Sleep disorders affect sleep quality, resulting in daytime sleepiness and other symptoms. Examples of common sleep disorders San Diego include insomnia, sleep apnea, restless leg syndrome, and narcolepsy; these can affect your relationships, safety, performance, thinking, school, work, weight, and mental health. When left untreated, these sleep disorders can lead to serious health complications, including diabetes and heart disease. Read on to learn more about the different sleep disorders.
Narcolepsy
Narcolepsy is a sleep disorder characterized by excessive daytime drowsiness and uncontrollable episodes of falling asleep during the day; this usually happens even after enough sleep. These sleep attacks can occur without warning and can happen anytime during the day during any activity. If you have this disorder, you may also experience a sudden loss of muscle tone with laughter or other strong emotions. These sleep attacks also make it more likely for you to injure yourself or get into an accident. Although narcolepsy is a life-long condition without a cure, treatment with medicine and lifestyle changes can help manage the symptoms.
Insomnia
Insomnia is a disorder whereby you have ongoing difficulty falling or remaining asleep, despite wanting to sleep and having enough time to do so. You may also wake up severally during the night and have trouble falling back asleep. Other symptoms include unrefreshing sleep, waking up too early, and daytime problems such as fatigue, drowsiness, and sleepiness. Insomnia can be short term long-term, or it can come and go with periods when you have no sleep problems.
Short-term or acute insomnia can last from one night to a few weeks and is often caused by life stresses, including the death of a loved one or a job change. Other times it might be due to environmental factors such as noise, light, and extreme temperatures. If you have chronic insomnia, you experience it at least three nights a week for a month or longer.
Restless leg syndrome
Restless leg syndrome, also known as Willis-Ekbom disease, is a condition that causes an uncontrollable urge to move the legs, usually due to an uncomfortable sensation. If you have this disorder, moving your legs may help ease the unpleasant feeling. The uncontrollable urge to move your legs typically happens in the evening or nighttime when you are at rest. This disorder can begin at any age, but it generally worsens as you advance in age. Besides the urge to move your legs, this condition can disrupt your sleep and interfere with your overall quality of life. Effective treatment strategies for restless leg syndrome include medications, healthy sleep habits, dietary changes, exercise, and medical devices.
Sleep apnea
Sleep apnea is a common sleep disorder that occurs when breathing stops and starts several times during sleep, preventing you from enjoying deep, restful sleep phases The most common type of this disorder, obstructive sleep apnea, occurs when the soft tissues in the back of your throat collapse during sleep, blocking your airway. Besides snoring, you may experience symptoms like daytime sleepiness, fatigue, and trouble concentrating.
If you need treatment for any of the above sleep disorders, visit your specialist at MindSet.
