Sleep Disorders - Types, Symptoms, Causes, Risks and Treatment

A proper sleep routine can be essential for your overall health in a busy schedule. However, sleep disorders are responsible for preventing a healthy sleep routine. As a result, your overall health might suffer from a lack of proper sleep.

Are you curious to know what a sleep disorder is? Find out all about it in this article.

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What Are Sleep Disorders?

Sleep disorders can be caused by stress or any other disorder or medication. In general, a 7-hour sleep is considered ideal for adults. However, only a handful of people get the right amount of sleep at night.

What Are the Types of Sleep Disorders?

1. Sleep Apnoea

It is a breathing disorder which causes breathing difficulties for 10 seconds or more while sleeping. It can cause disturbances in sleep. The obstructive sleep apnoea stops airflow because of obstructed or too narrow passage. On the other hand, central sleep apnoea occurs because of a lack of connection between the brain and the muscles around it.

2. Insomnia

This is probably the most common sleeping disorder. Individuals cannot fall asleep at night. Multiple factors can contribute to this condition, including jet lag, stress and anxiety, hormones, or digestive problems. It can end up causing depression, irritability, difficulty concentrating, weight gain, etc.

3. Hypersomnia

This is a condition which makes you sleepy during the day. It also includes narcolepsy, which is characterised by extreme sleepiness during the daytime. Narcolepsy can be dangerous as it causes sleep attacks, causing extreme fatigue while being awake. It might also cause sleep paralysis, restricting you from moving instantly after waking up.

4. Restless Leg Syndrome (RLS)

This is another sleeping condition causing a prickly or tingling sensation in your legs. It also causes a strong urge to move your legs while you are trying to go to sleep. This condition is often associated with other health issues, including attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and Parkinson’s disease. However, there are no specific reasons known for this condition. While it can occur during the day, it increases at night.

5. Circadian Rhythm Disorders

This refers to the problems associated with the sleep-wake cycle of individuals. As a result, you will not be able to fall asleep or wake up in suitable routines. Naturally, the sleep routine will be affected, and there will be difficulties in completing other tasks and duties.

6. Parasomnia

This refers to the unusual activities of individuals while sleeping, such as talking, walking or eating in sleep. This can be a serious health hazard, as individuals can hurt or injure themselves while walking and moving in sleep.

What Are the Symptoms of Sleep Disorders?

There can be various symptoms of sleep disorders. These vary on an individual level based on the type of disorder. Here are some of the common symptoms that indicate a sleep disorder.

Difficulty falling asleep at night
Having thin and disturbed sleep
Unusual breathing pattern while sleeping
Feeling tired and sleepy during the day
Anxiety and irritability
Lack of concentration
Mood swings
Depression
Unintentional weight gain or loss
Making noises while sleeping

What Are the Causes of Sleep Disorders?

Multiple health issues and lifestyle conditions can contribute to the causes of sleep disorders. Here are some common causes seen in most patients.

Allergies and breathing problems: Respiratory issues and diseases usually result in sleep disorders. Allergies and a common cold can result in nose congestion, which causes difficulty breathing at night while sleeping. It is a regular cause of sleep apnoea.
Frequent urge for urination: Nocturia is a condition that causes frequent urge for urination, especially at night. This situation disturbs your sleep pattern, as you have woken up several times. This situation can be triggered because of an infection in the urinary tract or hormonal imbalance.
Stress and anxiety: A common reason for sleep disorder can be stress and anxiety, which largely disturbs your sleep. It can result in sleepwalking and nightmares, harming your sleep routine.
Chronic pain: If you are suffering from chronic pain, you might find it difficult to get sound sleep at night. Such pain can come from arthritis, fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrome, inflammatory bowel disease, etc.

Who Is at Risk of Suffering from Sleep Disorders?

There is no specific group of people exposed to higher risks of suffering from sleep disorders. It can occur to anybody. However, people regularly travelling might suffer from an unhealthy sleep routine because of jet lag. On the other hand, people undergoing stress and tension might also start developing insomnia.

