Insomnia and Sleep Disorders

Insomnia and sleep disorders are becoming more and more income in this age of lack of time, increased stress and poor diets.

A sleep disorder is considered to be a medical disorder as they can seriously affect mental, emotional and physical functions of the human body. Sleep disorders can also be diagnosed in animals. It is possible to have a test to diagnose sleep disorders and this is called a polysomnogram.

Insomnia is one type of sleep disorder. It is characterized by difficulty in falling or staying asleep. The following day the person naturally feels extremely tired and lethargic due to a lack of deep sleep. If insomnia occurs night after night, a person may be unable to continue their regular lifestyle. It is estimated that over 60 million people in America suffer from insomnia with women more likely to succumb to it than men.

Besides insomnia, there are many other sleep disorders as well. These include night terrors, narcolepsy, jet lag, sleepwalking, restless leg syndrome, bruxism and more.

Bruxism

Bruxism involves the clenching or grinding of the teeth while a person is asleep.

Narcolepsy

Narcolepsy is when a person falls asleep at any random time involuntarily. It can occur anywhere at any time. This is quite the opposite of most other sleep disorders as it involves falling asleep rather than staying awake. Narcolepsy is considered to be a neurological condition. Most narcoleptics do not sleep well at night and suffer from Excessive Daytime Sleepiness (EDS).

Night Terrors

Night terrors, or pavor nocturnus, occurs when a person is abruptly awoken from a sleep in a fit of terror. The person may also have difficulty becoming fully conscious again. Sounds such as moaning and gasping as well screaming can accompany this parasomnia sleep disorder. Normally the person will not be able to be woken and they go back to sleep without being aware of what happened.

Restless Legs Syndrome

Restless legs syndrome is a sleep disorder that involves an uncomfortable urge to move the legs due to inability to get comfortable. Sensations in the muscles cause the urge to move the legs. As yet there is no agreed remedy for Restless Legs Syndrome.

Jet Lag

Jetlag occurs when a person travels long distances from one time zone to the next. It is a physiological condition that affects the body’s sleep rhythm and schedule. It can also be a result of shift work, daylight savings time but most often from international travel. When traveling from one part of the world to the next, day becomes night and vice versa. So a person may arrive in the morning of one country but their body clock is telling them it is 11pm and time to sleep. This can last a period of several days but most people recovery quickly by taking small naps until they adjust to the new time zone, in combination with eating well and undertaking moderate exercise.

Sleep Paralysis

Sleep paralysis is quite common and results in paralysis of skeletal muscles when waking up or falling asleep. Most commonly it occurs when awakening and a sound or touch can often end the paralysis but it can last up to several minutes.

Sleepwalking

Sleepwalking is when a person undertakes activities in his sleep that would normally only be associated with being awake. This can involve simply walking around or even cleaning the house, cooking, using the toilet, eating and other activities. Sleepwalkers are not aware of what they are doing and often does not even know that sleepwalking occurred unless someone spotted them. Stressed and highly anxious people are more likely to suffer from sleepwalking. It can also be genetic.

Stages of Sleep

To understand sleep disorders we need to look at the stages of sleep. Sleep stage 1 - This is a light sleep from which you may easily wake. Sudden muscle contractions are common during stage 1 and many people feel a falling sensation followed by an abrupt wakening. Sleep stage 2 - This is when eye movement actually stops and the brain slows down. Sleep stage 3 - Very slow brain waves with some bursts of faster waves Sleep stage 4 - Entirely slow brain waves, no faster waves; deep sleep. No eye or muscle activity occurs in stage 4.

Each sleep disorder occurs in different stages of the sleep cycle whilst others do not even allow a person to reach a deep sleep. Obstructive sleep apnea is an example of this. People suffering from obstructive sleep apnea may be unable to get enough or any deep sleep due to snoring, causing extreme fatigue the following day.

Rapid Eye Movement (REM)

Rapid eye movement (REM) is normal and is when the eyes move rapidly whilst asleep. It is not considered a sleep disorder but rather a normal stage of sleep and occurs for up to two hours each night in adults but up to 80% of the night in newborn babies. REM sleep stages are when we can most vividly recall our dreams.

Other Causes of Sleep Disorders

Along with medically recognized disorders, sleep problems can simply be caused by life circumstances. Sleep deprivation can be caused by stress, financial problems, family issues, smoking, alcohol intake and a variety of other reasons. Many people are prescribed sleeping pills for these problems however they can only mask the cause rather than treating it.

What Can be Done?

If you have a mild sleep disorder then attempting to establish regular sleep patterns, eliminating alcohol, quitting or cutting down on smoking and eating better can all assist in improving your nightly sleep.

In addition, a bad diet full of sugar, carbohydrates and caffeine can seriously impact sleep. Drinking coffee or caffeinated drinks or eating high sugar foods within 2 hours of going to bed may cause sleeplessness therefore medical specialists recommend not taking any such substances at night time.

Also, it is recommend not to eat dinner or heavy meals for at least 2 hours before sleeping, but more is preferred. Your body is active whilst it is processing and metabolizing food, therefore eating right before bed halts the shut down of your body’s systems and keeps you awake.

There are many natural remedies for insomnia and sleep disorders, but not all will work for all people. If you want to attempt a natural cure for insomnia then speak to your doctor first to ask for advice. After this you may like to research what has worked for other people who have the same condition with you. It is certainly possible to treat sleep disorders and insomnia with alternative therapies and it is well worth attempting as it could change your life for the better.