It’s often reported that the average adult needs about nine hours of sleep, but many studies and people dispute this; reports range from four hours to ten hours a night. Two sleep disorders categorized under disturbed sleep orders include Restless Legs Syndrome, sometimes incorrectly referred to as Restless Leg Syndrome, with one ‘s’, and Periodic Limb Movement Disorder; both of these sleeping disorders cause involuntary movement in the arms and legs during sleep and interfere with getting a good nights rest. Some sleep disorders like sleep apnea, require immediate medical attention.
Generally there are three types of sleep disorders – lack of getting enough sleep, sleep disturbance, and too much or excessive sleep. In order to find effective sleep disorder treatments there must first be a diagnosis of the type of disorder present. Some sleep disorder symptoms can be a real cause for concern like falling asleep while driving and having slow reactions coupled with emotional outbursts.
The most common sleep disorder insomnia (lack of sleep) can have a big effect on judgment, memory, hand-to-eye coordination, well-being, and the reaction-time. Many people who get (not need) just four hours of sleep take naps during the day.
A partially blocked airway is the cause of sleep loss in sleep apnea. Sleep disorder treatments include the use of medical devices that help force air into the mouth while the patient is sleeping or a mechanical dental device to help keep the mouth in the right position so he/she can breathe properly.
In the excessive type of sleep disorder the most well-known is called narcolepsy. People with the same sleep disorders often display different symptoms. If you’re sleep-deprived you can easily be more irritable and anger easily. Whereas if you’re not sleep deprived you feel more relaxed and happy as you go about the day.
The parasomnias include a variety of disruptive sleep-related events. Delayed Sleep Phase Syndrome is a sleep disorder of circadian rhythm, which is characterized by being unable to wake up and fall asleep at desired times, but not by the inability to stay asleep. And everyone has an internal clock that runs the body’s circadian rhythm. The circadian rhythm tells your body when it’s daylight you get up and when it’s dark you go to bed.
Some doctors may offer sleeping medications as a short-term solution along with a few insomnia tips, but hopefully will seek to find the underlying cause of the sleeplessness and treat the cause instead of the symptoms. Don’t get into the habit of drinking a glass of wine, hard liquor, or any other alcoholic beverage at bedtime because alcohol is a central nervous system depressant and it’ll interfere with your REM (rapid eye movement) sleep and cause other problems you might not associate with it.
Some people say that sleeping with your head facing north helps you fall asleep because your body is better aligned with the earth, but it isn’t always easy to move your bed. Your pillow may make you feel as though you’re lying uphill or downhill and if it is too hard it may press into your head uncomfortably, reducing the chance of your falling asleep. The circadian rhythm can be upset by working unusual hours or different shifts but the rhythm can be re-established if you’re on the same shift for an extended period.
The body needs to produce melatonin for a good nights sleep. Make sure that you don’t have any light on in the bedroom, including the bright red light on digital clocks, night lights or any other light, even a small flicker because any light can stop the production of melatonin which is produced when it starts getting dark enough in your bedroom, but may shut down if even the smallest amount of light is glowing. In some sleep tests they used a flashlight to shine light on the backside of the knee and tested the reaction of the brain on the sleeping centers and the light was detected; so your body knows when there is a light shining on the back side of your body or in the bedroom. If you’re a day sleeper or even at night, you can try using black drapes or draping to keep out all light – maybe you have a streetlight that is the culprit.
It may be through relaxation exercises or through meditation in bed, but whatever it takes to make the mind clear through the necessary hours before sleep, will help reduce stress as well as insomnia.
Try as many natural approaches for your sleeplessness as you can and avoid all sleeping drugs if possible. It’s too easy to become dependent on them and many have side effects and some have serious side effects. One of the most common insomnia tips offered by sleep doctors and other medical professionals that can be useful for other sleeping disorders, is find something that helps relaxes you and focus on to help rid your mind of any worries and stressful thoughts.
So if you toss and turn each night before you’re finally able to fall asleep, know that many other people are also experiencing this same problem. Your doctor or sleep specialist may be able to recommend support groups in the area. Also if nothing you try seems to work or it appears to be a more serious sleep disorder consider going to a sleep disorder center because they provide the newest techniques, therapies and treatments for the many issues that surround any sleep disorder.