People with excessive weight and a narrowed airway are at higher risk when it comes to sleep apnoea. Apart from that, family history and other health issues like nasal congestion can also contribute to this condition.

How Are Sleep Disorders Diagnosed?

Now that you know the classification of sleep disorders, the ways to diagnose them will be beneficial to know. When you face the symptoms listed above, you must visit the doctor without wasting time. Doctors usually perform physical examinations and ask questions about your medical history. They might include the following tests in the diagnosis.

Polysomnography (PSG): This lab test evaluates oxygen levels and body movements. Doctors conduct this test to evaluate the movements and brain waves to identify their ability to disrupt your sleep routine.
Multiple sleep latency tests (MSLT): If the doctors suspect narcolepsy, they conduct this test along with a PSG. It is a study including daytime napping.
Electroencephalogram (EEG): This test helps to detect the potential problems associated with the electrical activity in the brain by scanning the brain in detail. It is a part of polysomnography, which helps identify the problems straight from the brain.
Overnight oximetry: In this method, doctors use a probe on the earlobe or finger of the patient to check the heart rate and oxygen levels. A red light suggests loss of oxygen in blood. The test is done at home while sleeping to identify sleeping disorders.
Titration study: In this test, the technician increases the Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) through a soft mask. The patient begins the night at a low pressure, while the technician keeps monitoring the pressure throughout the night. physicians will review and compare the sleep routine of the patient at different pressure levels.
Actigraphy: This test uses a wristwatch-sized device to review the sleep-wake cycle of patients. It will record the disruptions in this cycle, which will help the doctors identify the issues.

What Are the Treatments for Sleep Disorders?

The right treatment for sleep disorders depends on the type of symptoms you are facing. The treatment is usually light and simple. While doctors mostly emphasise lifestyle changes, some medication treatments can also occur.

Doctors usually suggest mild sleeping pills for people suffering from sleeping disorders. Other than that, they also suggest medicines for allergies and common cold that causes nasal congestion. In severe sleep apnoea, they suggest breathing devices, nasal spray or even surgery.

Apart from that, a dental guard can be the right treatment for people who suffer from teeth grinding in sleep. Furthermore, doctors provide melatonin supplements for better sleep to people suffering from acute insomnia and anxiety.

Doctors also suggest changes in lifestyle once you have recovered from a sleeping disorder. They mainly encourage the patients to develop a healthy sleep routine. They also suggest a better diet and lifestyle avoid suffering from colds and allergies.

How to Prevent Sleep Disorders?

If you are willing to find out how to prevent sleep disorders, here are some tips that can come in handy.

Maintain a healthy diet by incorporating more fruits and vegetables over unhealthy items. Avoid sugar consumption.
Avoid too much caffeine intake, particularly after the evening. It can cause a disturbed sleep routine.
Try not to exercise or work out within two hours of bedtime. However, you can do it in the daytime to eliminate anxiety and stress.
Decrease tobacco and alcohol intake.
Try to maintain a healthy weight with proper meals and regular supervision.
While sleeping, make sure that the environment is calm and quiet.
Start preparing for sleep with a warm bath or relaxing sleep music if you are an insomniac.

Hopefully, this piece gave you a better idea about what sleep disorder is. It is a condition that causes sleep deprivation and other health hazards connected to a disturbed sleep routine. As this article pointed out, the best way to prevent and cure such disorders is by making significant changes to your lifestyle.

Frequently Asked Questions

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How much sleep is necessary?

According to the experts, adults should sleep 7-9 hours at night for a healthy sleep routine. For kids, this can increase to 11-14 hours every night.

What food or drinks can increase the chances of sleep disorder?

Drinks like caffeine and alcohol can disrupt a healthy sleep routine. Moreover, you might also face similar problems if you are on diet pills, decongestants or anti-depressants.

What are the consequences of lack of sleep?

Lack of sufficient sleep can lead to hypertension, diabetes and obesity. It also increases the chances of heart attack and stroke.