Restless? One of these 7 common conditions could be affecting your sleep

From peacehealth.org

Maybe you’ve turned down the lights, tucked in for the night, but find your brain won’t quiet down. Or perhaps you’ve picked up your phone at bedtime and started scrolling through social media feeds, only to emerge hours later, bleary eyed but unable to sleep.

We know a good night's sleep matters to our overall health. Yet most of us have trouble sleeping at some point. In fact, about 1 in 3 U.S. adults say they aren’t getting enough rest or sleep every day, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Losing out on a restful night here or there can be remedied by brushing up on your sleep habits, says Donald Berry, MD, a pulmonologist and sleep-medicine expert at PeaceHealth in Bellingham, Washington. But some people have more persistent sleep deprivation.

If that’s the case for you, Berry says it’s important to have a conversation with your healthcare provider. Research shows that long-term lack of sleep raises the risk of a number of health conditions. These include heart disease, kidney disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, stroke and depression. 

There are lots of factors that affect how well you sleep. Your primary care provider or a sleep specialist can help you find the cause and take steps to address it.

7 common sleep-related conditions

If you consistently have a hard time sleeping, take note of what’s keeping you up. It could be one of these common conditions:

1.  Sleep apnea: People with this condition experience pauses in breathing when asleep, often with loud snoring. This leads to disrupted sleep and decreased oxygen levels. CPAP (continuous positive airway pressure) machines can help by regulating your breathing while you sleep.
2. Insomnia: People with insomnia regularly have a hard time falling asleep or staying asleep. This lack of rest can affect your ability to function during the day.
3. Restless leg syndrome: This condition causes an uncomfortable feeling in the leg and an irresistible urge to move them. It usually gets worse in the evening or at night.
4. Parasomnias: This includes a range of unusual behaviors that happen during sleep. Sleepwalking, night terrors and sleep-related eating disorders are all parasomnias.
5. Circadian rhythm disorders: This happens when disruptions in your body's internal clock make it hard to fall asleep when you want to. It can lead to excessive sleepiness at inconvenient times.
6. Shift work sleep disorder: If you work irregular hours, it can disrupt your sleep-wake cycle. This can make it hard to get restful sleep during the day.
7. Narcolepsy: This is a condition of the nervous system. It causes severe sleepiness, sometimes accompanied by muscular weakness. These symptoms usually arise from emotional situations.

Care for sleep-related conditions

When you get care for a sleep-related concern, your provider will work with you to gather more information about what's keeping you awake. They may recommend doing sleep study to identify your patterns of wakefulness. If that’s the case, you may have the option of doing the study at home or at a sleep center. 

PeaceHealth’s sleep centers include experts such as:

• Pulmonologists: Respiratory health doctors.
• Neurologists: Doctors who focus on the brain, spine and nervous system.
• Polysomnographic technologists: Professionals who carry out, review and analyze sleep study results. They also work with patients and CPAP machine manufacturers to make sure CAP masks fit well and are not hard to use.

These providers work with you to understand your needs and priorities, so you can get the rest you’ve been missing. Depending on your diagnosis, treatment may include medication, lifestyle changes and/or devices like CPAP machines.  

The bottom line is, you don’t have to go it alone when it comes to getting a good night’s rest. Setting up good habits at home can go a long way — and so can partnering with your healthcare team for solutions tailored to your condition.

https://www.peacehealth.org/healthy-you/restless-one-these-7-common-conditions-could-be-affecting-your-sleep 

The Most Common Sleep Disorders in America

From goodmenproject.com

• Insomnia is the most searched-for sleep disorder in America, according to a new study.
• Sleep apnea, restless leg syndrome, sleep paralysis, and narcolepsy round out the top five.
• The research analysed online search data to reveal the sleep disorders that are most likely to affect Americans. 

• New data has named the most common sleep disorders in the US.

  The study, conducted by sleep experts Eachnight, analysed online search data to determine the top five most searched-for sleep disorders in the United States, including search terms such as ‘parasomnias’, ‘Kleine-Levin syndrome’, etc.

  Insomnia, a condition that makes it difficult to fall and stay asleep, takes the crown as the most common sleep disorder in America, with an average monthly search volume of 410,500. According to research, short-term insomnia affects 30% of adults while long-term insomnia affects 10% of adults throughout America.

  Sleep apnoea ranks in second place. According to the study, this sleep disorder that prohibits people from breathing during sleep has an average monthly search volume of 388,500. There are three types of sleep apnoea – obstructive sleep apnoea, central sleep apnoea, and complex sleep apnoea – that affect roughly 18 million Americans.

  Restless leg syndrome, which urges people to move their legs while sleeping, is the third most common sleep disorder with 250,583 average monthly searches. Also known as Willis-Ekbom disease, an estimated seven to 10% of people suffer from this sleep disorder in America.

  In fourth place, sleep paralysis has 246,833 average monthly searches nationwide. The sleep disorder prohibits a person from moving while falling asleep or waking up; it may also cause difficulty breathing, chest compressions, and distressing hallucinations. Between 25% to 50% of Americans experience this within their lifetime.

