Sleep disorder is a term used for referring to health conditions that affect your sleep quality, timing, or duration. It is not suitable for health as staying awake through the night can impact your ability to function correctly. The disorder can complicate your health condition and lead to medical problems. These can be related to your physical or psychological health. Here are some common sleep disorders that you should know about.
What are the symptoms of sleep disorders?
Those who are suffering from a sleep disorder show the following symptoms:
- Trouble in falling or staying asleep.
- Unusual behaviours that disrupt your sleep.
- Difficulty in staying awake through the night.
- Imbalances in the circadian rhythm can interfere with a healthy sleep schedule.
What are some common sleep disorders?
Here are some common sleep disorders that can affect your life:
- Insomnia:
The patients with this condition face a recurring difficulty in falling or staying asleep despite their intentions. They experience excessive daytime sleepiness and other cognitive impairments while they are awake. The problem can be subdivided into acute insomnia, where the inability to rest is short-term, and chronic insomnia, where patients exhibit symptoms at least three times per month.
- Sleep apnea:
This sleep disorder is also characterized by your inability to stay asleep. However, the sleeplessness is due to obstruction in the airway that makes you gasp or choke at night. Other common symptoms of this problem are heavy snoring, fatigue, and daytime sleeplessness. The condition can be divided into three types: obstructive sleep apnea, central sleep apnea, and mixed sleep apnea.
- Narcolepsy:
It refers to a sleep problem where you feel daytime sleepiness despite getting proper rest during the previous night. It can cause an irresistible urge to rest, culminating in sleep attacks. Over time, the problem can cause sleep-onset and sleep maintenance problems. Narcolepsy can be sub-divided into categories; narcolepsy type 1 is characterized by cataplexy, and narcolepsy type 2, where cataplexy is not present.
- Restless leg syndrome:
The disease is characterized by throbbing, itching, and other painful sensations in the legs. All these culminate into an irresistible urge to move your legs while they are at rest. Patients suffering from RLS experience the most vital symptoms in bed, increasing the risk of sleep-onset and sleep maintenance problems.
- Excessive sleepiness:
People suffering from excessive sleepiness face this irresistible urge to rest during the day. It can compel them to sleep at an inopportune time. This makes them prone to make errors or accidents. The disease can be caused by several medical or psychological conditions like diabetes, hypothyroidism, depression, pain, or chronic anxiety.
So, these are a few examples of sleep disorders that you should stay safe from. Sleep problems can make you stay awake at night and lead to several health complications.