It is a condition that affects your ability to sleep. This is a condition that is becoming very common these days. It is caused mostly due to too much stress or any health problem. A lot of working people are experiencing sleeping disorder due to their hectic schedule. But, in case these things start occurring on a regular basis, one should start taking care of themselves. People who are victim of sleeping disorder are mostly tired throughout the day and have problem while falling asleep. And if you do not sleep properly, then it can have a negative impact on your mind, as a result of which it will affect your overall health.
It is very important for you to undergo proper treatment in case you experience a sleeping disorder. Mostly, the doctors advise a change in your lifestyle along with few medicines. If you leave it untreated, then there are chances that it might occur once again and will further damage your health. It also affects your work, your relationships and you will not be able to perform your daily activities.
Symptoms Of Sleeping Disorders?
Symptoms vary from person to person. It also depends on the kind of sleeping disorder one has. But, there are some basic symptoms that a person who is experiencing sleeping disorder notices. They are as follows :
- You find it really difficult to fall asleep
- You feel tired throughout the day
- You always feel like taking few naps throughout the day, as a result of which you feel lazy most of the time
- You are always irritated or you suffer from anxiety
- You lack focus. You are not able to do anything with concentration
If the problem is not treated, it might lead to depression.
Different Types Of Sleeping Disorders
- Insomnia :
It is a condition where the patient finds it really difficult to sleep. It can be because of various reasons. The reason can be stress, jet lag, hormonal imbalance, or digestive problem. Not only this, you can also experience insomnia if you are suffering from any other medical condition. This kind of problem can affect your overall health badly and can have serious repercussions on your life. It can further lead to depression, obesity, difficulty in focusing, irritation, etc.
This condition has become common these days. Insomnia can be further classified into three types which are chronic insomnia, intermittent insomnia and parasomnias.
Chronic insomnia happens on a regular basis for at least once in a month.
Intermittent insomnia occurs on a periodic basis.
Transient insomnia lasts for a few nights.
- Sleep Apnea:
The patient experiences difficulty in breathing while sleeping. This is a serious medical problem that does not let the oxygen reach your body and as a result of which the patient cannot sleep properly and has to stay awake all the night.
- Parasomnias:
In this disorder, the patient experiences abnormal movements and behaviors during sleep. It includes the following :
- Sleeptalking
- Sleepwalking
- Wetting the bed
- Clenching of the jaw or grinding the teeth
- Groaning
- Experiencing nightmares
- Restless Leg Syndrome:
It is a condition where there is an overwhelming need to move your legs. After this, you also experience a tingling effect in your legs. These symptoms also occur during the day, but they are more prominent during the night. Someone who is suffering from Parkinson’s disease experiences restless leg syndrome on a regular basis.
- Narcolepsy:
In this condition, patients experience sleep attacks during the day. It so happens that you feel tired and you fall asleep suddenly. After that, you can also suffer from sleep paralysis, that means it is a condition in which you are not able to move. It can either occur on its own or because of any neurological condition like that of multiple sclerosis.
Causes Of Sleeping Disorders
There are a lot of reasons that cause sleep disorders.
- Allergies and respiratory problems: If you are suffering from any respiratory disease or any sort of allergy, then it might become difficult for you to breathe and night and hence it affects your sleeping cycle.
- Nocturia: It is characterized by frequent urination. It can occur due to hormonal imbalance or urinary tract infection. The problem becomes severe when your urine is accompanied by bleeding or pain.
- Stress And Anxiety: If you are suffering from stress or anxiety, it will lead to negative impact on your sleep. You will not be able to sleep properly or sleep for a long time. You experience nightmares, sleeptalking or sleepwalking due to stress.
Few Tips To Get Well
- Fix a time to sleep everyday and get to your bed by that time without fail. The same way, set your alarm and wake up at a fixed time. It might be difficult initially but you should keep trying.
- Clean your bedroom and make it look pleasant. If it doesn’t look pleasant you cannot sleep well. Do not use bright lights in your bedroom.
- Keep few flowers and use a nice aromatic fragrance in your bedroom. This will relax you and help you fall asleep easily.
- Keep your mobile phone, tablet and laptop out of your bedroom. Your bedroom is just to sleep.
- Exercise everyday and stay active. If you do enough workout and stay active, you’ll get sleep on time.
- Meditate before going to bed; this will relax your stressed mind and help you fall asleep.
- You can also try reading a good book before going to bed. Sometimes reading books make us get sleep easily.
In case of sleeping disorders, it is very important for the patient to seek medical treatment. Medical treatment can be given to the patients in different forms like medical pills, supplements of melatonin, cold medication, breathing device, surgery or a dental guard ( in case you are grinding teeth at night).
Besides this, the doctor will also advise you to change your lifestyle. You will have to start eating fresh vegetables, do light exercises so that you can sleep properly. You should also avoid drinking water during nights especially right before going to bed, reduce intake of caffeine, and alcohol. It is very important that you follow a proper schedule when it comes to sleeping. The time of sleeping and waking up should be same and it should not change everyday.
For a person who is suffering from a sleeping disorder should seek medical attention immediately. If the problem is severe, then it will take sometime. Most of the cases are solved in no time. It is very important for you to stick to your treatment plan and take all the medications on time. You should communicate with your doctor on a regular basis and tell him/her everything about your problem so that they can help you solve your problem in a better way.
