Sleep Disorders 101: Symptoms and Treatments

What happens when you close your eyes at night? Do you drift off into a peaceful slumber, or do you toss and turn, plagued by restlessness? Do you ever experience weird or scary sensations, movements, or behaviors during sleep? Do you ever receive complaints from family, friends, or loved ones that you snore like a beast while you sleep? If you experience any of these things regularly, there’s a chance you’re suffering from a sleep disorder. Scientific research on sleep and memory says that sleep disorders aren’t just annoying, they can be traumatizing and have serious implications for your health and well-being. In this article, we’ll be going over some of the most common sleep disorders and their symptoms and treatments.

Insomnia

In the conversation of sleep disorders, insomnia is one of the most common topics. Insomnia is when you have difficulty falling asleep, staying asleep, and feel exhausted during the day. Even though insomnia may seem like a straightforward disorder to those on the outside, it’s actually incredibly complex and can be caused by a deeply troubled thought pattern that prevents you from experiencing anything positive when it comes to sleep. If you’ve experimented with good sleep hygiene practices like keeping a regular sleep schedule, exercising regularly, eating properly (at least an hour or two before bed), and avoiding caffeine, alcohol, and nicotine before bed, you may have a deeper issue that needs to be addressed. It may be beneficial for you to seek cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), which can help you shift the thought patterns and behaviors that are interfering with your sleep. 

Hypersomnia

The polar opposite of insomnia: hypersomnia is the condition of sleeping too much and still feeling excessively sleepy during the day. Hypersomnia can be either primary, meaning that it’s not caused by any other medical or psychiatric condition, or secondary, meaning that it is. The secondary causes or associations can be sleep apnea, depression, medication, or substance abuse. Like sleep paralysis, scientific research on hypersomnia says that improving sleep hygiene and regulation, exercising regularly, and avoiding alcohol and drugs should have a positive impact on hypersomnia. If these don’t help, you may need to seek out medications, stimulants, light therapy, or cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT). 

Narcolepsy

Not to be confused with hypersomnia, narcolepsy is a neurological disorder that affects your ability to control your sleep-wake cycle. It causes you to suddenly and uncontrollably fall asleep. Narcolepsy can cause a myriad of other issues like, hallucinations, sleep paralysis, and cataplexy, triggered by strong emotions, like anger, laughter, or surprise. Unfortunately, narcolepsy is a chronic and incurable condition. But it can be managed with medication, therapy, and lifestyle changes. For example: taking short, regular naps throughout the day to improve your alertness, following a consistent sleep schedule, informing your family, friends, co-workers, teachers, and anyone else you find yourself around about your condition, avoiding operating heavy machinery (naturally), or joining a support group if you feel isolated by your condition.

Sleep Apnea

If you’ve ever dealt with it personally or have experienced someone else dealing with it, you know sleep apnea is a raw deal. Sleep apnea is when you stop breathing repeatedly during sleep, due to the blockage or collapse of your airway. Sleep apnea should not be dismissed as mere snoring, because it’s not. It’s an extreme version of the game, “who can hold their breath the longest,” that you play with yourself while you’re asleep. This means it can last for hours, meaning it disrupts your oxygen levels and can cause increased risk of high blood pressure, heart disease, stroke, and diabetes. If you suspect you have sleep apnea, you should undergo a sleep study, where your breathing, heart rate, and brain activity are monitored while you sleep. To treat it, you may need to use a CPAP machine or undergo surgery.

Sleep Paralysis

Most scientific research on sleep paralysis describes it as a harrowing sensation that you can’t fully understand until you experience it. Sleep paralysis is when you wake up and find yourself unable to move or speak, while feeling a sense of dread or experiencing hallucinations. It typically doesn’t last long, usually for a few seconds or minutes, but can be very frightening. It’s caused by a mismatch between your brain and body’s transitions from REM (rapid eye movement) sleep to your waking state. To prevent it, you must maintain a regular, healthy sleep schedule and avoid stress.

Parasomnias

Parasomnias are abnormal behaviors that occur during sleep. This is an umbrella term that includes sleepwalking, sleep talking, nightmares, night terrors, or REM sleep behavior disorder. Being a complex sleep disorder, different parasomnias may be triggered by different things. However, the triggers most commonly include stress, trauma, medication, or another sleep disorder. To ensure safety if you suffer from parasomnias, lock your doors and windows, remove sharp objects, use bed rails, and lock away the Oreos (for all you sleep eaters out there). You may also need to consult with a sleep specialist or mental health professional for further evaluation and treatment.

Bruxism

Bruxism is when you clench or grind your teeth during sleep. Depending on the severity of your condition, this can result in tooth damage, jaw pain, headaches, or earaches. Like many sleep disorders, bruxism can be caused by stress, anxiety, or anger in your waking life. To prevent it, try to relax before bed. The old adage, “never go to sleep angry,” comes into play here. Read a book, listen to music, or practice meditation or yoga before bed. If you don’t see any improvement, you may need to start wearing a mouth guard to bed until the root issue is addressed. 

Restless Leg Syndrome (RLS)

RLS is a condition that causes an irresistible urge to move your legs, especially in the evening, right before bedtime. The sensation can range from a mild tingling sensation to painful cramping. Moving your legs temporarily scratches the itch and relieves the discomfort, but it can disrupt your sleep and affect your waking life. The exact cause of RLS is unknown, but is currently thought to be genetics, iron deficiency, kidney problems, or certain medications. There’s no known cure for RLS, but there are effective treatments like exercise, massage, stretching, and a balanced diet.

Circadian Rhythm Sleep Disorders:

If you’ve ever been jet-lagged, you’ve had your circadian rhythm disrupted. Circadian Rhythm Sleep Disorders are a group of conditions that affect the timing of your internal clock, your circadian rhythm, and knock your cycles of wakefulness out of whack. This can happen if you travel across time zones, work night shifts, have a genetic predisposition, or Netflix too hard one night. The good news is that it’s one of more manageable sleep disorders and can be resolved simply with behavioral changes. The bad news is you might have to give up your late-night reality show binges. 

Sleep disorders are common and diverse, but they’re no joke. They can hit hard and be tough to deal with, but they can likely be treated and managed with the right help. If you think you have any of these conditions, you should consult your physician or other qualified healthcare provider. If you don’t have these conditions and still feel tired, fFind the right tool to use against your sleep disorders, whether it’s exercise, relaxation, medication, or even music. You’ll be happy you did.