Having a good night’s rest after every day is extremely important to your health. Not only does getting enough quality sleep reduces stress, but it also lowers your risk of serious health diseases like diabetes and heart disease. Also, it improves your mood, makes you able to think more clearly, and sharpens your focus.

 

What are Sleep disorders?

Sometimes, some things might hinder your ability to sleep as well as you ought to. These conditions are referred to as sleep disorders.

Sleep disorders are conditions that impair one’s ability to get a good night’s rest. While everyone might have trouble getting sleep every once in a while, it might be safe to consider that you might have a sleeping disorder if:

• You constantly experience difficulty sleeping.
• You are typically tired during the day even though you slept for a long time.
• If you usually have a reduced or impaired ability to perform regular daytime activities.

 

Common Sleep Disorders and How to Manage Them

There are about eighty different known types of sleep disorders. The most common ones are Insomnia, Sleep apnea, and Narcolepsy. Here, we will examine each of them and how to manage them effectively.

 

1. INSOMNIA

When someone has insomnia, they’re unable to fall asleep or stay asleep. There are 2 major types of insomnia: Primary Insomnia and Secondary Insomnia. Primary Insomnia occurs on its own and isn’t linked to any health conditions. Secondary Insomnia, on the other hand, can be traced to other health conditions like asthma, depression, cancer, heartburn, or excessive use of substances like alcohol.

Insomnia could be caused by stress, changes to your sleep schedule, genes, mental health issues, pain or discomfort at night, pregnancy, or Alzheimer’s disease. Some of the major symptoms of insomnia include sleepiness during the day, fatigue, grumpiness, and problems concentrating on everyday tasks.

To manage insomnia, you might not need any serious medications. Just try to reduce your stress levels and do away with things that’d disturb you. Also, get comfortable. Wear loose-fitting clothes. But, if you try all these things and you still have trouble falling or staying asleep, you should see a doctor. The doctor would prescribe sleeping pills to help manage insomnia or suggest behavioral therapy.

 

 

2. SLEEP APNEA

Sleep apnea is a sleeping disorder that affects the body’s ability to take in oxygen during sleep. Someone with Sleep Apnea would have difficulty breathing while asleep.

There are two types of sleep apnea: Obstructive sleep apnea and Central sleep apnea. Central sleep apnea (CSA) occurs when there is a problem in the connection between the brain and the muscles that control your breath.

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a disorder that occurs when the muscles supporting the soft tissue in the throat, e.g. your tongue and soft palate, relax. This would cause the person’s airway to close off or become narrow, thereby obstructing breathing properly.

To manage sleep apnea, once you’ve been diagnosed, the best bet is to pay a visit to a lung doctor who would assess you and determine what kind of treatment suits you.

 

 

3. NARCOLEPSY

This is a sleeping disorder characterized by “sleep attacks”. This means someone with Narcolepsy falls asleep in the most unlikely of situations. They might also experience symptoms like extreme exhaustion and falling asleep without warning at odd times.

There are also two types of narcolepsy: Type 1 and Type 2 narcolepsy. Type 1 comes with a symptom of a sudden loss of muscle tone (Cataplexy) and is caused by low levels of the protein called hypocretin. Type 2 narcolepsy is the type that doesn’t come with cataplexy; the person diagnosed with it still has normal levels of hypocretin.

Although Narcolepsy can be managed, it doesn’t have a cure currently. The best way to manage it is to make lifestyle changes that would help you manage the situation, like taking time off work to sleep. Also, avoiding hazardous situations and taking prescribed medication by a doctor can help manage it.

 

Final words

Sleeping disorders are set to rid you of the wonderful feeling of refreshment when you wake up and it’s up to you to show them who’s boss! We’re just a   click away if you need help managing a sleeping disorder or getting a diagnosis.