Types Of Sleep Disorders

Sleep is rejuvenating. It is essential for a total mind and body relaxation, and an overall good health is the most important subset of sound sleep. Lack of sleep puts the body ill at ease and gives rise to various ailments like the cardiovascular disorders, obesity and hypertension etc, not to mention the harm that it does to the skin, hair and eyes. On the other hand, sound sleep works so many wonders on your body and is thus, appropriately called the beauty sleep. But this simple phenomenon of getting into the bed and drifting away to the wonderland does not come by easily to some people and their sleep isn’t only incomplete, but broken and tiring. These people are haunted by health demons called sleep disorders. And contrary to popular beliefs, a sleep disorder doesn’t only mean lack of sleep. Sleep disorders, quite literally, come in all shapes and sizes and are extremely different in their characteristics, but the bottom line remains the same - they kill your health. Let’s take a look at common sleep disorders. The diagnosis might just help you cure them.

 

 

Classic case of lack of sleep! You go to bed but you just can’t bring yourself to sleep no matter how tired you feel. This, however, can very well be a temporary deal because everyone gets affected by it at some point during life. This problem in the short run can be caused by stress, shift changes or even changes in the time zones, but if the problem persists for days together then you need to seek help.

 

Now this is a scary one right here. Sleep apnea is a common and life-threatening sleep disorder. This condition causes your breathing to stop or get shallow while you sleep. The pauses between breaths last between 10 to 20 seconds or more. The sleeper tends to get disrupted sleep, because he needs to wake up every few minute to breathe. Common symptoms of sleep apnea are frequent gaps in breathing while sleeping, gasping or choking during sleep, loud snoring and feeling un-refreshed after a night’s sleep and excessive daytime tiredness

 

Snoring may or may not accompany sleep apnea. It is an indication that your airway is getting narrowed, while you are sleeping. This means that the amount of air that is reaching your lungs isn’t enough and the extra stress that it puts on your breathing tract leads to the loud snoring noise. This condition can be caused by incorrect sleep posture, excess weight or physical abnormalities of the throat or even extreme fatigue.

 

This disorder causes an irresistible urge to move the legs or arms in sleep. It is generally caused due to uncomfortable, tingly or creeping sensations in the legs or affected limbs. Movement eases the feelings, however, temporarily.

 

Narcolepsy is another very dangerous sleep disorder. It causes extreme sleepiness and people suffering from it fall asleep suddenly without any warning. This gets exceptionally dangerous when the person is driving or walking on the road. The specific cause of narcolepsy isn’t known, but research says that narcoleptic people lack a brain chemical called hypocretin, which regulates sleep and wakefulness.

 

This one causes extensive sleep. Although this disorder is yet to be globally accepted, in clinical circles, excessive sleep refers to getting more than 10 hours of sleep per night and still experiencing chronic daytime drowsiness.

 

The above mentioned are all primary sleep disorders and in addition to these there are about more than 50 secondary sleep disorders that have been identified, including eating disorders, bedwetting, circadian rhythm sleep disorder, environmental sleep disorder, teeth grinding, delayed sleep phase and many other conditions.