WHAT IS SLEEP DISORDER?

It is generally accepted that “Getting a Good Nights Sleep” is important to one’s general sense of well being.

Studies indicate that an understanding of sleep disorders is not just important but in fact is vital as it affects all aspects of our lives and how we interact with those around us.

For us to be effective in our personal and professional lives our understanding of sleep disorders and effective sleep patterns and the remedying of any underlying causes will make a significant difference to our feelings of ordered balance and self worth.

Those of us who have never considered our sleeping as any issue of concern should consider of themselves as lucky as many of us will experience problems from time to time and some have major and ongoing problems that can bring them to the point of despair and worse.

Any continued problems with the quality and quantity of our sleep should be taken seriously and sufferers can try specialized self-help techniques that could help them re-establish proper sleep patterns or they should seek the advice of qualified medical practitioners or psychologists to understand and remedy any medical or psychological underlying areas of concern.

Too much sleep as well as too little sleep can be indicators of more serious conditions that should not be ignored.

 

What is Sleep Disorder

We will attempt to identify some of the more common aspects for discussion and further investigation and these aspects will include but are not necessarily restricted to:

• Insomnia
• Snoring
• Sleep Deprivation
• Sleep Apnea (apnoea)
• Relaxation Techniques
• Obesity
• Night Terrors
• Sleep Talking
• Sleepwalking
• Restless leg syndrome

 

WHAT IS A SLEEP DISORDER EXPLAINED

 

What is a  sleep disorder? Put simply, its a condition that interrupts the quality of our sleep resulting in day time fatigue. There are many types of sleep disorders ranging from insomnia, constant snoring, sleep apnea, sleep walking plus restless leg syndrome

 

Firstly lets look at Insomnia

Insomnia means that you have difficulty falling off to sleep or waking up during the night and finding it impossible to get back to sleep. The outcome of a restless night is fatigue and  difficulty concentrating on the days tasks. Insomnia can be experienced just the once or may last many weeks and develop into a chronic condition that can last indefinitely.

 

Snoring

Snoring is a condition that affects many of us and it can be very annoying or even pose dangers to our health and well being. Sleeping with someone who snores can cause serious annoyance to the non snorer and may eventually cause friction in the relationship. The snorer may also suffer interruptions in sleep and it becomes important to discover the likely causes of the snoring. People who suffer from snoring are more likely to experience it as they got older and this is exacerbated if they smoke or are overweight. If they manage to quit smoking and lose some weight they may also notice an great improvement in their snoring sleep disorder.

 

Sleep Apnea

Sleep apnea can be a serious disorder and occurs when a persons breathing is constantly interrupted by intervals of pauses in their breathing that can last from a few seconds to minutes. This can be repeated many, many times during the night and leaves the person feeling quite exhausted in the morning. Sleep apnea is a condition that truly disrupts the sleep and may also cause high blood pressure, heart attack or stroke and therefore requires medical advice and lifestyle changes.There are also mouthpieces or other breathing devices available to help remedy sleep apnea for many people but discovering the underlying cause is the best option.

 

Restless Leg Syndrome

Just when you would like to drift off to sleep you experience tingling in the calves of your legs that can be extremely uncomfortable. Restless leg syndrome (RLS) is responsible for stopping you falling asleep because you are constantly fidgeting, tossing and turning trying to relax your legs  It is hard for anyone who has never experienced this sensation to understand but it is quite common and although the cause is unknown it is thought it may be associated with obesity, pregnancy, iron deficiency and possible anemia. For anyone who has or does experience restless leg syndrome, understands how debilitating it can be. Treatment for RLS may need some lifestyle changes and medical advice.

 

The Sleepwalker

A sleepwalker is someone who is physically active whilst fast asleep It is thought that deep rooted anxiety may be associated with sleep walking in adults and although sleepwalking can occur at any age it seems to be most common in children. Sleepwalkers often appear to be fully awake and perform acts as they normally would whilst awake including preparing food, watching the TV and even, in some cases, driving. If left undisturbed, the person with a sleepwalking sleep disorder will very often go back to bed and fall straight back off to sleep and not remember a thing the next day.

 

What Is A Sleep Disorder Summary

The above information is to try and answer briefly the question “what is a sleep disorder” and is not intended to be a comprehensive explanation of all the many sleep disorders that can be experienced.

Too much sleep as well as too little sleep can be indicators of more serious conditions that should not be ignored.

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