Each one of us has had trouble getting sleep at one point or another. It may be as a result of illness, stress, travel, or other interruptions to your standard schedule.
If such problems become persistent serving to inconvenience your routine, you probably have a sleeping disorder.
Not only do sleeping disorders distort your sleeping routine, but can also severely impact your physical and mental health culminating in weight gain, memory loss, moodiness, and loss of your usual oomph.
Sign and Symptoms: Since we all experience sleeping problems occasionally, what should you look out for to determine whether yours is a mild, temporary event or is a sign of a more severe sleep disorder?
The first step to solving the mystery would be scrutiny of your symptoms – Focus on the telltale daytime signs that are a pointer to sleep deprivation.
Ask yourself these questions
Do I…
- feel sleepy or irritable during the day?
- experience difficulty concentrating?
- feel worn out or fall asleep behind the driving wheel?
- have challenges staying awake when watching television, reading, or sitting still?
- react slowly?
- feel like taking a nap almost daily?
- have difficulty managing my emotions?
- need caffeine to keep myself actively engaged?
If you answered yes to one or more of the above questions – And the symptoms are regular, chances are, you are struggling with a sleeping disorder. The more “yeses” you have, the higher the likelihood that yours is a sleeping disorder.
The Most Common Types of Sleeping Disorders
Sleep Apnea: This refers to interrupted breathing patterns during sleep. During sleep, your breathing temporarily stops, frequently awakening you. It is often due to a mechanical problem in your windpipe – It can also point to a neurological disorder affecting the nerve cells.
As you age, your muscle tone relaxes and may lead to a collapse of the windpipe. While you may fail to remember the awakening, you are bound to feel irritable, depressed, or exhausted – or experience a drop in your productivity.
Insomnia: Also known as lack of sleep, it is simply an inability to fall asleep. With this condition, you will feel tired most of the time while worrying about being unable to get adequate sleep. It may be an outcome of emotional difficulties, underlying medical condition, stress, and diet (e.g. consumption of caffeine and alcohol) among other factors.
In the short-term sleeping pills can be an effective option. Via Medicine Direct, you can access the correct medication without the inconvenience associated with visiting a pharmacist.
Self-help and When to Seek Help: While you may need to visit a doctor in some instances of sleeping disorders, the following habits can help you improve your sleeping challenges on your own.
- Try relaxing before bedtime to better-prepare your body and mind for sleep.
- Get yourself back to sleep in case you wake up at night – irrespective of whether you have a sleeping disorder or not.
- Develop a consistent sleeping routine while exercising regularly and limiting your intake of caffeine, nicotine, and alcohol.
- If the self-help remedies fail, call a sleep specialist and schedule an appointment.