Sleep Disorder(SMS): Types, Causes & Diagnosis

Sleep Disorder: A sleep disorder is a condition in which a person’s ability to sleep adequately daily is affected. This condition occurs due to some health-related problem or excessive stress. Sleep disorders are becoming a common problem. Due to increased pressure, busy routine, or any other external reason, most people start disturbing their sleep.

When these problems occur regularly and interfere with the daily routine, it can be a sign of a sleep disorder. This can lead to symptoms such as daytime sleepiness, difficulty concentrating, difficulty remembering, snoring, and fatigue after waking up.

However, these disorders can be successfully tried and treated, and the problems of the people suffering from them can be improved. Some types of conditions like sleepwalking, snoring during sleep, etc. They do not require treatment because they are harmless. However, if mild or infrequent symptoms are causing problems with your routine, some lifestyle changes may help improve these symptoms.

What is Sleep Disorder?

Sleep disorder is a problem due to which a person cannot sleep correctly. As a result, the person feels sleepy during the day and cannot perform his daily activities properly.

However, it is common to have this kind of sleep problem occasionally. But it is not a normal condition if you have trouble sleeping at night or feel tired after waking up. You may have sleep disorders.

Sleep Disorder Symptoms

What are the symptoms of sleeping sickness?

Some common symptoms of sleep disorders such as:

• You feel like you can’t sleep.
• Mood or behavior problems, such as irritability or anger
• Difficult to concentrate
• Sleep a lot during the day
• Lack of energy in the body
• Recurrent amnesia
• There are problems in personal and professional relationships.
• Accidents at work or while driving due to extreme fatigue

When should I see a doctor?

If you’re having trouble getting enough sleep or feeling sleepy and over-tired during the day, you should talk to your doctor about this.

Types of Sleep Disorders And Their Causes

Why does sleep disorder happen?

The causes of sleep disorders depend on their type, such as:

Snoring or sleep apnea:

This can be due to some upper respiratory tract blockage, resulting in obstructive sleep apnea. Apart from this, if the brain is not able to start the process of breathing, then this problem also occurs.

The most prevalent cause of obstructive sleep apnea is being overweight or obese. Because obesity affects the oral and soft throat tissues. During sleep, when the muscles of the throat and tongue relax, these soft tissues block the airway. However, in adulthood, additional variables may contribute to snoring or sleep apnea.

Insomnia:

Insomnia is a condition in which a person cannot get enough sleep, reducing fatigue. Due to this condition, the person neither sleeps nor opens his eyes quickly. There can be many reasons for insomnia, such as stress, problems caused by air travel, any health problem, taking any medicine, and even drinking excessive amounts of coffee can affect sleep. Insomnia can also be caused by other sleep disorders, such as anxiety or depression.

Parasomnias:

Parasomnias involve issues including loss of consciousness. These include sleep apprehension, sleepwalking, sleep eating, and sleep-eye movement (REM behavior disorder). Aside from that, a variety of such actions might be observed in a person when sleeping.

In many situations, parasomnias are an illness handed down from generation to generation and may be a hereditary influence. Neurological abnormalities, such as fast eye movements while sleeping, can potentially induce parasomnias. Parasomnias can also be caused by other sleep disorders, such as obstructive sleep apnea or certain drugs.

Narcolepsy:

Narcolepsy is a kind of sleep disorder. In most cases, hypocretin insufficiency is thought to be the etiology of narcolepsy. Hypocretin is a brain molecule that initiates the sleep process. It is also a neurotransmitter, which allows messages to be conveyed. Working with specific nerve cells will enable you to regulate whether you sleep or awake (or neurons in the brain).

This chemical shortage is thought to occur when the immune system begins to harm a portion of the brain that produces hypocretin due to the disruption.

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS):

In this disease, the patient feels highly weary; this does not improve despite enough rest and worsens with even minor physical exercise.

Air Travel Jet Lag:

This is a temporary issue caused by moving across time zones. The patient’s body clock becomes disconnected from regular time, causing exhaustion, insomnia, nausea, and other difficulties.

