Sleep Disorder Symptoms and Remedies

Introduction

Sleep disorders are also referred to as somnipathy or insomnia which is a medical condition whereby people tend to have excessive sleeping habits or lack of sleep. They are serious medical conditions as they interfere with the normal life activities of an individual involving physical, mental and social routine.  There are various reasons why people can lose their sleeping hours. When a person stays awake without sleeping for no particular reason it is referred to as insomnia. Dysomnia is the contrary situation of insomnia where a person has sluggishness or an elevated feeling of sleepiness during the day time. Sleep disorders can be extremely harmful as they can affect the physical and mental health of an individual in the long term. Sleep is the period during which the brain and other essential organs of the body take rest from continuous physical and mental activity during the day. Mental disorder, intense emotions, intake of abusive drugs, lack of physical activity can lead to sleep disorders. The lack of sleep or excess hours of sleeping is a serious medical condition that needs immediate medical attention as the physical and mental health can be jeopardized.

Causes

The causes of sleep disorder can be physical, mental, psychiatric or even related to external environment. Physical pains due to wounds, ulcers, etc can make a person lose sleep as the pain keeps them awake from falling asleep. Medical ailments like asthma, breathing troubles, etc. can also force a person to lose sleep. Life stresses can also be a contributing factor to lose of sleep like loss of job, adverse economic conditions, death of loved one, emotional stress due to failure, etc. can lead to acute insomnia or lack of sleep. Inc certain cases people tend to overcome stress through excess sleeping. They become disconnected with the outside world and sleep long hours due to emotional reactions. Workers undertaking night shift works also tend to have sleeping disorders as their biological clock is disturbed forcing them to get adapted to a new timing which takes time and causes fatigue in the middle. Flight passengers crossing time zones are also victims of sleep disorders as they feel sleepy during the day times when its night time in their native time zone. Further, certain medication used for other diseases can cause droopiness and sluggishness causing a person to sleep excessively than normal hours.

Symptoms

Excess sleeping, lack of sleep, excessive sleeping during the day are the main symptoms of sleep disorders. Children require a minimum of nice hours sleep whereas adults require a minimum of seven hours of sleep. More than the quantity of sleep the quality of sleep is also very essential as it determines the rejuvenation a person is able to have after getting sleep. Sleep in an individual can be affected due to a variety of reasons. Loud noise, mental stress, nightmares, climatic conditions, sense of despair, loneliness, etc can make a person lose significant amount of time. The symptoms of sleep disorders are sleeping at odd times, inability to sleep during the night, sleep walking, night terrors, confusional arousals, etc. Although not confirmed these are the generally known symptoms of sleep disorders. They vary from person to person based on individual circumstances. It is ideal to consult a physician as well as a psychiatrist who can evaluate the severity of the case and determine if a person is really suffering from sleep disorders or not. Symptoms of sleep disorders take time to identify and hence early detection helps in saving a lot of trouble.

Diagnosis

Most of the sleep disorders are due to internal mental problems of individuals and can be cured with a little care of personal lifestyle. It is essential to undertake physical activity that will wear out energy and makes one feel tired or weak. This ensures that one gets as early as possible on lying down to sleep. Further, it is also essential that the quality of sleep is not sacrificed as it is much important than the quantity of sleep. There should be a fixed routine to go to bed and t wake up so that the body’s internal clock is customized to ensure proper sleep schedules. It is ideal to have a record of time slept as it enables to have a study of the reasons which lead to insomnia or Dysomnia. The amount of food consumed and type of diet followed also has a significant impact on the quality of sleep. It is better to avoid heavy meals before going to bed as it takes more time to digest and makes sleeping more stressful requiring additional effort. Drugs, medication and fluids should be taken only after proper prescription and before hours before going to bed. This will ensure proper digestion and ensure that the body receives adequate amount of sleep that is required.

Treatment

Sleeping pills are considered to be the sole remedy for lack of sleep. However, it is quite dangerous to consume sleeping pills as excess dose can prove fatal or lead to other health complications. Further, it is easier to follow good sleep hygiene and habits as it accustom your body to proper sleeping times than forcing it to sleep using artificial medication and procedures. Sleeping is a natural trait and should be allowed to happen on its own by setting aside adequate amount of time according to the age and gender of the individual. Further, it is important to sleep in dark places, as it enhances the capability of the body to secrete chemicals that boosts sleep patterns. It is important to avoid the use of electronic gadgets as their lights and electronic vibrations can affect the sleep quality significantly. It is essential to compensate lack of sleep through adequate rest intervals as the body will not be able to withstand long hours of fatigue and can even collapse. Yoga, meditation and relaxing therapies also help in eliminating sleep disorders as these disorders are more related to the mind than to physical conditions.