• The fifth most common sleep disorder is narcolepsy, a condition that affects around 125,000 to 200,000 people in America, with 242,250 average monthly searches. This sleep disorder causes people to involuntarily fall asleep at various times of the day and night and is characterized by four common symptoms: hallucinations, excessive daytime sleepiness, sleep paralysis, and sleep disruption.

  A spokesperson from Eachnight has commented: “In the United States, around 70 million people are reported to suffer from various sleep disorders. By analysing online search data, this study has revealed the sleep disorders most likely to affect Americans.”

  “Insomnia, a condition often triggered by stress that can affect people of all ages, takes the top spot as the most common; this suggests that high-stress lifestyles, both within school and the workplace, could attribute to why insomnia has the highest number of searches in America.”

  The most common sleep disorders in America

• Rank	The most common sleep disorders	National average monthly search volume
  1	Insomnia	410,500
  2	Sleep apnea	388,500
  3	Restless leg syndrome	250,583
  4	Sleep paralysis	246,833
  5	Narcolepsy	242,250

https://goodmenproject.com/featured-content/the-most-common-sleep-disorders-in-america/

Excessive Daytime Sleepiness: Should I Be Concerned?

From healthnews.com

Excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS) is a debilitating symptom that significantly decreases the quality of life. A number of sleep disorders can cause EDS. These include conditions like obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA), narcolepsy, insomnia, circadian rhythm disorders, parasomnias, and more. If you suspect you may have EDS, a sleep study can help uncover a potential underlying cause. 

Key takeaways:

• Excessive daytime sleepiness can cause feelings of fatigue, tiredness, and an overwhelming urge to sleep. At worst, it can cause unintentional lapses into sleep at unwelcome times.
• There are numerous sleep disorders that can contribute to EDS.
• As EDS is a symptom and not a diagnosis, it is important to investigate this symptom with the help of a healthcare provider to uncover the root cause so that correct treatment can be provided.

What is excessive daytime sleepiness?

Excessive daytime sleepiness is defined as an overwhelming feeling of exhaustion, tiredness, and fatigue. It is estimated that about 18% of individuals are affected by EDS. People who are excessively sleepy can find themselves falling asleep unintentionally in inappropriate situations. This can be very distressing, especially since EDS can impair a person’s ability to perform well at work, in school, or even while driving.

Symptoms of excessive daytime sleepiness

In addition to the symptoms of exhaustion and sleepiness, EDS can also cause other related symptoms, including:

• Difficulty concentrating
• Poor mood
• Irritability
• Cognitive dysfunction
• 
  

Causes of excessive daytime sleepiness

Because EDS is a symptom and not a stand-alone diagnosis, it is important to understand that there are numerous health problems that can cause excessive daytime sleepiness. In the setting of sleep, EDS can be caused by several different types of sleep disorders that reduce sleep quality.

It is always best to consult a healthcare provider if you are struggling with EDS. It is likely you may be referred for a sleep study, which is a test that analyses your sleep physiology and can look for many sleep disorders that may be contributing to your EDS. It is important to determine the underlying cause of EDS in order to make sure you receive the right treatment.

Obstructive sleep apnoea

If you snore, wake up gasping at night, or find yourself feeling tired even after getting at least seven to eight hours of sleep at night, you may have obstructive sleep apnea. This is a sleep disorder characterised by repetitive obstruction of the airway at night, which causes a brief cessation in breathing. In response, the body experiences an “arousal” to help kick-start the body’s breathing back up. This constant disruption to sleep is what makes OSA a possible cause of EDS.

Insomnia

For some people, insomnia can understandably be the cause of EDS. People with insomnia have difficulty with initiating sleep, maintaining sleep, and returning to sleep after waking up at night. Because of this poor, fragmented sleep, EDS can often occur.

Narcolepsy

Narcolepsy is another possible cause of excessive daytime sleepiness. It is a very rare disorder, only affecting about one in every 2,000 people. People with narcolepsy have a deficiency in a neurotransmitter in the brain called orexin, also sometimes referred to as hypocretin. This insufficiency causes problems with the brain’s ability to regulate the sleep-wake cycle and causes severe EDS.

Circadian rhythm problems

Some people may suffer from circadian rhythm disorders, which occur as a result of the body’s natural clock being out of sync with the environment. Shift work is a common cause of circadian rhythm problems. People who work overnight, for example, are susceptible to EDS because being awake all night can cause confusion internally as to what time of day it really is. The irregular sleep pattern and confusion of the body clock is what cause EDS in these people.

Parasomnias

Parasomnias are any unwelcome behaviours or experiences that occur during sleep and happen as a result of incomplete arousal from a deep sleep. It is an umbrella term that includes several sleep problems including sleepwalking, nightmares, rapid eye movement behaviour disorder, and more. Because of the disruptive nature of these behaviours on getting restful sleep, parasomnias can be a cause of EDS.

