Sleep is a vital part of our physical
and mental well being but unfortunately, thousands of people suffer from a
variety of sleep disorders. Some can be
very mild and barely noticed by the effected person such as snoring or grinding
of the teeth while asleep. Others, can
be much more severe and even dangerous such as the type of sleep disorders that
interfere with breathing or that cause a person to fall asleep at random times
beyond their control.
Symptoms:
Disorder sleep symptoms can range from
small, minor symptoms to much more severe and troublesome. Here is a list of some of the more common
sleep disorders and their symptoms.
Restless
Leg Syndrome: As the name suggests this disorder is characterized by
involuntary jerky leg movements that can make falling sleep difficult.
Bruxism:
This disorder involves a clenching of the jaw or grinding your teeth while you
are asleep and is often not noticed by the person suffering from the disorder.
Sleepwalking:
Perhaps one of the most well known sleep disorders, this disorder sleep symptom
involves walking or performing other routine activities such as getting dressed
or making breakfast while in a sleep state.
Again, the sleepwalker is unaware of their actions.
Narcolepsy:
One of the more serious and dangerous of the sleep disorders; those who suffer
from Narcolepsy may fall asleep while performing regular activities such as
talking or driving. It is characterized
by an uncontrollable urge to sleep regardless of how much rest you may have
gotten the night before.
Insomnia:
Restlessness or an inability to fall asleep.
This can be mild and occasional or severe and reoccurring.
Sleep
Apnea: This is one of the other more
worrisome of the sleep disorders. This
disorder's sleep symptom can be somewhat frightening since it involves a pause
or stop in breathing while asleep.
These
are but just a handful of the some of the more widely known sleep disorders;
however, there are dozens of others that you may want to learn about.
Causes:
Sleep disorders stem from a variety of
causes including physical pain such as back pain, pain from a recent injury,
neck pain, and headaches. Stress and
anxiety can also be leading causes of sleep disorders. Hormonal changes due to pregnancy, the onset
of menopause, or menstruation can also be factors that interfere with normal
sleep. The side effects of various
medications can lead to sleep disorders as can some medical conditions such as sciatica
and endocrine imbalances. Environmental
noise and distractions can also be culprits in stealing your sleep.
Treatments:
Sleep disorders have a variety of
treatments from using aromatherapy oils blended to aid sleep, for example by
using one of the sleep mists that you can spray your linens with before you go
to bed to help you relax. A variety of
herbal remedies using chamomile and other herbs can be effective. When stress and anxiety is causing the disorder's
sleep symptom, learning relaxation and stress management techniques can often
have a great effect on your ability to get much needed sleep. Some disorders are more severe and may
require medication and treatment by a physician. So if you feel that you are suffering from a
sleep disorder and one of the standard remedies do not seem to help, consult
your health care provider.
