Sleep Disorders - What's keeping you up at night?

It's not just the economy that keeps many of us wide-awake in the dark - although it certainly doesn't help!

Sleep disorders are becoming more and more common in todays' 'hurry-hurry, busy-busy' world. With so much to do, and so little time, sleep is starting to be seen as a luxury rather than a necessity. But your body disagrees wholeheartedly.

Sleep is absolutely necessary to your physical and emotional health, and when we don't pay attention to our bodys' need for our full 8 hours of sleep, there's a price to pay.

INSOMNIA

A dictionary definition of insomnia is... 'a prolonged and usually abnormal inability to obtain adequate sleep'. This could mean you have difficulty falling asleep, or staying asleep. You may climb into bed and then lie awake until 1am staring at the ceiling. Or maybe you fall asleep right away, but wake up at 1am....and again at 2am.... and again at 3:30am... you get the picture. You may even fall asleep, stay that way for a few hours and then wake at 4am and stay that way until your alarm clock goes off.

All these scenarios can be covered by the term 'insomnia', and this sleep disorder can have physical or emotional causes. When we're stressed to the max, or going through an emotional upheaval, it can interfere with our sleep patterns. Many cases of insomnia fall under the 'Transient Insomnia' heading, and can last for just a couple of nights, to one week. 'Short-term Insomnia' covers sleep disturbances lasting anywhere between one week and one month, while 'Chronic Insomnia' can go on indefinitely.

And it's not just adults that suffer from insomnia, increasing numbers of teenagers and younger children are also finding sleep difficult to come by. There are many approaches to treating insomnia, these include :

Improving your sleep hygiene and setting up a regular bedtime routine/sleep schedule

Paying close attention to your diet - certain drinks/foods/activities can make it more difficult to sleep well. It's also been found that other foods/drinks can increase your chances of getting a good nights' sleep

Reducing stress and anxiety levels with alternative remedies such as relaxation or hypnotherapy techniques, aromatherapy and more

SLEEP APNEA

This sleep disorders' name is derived from the Greek word 'apnoia', which simply translated, means 'without breath'. And that describes it pretty well. Sleep apnea sufferers literally stop breathing multiple times during sleep, and they may or may not, be aware of it! Excessive snoring, accompanied by snorting/grunting/gasping sounds, is the prime symptom of this disorder, and is often most easily recognized by the sufferers' sleeping partner or roommate. If you think you are getting a full nights' sleep, but feel constantly exhausted, sleep apnea may be be the culprit.

There are serious health issues which can result from untreated sleep apnea, in addition to chronic daytime sleepiness, these may include often waking up with a sore/dry throat, recurrent/persistent heartburn, frequent waking during the night with the feeling that you're gasping for breath, weight gain, high blood pressure, heart irregularities (such as palpitations or 'pounding') and more.

Luckily, sleep apnea is easily treated using CPAP (continuous positive airway pressure). Sufferers wear a mask attached to a machine that provides a constant flow of air into their lungs while asleep. This keeps the airways open and prevents the episodes of apnea.

RESTLESS LEG SYNDROME

Also known as RLS, this sleep disorders' name is pretty self-explanatory. People with RLS experience an uncomfortable sensation in their legs (it can vary from person to person and has been described as a 'crawling/prickling/cramping feeling (and other similar terms).

This feeling makes it extremely uncomfortable, even impossible, to keep your legs still.... hence the name! Although scientists and researchers still have a lot to learn about this disorder, there are certain conditions and activities that they believe cause (or contribute to) Restless Leg Syndrome, they include ;

Being overweight or obese

Having ADHD

Hormonal fluctuations - such as during pregnancy, or menopause

Certain illnesses including anemia, arthritis, diabetes and others

There are a few medications that are available to treat RLS, but for many people finding (and eliminating) the 'trigger' behind their restless legs, and/or using massage, relaxation or exercise techniques are very effective.

SNORING

Researchers estimate that about half of all the adults in the US snore, and about 50% of them do so chronically (on a regular basis). Quite a number of children and teens also experience this. Although snoring is sometimes thought of as a bit of a joke, it's not funny to the sufferer and most definitely not amusing to his sleeping partner or room mate/s!

The most common causes of snoring are enlarged tonsils or adenoids, being overweight or obese, allergies and poor muscle tone in the throat due to smoking/alcohol/aging. There are also several others.

Figuring out what is causing you to snore is vital, and your doctor can help here. If your snoring is severe, or accompanied by gasping/snorting/coughing and so on, consider Sleep Apnea as a possibility.

There are all kinds of treatments for snoring, from losing weight or giving up alcohol, to dental appliances, minor surgery and more.

NARCOLEPSY

This sleep disorder is much less common than the ones mentioned above, but it is pretty disruptive and often scary for people who experience it.

It's characterized by an overwhelming desire to sleep, and narcolepsy sufferers are at risk of falling asleep at any time whether they're working, driving or participating in any other daily activity. This is obviously a dangerous situation.

Other symptoms of narcolepsy sometimes include sudden muscle weakness or sleep paralysis, and vivid hallucination-like dreams which occur just as they fall asleep or wake up. Although there isn't a cure for narcolepsy just yet, there are various treatment options which are effective at controlling the symptoms so that sufferers can live their lives normally (and safely!).

Sleep is so important to the human body that you will actually die if you're deprived of sleep indefinitely. Even on a less dramatic scale, it's certainly very destructive to your health to go without adequate sleep on a regular basis.

If you are always exhausted, you're emotions are volatile, your patience/temper is short, you seem to be extra 'clumsy' or are always having minor accidents, if you frequently feel drowsy when driving............... or there are any other signs that you are not getting enough restful sleep, it's very important to see your doctor.

He/she will be able to find out what is causing the problem and prescribe treatment, or even refer you to a sleep lab or sleep clinic for further evaluation.