Restless legs syndrome, limb movements

Restless legs syndrome (RLS) is a sleep disorder that is characterized by an overwhelming urge to move the legs that is often worse at night-time and is relieved by getting up and moving. It can be extremely disruptive to sleep given its occurrence in the night-time hours and can make it hard to fall asleep and stay asleep. Once asleep, people with restless legs can sometimes experience periodic limb movements (PLM) as well, which can cause sleep disruption and subsequent EDS.

Treating excessive daytime sleepiness

The treatment for EDS is guided by the underlying cause. People with sleep apnoea may be recommended a breathing machine known as a continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) device to help correct their breathing. Behavioural therapies, medications, and certain supplements can be used to treat insomnia, narcolepsy, circadian rhythm disorders, parasomnias, and RLS/PLMs.

Excessive daytime sleepiness can be a debilitating symptom and is a feature of many sleep disorders. If you are struggling with EDS, it is important to consult with your healthcare provider to start looking for an underlying cause. While a sleep study may be recommended, you should follow the recommendations given to you as guided by your healthcare provider. While EDS can be distressing, there is a multitude of treatment options that can be employed to address this problem once a diagnosis is found.

https://healthnews.com/sleep/sleep-disorders/excessive-daytime-sleepiness-should-i-be-concerned/

Do I Have a Sleep Disorder? A comprehensive guide

From goodmenproject.com

Many people just want to sleep. However, a good night’s sleep is hard to come by for many people. It should be a simple process; you just close your eyes and open them eight hours later. However, your body tends to have other plans.

Everyone has a few bad nights of sleep every now and then. However, if you are someone is having trouble getting those 7-8 hours of sleep a night, you may have a sleep disorder. Let’s look at some sleep disorders.

Insomnia

This is the most common sleep disorder. You close your eyes, and it takes a long time for you to go to the land of dreams. This is known as sleep-onset insomnia.

There’s also sleep maintenance insomnia. This is when you wake up in the middle of the night, or earlier than usual, and can’t fall back asleep. Some people experience both.

Most people experience this on occasion. Maybe you have to get up early for a flight, or you’re worried about seeing a doctor tomorrow. However, if you are experiencing it at least three times every week for a 3-month period, it is chronic and you should seek help.

Some medications can treat insomnia, but often, changing your sleep habits can help with it as well. For example, avoid anything too stimulating an hour before bed. Keep your room cool and comfortable. Also, don’t struggle to fall asleep. If you can’t, get out of bed and do something relaxing.

Sleep Apnea

This is when your upper airway is blocked. People who have this tend to wake up feeling like they’ve been choked. They may also wake up while gasping. Some people just snore excessively. It can lead to several side effects, such as lowered cognition.

There are two main types of sleep apnea. Obstructive sleep apnea is when there’s an upper airway blockage. It can be caused by several factors, including obesity. Then, there’s central sleep apnea. This causes your brain to stop signalling your breathing muscles.

Sleep apnea can be dangerous, but it is treatable. Talk to your doctor about it.

Narcolepsy

Have you slept well, but you still feel tired? Even to the point of falling asleep. It may be narcolepsy. This is a sleep disorder that can lead to sleep maintenance issues.

Worst of all, the exact cause is unknown, though genetics may play a part. It is treatable through medication, so talk to a doctor if you suspect you have it.

Restless Leg Syndrome (RLS)

When you try to fall asleep, do your legs itch, throb, hurt, or you feel like you have to move them?

It may be RLS. This hits hard if you are in bed, making it difficult to sleep. Like narcolepsy, it is not curable, but it is treatable through medication and several lifestyle changes.

Excessive Daytime Sleepiness (EDS)

EDS is similar to narcolepsy, where you feel groggy all day even if you slept well. However, this disorder has a clearer cause.

Certain conditions can cause EDS. Diabetes, depression, and anxiety are a few examples. This is another sleep disorder where talking to your doctor and finding the culprit is important.

Shift Work Disorder

Do you work third shift? While some people thrive at night, others may find it difficult to keep up. Even if you sleep during the day, you may feel excessively tired, especially in winter.

This is because you are going against the light and darkness cycles most bodies like. Light treatments can help, especially if you have no choice but to be a third shift worker. You may want to talk to your doctor about it if you work third shift.

Non 24-Hour Sleep Wake Disorder

When you are a child, your body works a little differently than an adult's. For an adult, their circadian rhythms reset every day, or 24-hours. However, some people have a disorder where they do nor reset their rhythms, making it hard to fall asleep.

This sleep disorder is primary found in those who have dementia or blindness, but it is possible for others to experience.

Diagnosis is a Way to the Cure

Sleep is important. While all our sleep needs vary, everyone can agree that getting a proper night’s sleep can keep your mind and body alert.

Sometimes, lifestyle changes can help. From exercising, eating right, to avoiding your phone too close to bed, this can help you sleep better. However, if you still have a sleep disorder, then it’s important you seek help.

Mind Diagnostics is a website that can allow you to get a diagnosis. There, you can figure out how you can seek treatment. Usually, a combination of therapy, lifestyle changes, and medication may be able to help you get a better night’s sleep.

About BetterHelp

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