Sleep disorders are a group of conditions related to breathing problems that affect sleep ability on a regular or interval basis. Mostly the causes of sleep disorders are stress, anxiety, depression, hectic schedule or some health issues. If left untreated, it can have multiple adverse effects on the quality of life and cause other health problems. Hence, it is critical to get a timely diagnosis and treatment for the sleep disorder.
Types of Sleep Disorders
Sleep disorders may be acute or chronic, depending on the symptoms of the disorder. These can include:
- Insomnia: It's the inability to fall asleep even if you are sleepy. It can happen due to stress, anxiety, hormones, or it can be a symptom of another condition. Having insomnia furthermore causes depression, irritability, difficulty in concentration and weight gain.
- Sleep Apnea: Sleep apnea causes breathing problems during sleep. It is a medical condition that needs treatment as it will hinder the flow of oxygen in the body during sleep.
- Parasomnia: Parasomnia is a type of sleep disorder that causes abnormal behaviour during sleep, including sleepwalking, sleep talking, bedwetting, nightmares, or jaw clenching.
- Hypersomnia: Often regarded as excessive sleepiness, people with hypersomnia have trouble staying awake or fall asleep at any time, even at work or while driving.
Symptoms
Symptoms of any disorder depend on its complexity. The general symptoms of sleep disorders include:
- Difficulty falling or staying asleep
- Daytime fatigue
- Strong urge to take naps at any time of the day
- Unusual breathing pattern
- Irritability or anxiety
- Weight gain
- Depression
- Lack of concentration
Causes
The causes of sleep disorders are related to poor physical and mental health.
- Respiratory Problems: Allergies or respiratory problems make it difficult to breathe while the body is asleep, causing sleep disorders.
- Frequent Urination: Frequent urination would disrupt sleep as it would cause you to wake up during the night, disrupting the sleep multiple Times.
- Chronic Pain: Some problems like chronic fatigue syndrome, arthritis, back pain, headache and irritable bowel make it difficult to sleep as it will cause chronic pain in the body.
Diagnosis of Sleep Disorder
Specialist doctors gather information like medical history, symptoms and along with that, they will perform a physical examination following some tests. The tests are done to evaluate oxygen level body movement and monitor brain waves to determine how they disrupt sleep. Some other tests are also ordered to assess the electrical activity in the brain to detect potential problems causing sleep disorders.
Treatment
Treatment of a disorder depends on the type of it. However, it includes a combination of medicines and changes in lifestyle.
- Medical Treatment: It includes oral pills like sleeping pills, melatonin supplements, breathing devices,s or a dental guard.
- Lifestyle Changes: A lifestyle change can also be enough to improve the quality of sleep as the body will get the proper nutrition it requires. Having a balanced diet, reducing sugar intake, exercising, stretching, drinking enough water during the day, limiting caffeine intake, and following doctor's recommendations will surely improve the quality of life and hence will treat the sleep disorder.
Why Eternal Hospital?
At Eternal Hospital, we have a highly qualified and dedicated team of urologists who are always committed to providing the latest and most advanced medical care to all our patients. Being a trusted name in healthcare, we act compassionately while ensuring confidentiality to those who need it. We have set high standards in patient-centric premium care and outstanding patient safety, and exceptional maintenance in a timely manner. We adhere to the use of up to the minute innovations to offer state-of-the-art treatments to our patients with unparalleled results.
