxygen levels, body movements, and brain impression to determine how the disorder sleep v/s a home sleep study that is done on your own.
EEG Test
It is the type of test that determine electrical activity in the brain and find out any problems associated with this activity.
Multi Sleep Latency test (MSLT)
Multi Sleep Latency test is a type of test which determines daytime napping. It is used in combination with a PSG at night to help diagnose narcolepsy.