Restless Legs Syndrome (RLS):

This neurological condition is characterized by odd leg discomfort and a strong urge to move it constantly. It may also be connected to an anomaly in brain chemicals (neurotransmitters), as these chemicals aid in muscle action. In addition, any irregularity in the central nervous system might induce this leg twitching condition.

Sleep Disorder Prevention

How can sleeping sickness be avoided?

Sleeping sickness can be avoided in several ways:

1. Undertake not to do any other job at night; instead, prioritize excellent sleep. Maintain a regular sleep schedule of 7 to 9 hours and avoid doing any other job or waking up in the middle of the night. Every morning, get up simultaneously; even on vacations, do not modify the hour.
2. Your bedroom should be calm, peaceful, and not overly bright. To reduce noise, you may also utilize a fan. Also, check to see if your bed, pillow, and so on are entirely comfy before bed.
3. Use your bedroom just for sleeping; do not perform any other work or watch television there. When you are weary, you go to your bedroom and try to sleep; if you cannot rest for 15 minutes, you go to another room and try something different.
4. Regular activity promotes sleep but avoids excessive exertion in the morning and afternoon.
5. Make a regular relaxation time for yourself. Avoid using stimulants such as coffee, chocolate, and nicotine before bed. Aside from that, no electronics (TV, computer, phone, etc.) should be used before bed. Instead, read a book, listen to soft music, or meditate before bed.
6. Please do not stare at the clock at night since it will make you feel nervous. Keep the watch out of your line of sight.
7. Seniors unable to sleep effectively at night may doze off in the afternoon. Sleeping excessively in the afternoon is not advisable because this does not result in adequate sleep at night.
8. Try to get some fresh air, especially in the morning.

Sleep Research:

It is also known as a polysomnogram (PSG). This is a multi-component test that tracks specific physical activity while you sleep. For certain individuals, sleep tests can be performed at home. The collected data is examined by a skilled doctor, who determines whether you have a sleep issue or not.

Electroencephalogram:

The brain’s electrical activity is evaluated using this test, and many additional potential issues are found.

Blood Test for Genetics:

Narcolepsy and other health issues that might cause sleep difficulties can be detected through genetic blood testing.

Sleep Disorders Diagnosis

How is a sleep problem identified?

If you suspect you have a sleep issue, see your doctor and discuss your symptoms. The doctor will examine you physically and attempt to determine the problems you are experiencing while sleeping.

Several conditions cause sleep difficulties. Therefore the doctor may advise you to have some tests done to rule them out.

If your doctor suspects you have a sleep condition, they may send you to a specialist.

Treatment of Sleep Disorders

Medical attention:

The following medical therapies for sleep disorders may be used:

• Provide sleeping pills
• Putting on a dental guard (usually to get rid of tooth decay)
• Implanting a breathing apparatus or undergoing surgery (usually to treat sleep apnea)
• Cold and allergy medications
• Medicines used to address health issues

Non-medical therapy:

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) 

• Hypnosis
• Sleep deprivation (withholding sleep for a certain period)
• Techniques for relaxation (techniques to relax the body)
• These broad therapies are insufficient for everyone who suffers from sleep difficulties. Instead, the appropriate treatment for the patient’s condition is determined based on the patient’s examination and prior mental state.

Home Remedies:

Making some significant lifestyle adjustments can significantly enhance your sleep. Along with medication, lifestyle adjustments are implemented to achieve better results. To prevent sleep-related issues, keep the following points in mind:

• Drink less water before going to bed.
• Reduce your intake of sweets and increase your intake of veggies and fish.
• Exercising can help you relieve anxiety and stress.
• Try to sleep and wake up at the same time every day.
• Moderate is advised when using caffeine, especially in the late afternoon or evening.
• Don’t smoke or consume alcohol.
• Eat quick meals before night and select foods with low carbohydrate content.

A Side Effect of Sleep Disorders

You should seek prompt help if you experience any of the uncomfortable issues brought on by sleep disturbances. Unfortunately, some persistent problems require a bit more time to resolve. However, if you are correctly adhering to your therapy and seeing your doctor frequently, you could finally be able to get a good night’s sleep.

Sleep problems may negatively affect your life:

• Not enjoying the good life
• Greater likelihood of developing a mental illness
• Stress
• Lower efficiency at work or in the classroom