Sleep disorders: What is sleep disorder and treatments?

Everyone is aware of the fact that a good healthy sleep is how much important in our daily routines. A good quality sleep energizes you for the betterment of next day future.

Many of us have faced a stage where you remain sleepless. Unable to sleep, I just stare at my ceiling while lying on my bed or constantly saying my mind to go to sleep.

What is sleep disorder?

We often feel irritated when we find ourselves unable to sleep. On regular basis, this situation is classified as sleep disorders. Sleep disorders can be due to anything that you did throughout a day, may be an unhealthy food, improper bed habits, jet lag or even if you are depressed, frustrated or tensed.

By awakening yourself at midnight fail you to start a refreshing day next morning and your daily routines may affect. We all are finding difficult to sleep sometimes, but if it’s not on regular basis, then just chill. But if you see this every other day on regular basis, then you need to diagnose the symptoms and go for medications or life changing routines.

Types of Sleep Disorders

There are many forms of sleep disorders. Many can cause due to underlying medical conditions. They are:

Insomnia

Insomnia is a common problem people suffering from. It’s a disorder of not able to fall asleep or staying asleep. Waking up multiple times middle of your sleep is not a pleasant process, right? Insomnia leaves you restless on next day affecting your health and routines.

It causes due to some serious issues like depression, anxiety or others like bad sleep time habits. Many of you may find this due to hard day at work.

Snoring and jet lag

Jet lag is the condition where you travel across the multiple zones very quickly. Suppose you are in a tour and you visit multiple places in a day can make your sleep interrupted. Due to which you find it hard to fall asleep or you wake up early or having trouble to remain asleep.

Snoring is annoying for a person. Many people face snoring of a person around whom they live. Noise of snoring is a major disturbance of other’s sleep.

Sleep Apnea

A serious condition of taking pauses in breathing during sleep. Sleep apnea can cause you to take less oxygen as well as midnight awakening.

Restless Leg Syndrome (RLS)

Restless leg syndrome is a disorder that causes an irresistible urge to move your legs, happening because of uncomfortable sensations. Various health conditions, vitamin deficiencies or nerve disorders can be cause of RLS.

Parasomnias

Parasomnias is a type of disorder that promotes abnormal activities during your sleep time, such as nightmares, groaning and sleepwalking. Consult a doctor for sleepwalking problem. When it comes to nightmares and groaning, they can be due to stress or emotional problems you have.

Nightmares are just bad dreams part of your sleep process. Don’t let them affect to your next day.

Narcolepsy

Though actual cause of narcolepsy is not known, it can be due to neurological disorders. In narcolepsy, person is constantly feeling sleepy during a day that interfere your daily routines. This can cause sleep paralysis, in which you may be unable to move after waking up.

However, the sure cause is unknown.

Sleep Disorders Symptoms

Sleep disorders symptoms can be differ based on person’s lifestyle, emotional stuff he/she is going through and the type of sleep disorders. Here are the general symptoms of sleep disorders:

  • Hard to fall asleep or staying asleep
  • Feeling of tiredness and irritability through the day
  • Difficulty in concentrating
  • Strong feeling of taking nap everyday
  • trouble in controlling emotions
  • depression, anxiety or fatigue
  • feeling lost, still watching TV or doing activities
  • need alcohol or any other caffeine to keep yourself going

Causes of Sleep Disorders

There are several causes of sleep disorders including some diseases, inappropriate health habits or anxiety or fatigue. Some causes can be:

  • cold or allergies, make it difficult for you to breathe at night
  • frequent urination, keeps you awake at frequent time interval at night time during sleep
  • chronic pain, such as severe back pain, also in case of menstruation or arthritis
  • When you are depressed or anxious, it’s hard to fall asleep. It always affect to your sleep quality at night. The nightmares and sleepwalking are always threatening.

Sleep Disorders Treatment

Sleep disorders treatment depends on type of sleep disorders or symptoms you are facing. Mainly, lifestyle changes, emotional stability or other medical underlying treatments helps to treat sleep disorders.

With basic lifestyle changes and daily habits you can regulate your sleep cycle:

  • Do some yoga or exercise in morning for a fresh start
  • Include healthy diet to your daily intake
  • Lessen sugar intake
  • Make a routine of going to bed and waking up at same time for few days to regulate your sleep cycle
  • Limit alcohol and other caffeine contents
  • Manage to deal with depression, anxiety or fatigue.
  • Sleep in a dark peaceful room
  • Start positive thinking

Apart from these lifestyle changes, some medical treatments are also available including:

  • If having cold or allergy, medications for that
  • Medications for health problems in case of sleep apnea or insomnia
  • Sleeping pills (Apply with doctor’s prescription)
  • Check if medications you are taking for some of your health conditions are affecting to your sleep habits or not

Use medical treatment for sleep disorders after consulting doctor and understanding pros and cons of those medications. Of course, daily routines changes are only in your hand.

With appropriate medical treatment and changing your lifestyle will be an effective treatment to treat sleep disorders. Including me, it’s hard to get out of these sleep disorders. I have included all sleep disorders causes, symptoms and treatment that I went through.

It takes time, but is not impossible. With minimizing negative thoughts and bringing positivity to your thoughts and life will help you to treat everything including sleep disorders. Everything is treatable with will power and right diagnosis. Remember, you are not alone!